Behind Hitler's Lines: The True Story of the Only Soldier to Fight for both America and the Soviet Union in World War II

This review presents a dichotomy of problems as to how to treat the review process. The inherent story is very good. It is a true story about a remarkable man by the name of Joe Beyrle who was a member of the 506th infantry regiment of the famed 101st Airborne Division. In fact Beyrle was in the same regiment as the famed Band of Brothers who fought the war in Europe from D Day all the way through to the end in 1945. For Joe Beyrle his was a different story altogether as he did jump on D Day with I Company but was separated from his unit and subsequently captured by the Germans. From that time forward we follow Joe from one Stalag to another as the Allies advanced further east the POW's were transported further east. We learn of the prisoner of war culture and what it took to survive in this rather meager existence. We follow Joe in his multiple attempts at escape and see him captured in Berlin by the Gestapo where lucky for him he was actually rescued by the Wehrmacht and taken back to the Stalag where they escaped. Toward the end of the war we see Joe connecting up with Russian units after his third and successful escape in Poland. Joe incredibly asks to join this Russian infantry unit and fights with them against the Nazis as they drive westward to defeat the Germans. The story is a good one, one that is both unusual and is actually true. A writer of fiction could not ask for a better story. However Mr. Beyrle picked the wrong author to tell the story. Mr. Taylor's work is confusing and highly unorganized. His descriptions of the economy of the POW camp was confusing and at times gave us new terms in which he did not define. His transitioning from one story to the other leaves the reader confused and scratching one's head. He brings forth new characters that just show up with no background or purpose. In fact in the middle of the book I was ready to give up on it but I continued. To make matters worse there were numerous grammatical and spelling mistakes as well a many jumbled downloads onto the kindle edition. This book needed a good editing before going live. However I did continue only to see what would happen to Joe. The author's effort at times was confusing and frustrating. The basic story is great but the author was a struggle for me. Thus the 3 star rating for a book with a 5 star story.

I liked the details and getting the back story. It is worth the read, especially if you are into military history.

loved it. There may be others out there that spoke English and Russian. I did not learn English until just before I started Kindergarten, Until then I spoke only Slovak Several Friends of mine only spoke Russian at home as one or the other of their Parents never learned English as normally the Father worked and He needed to speak English, The mother did not. A guy named Grabowski, Top European Ace in the US Air Force trained with the Polish exile Air Force in England as he was a Polish American.Wish you had more mixed stories like this, I felt I could have joined the Slovak Army but they fought for Hitler. My Father in Law got called up in 1938 for the Chekoslovakian Army got mustered out when the Germans took over the country, was drafted into the German Army in 1943 and ended Mia in Estonia in 1945.

The book isnt fast moving, but there is a lot in it that is interesting and informative. For me, it took a long time to read, but I never wanted to put it down. Having finished it, I have a sense of accomplishment and gratification. There are many heroes of WW2; Joe is one of them and there are endless stories to be told of other heroes. I appreciated the insight into the Russian part of the war. That story doesn't get told very often.

Here's an oxymoron for you; a non-fiction page-turner. I had a little trouble in places being sure whose voice it was being written in. There were both first person and third potion pieces, but there was occasionally some "fourth-person" material. Some, perhaps most, heroes emerge from a momentary crisis to exhibit an eruption of courage and selfless and self-endangering initiative. Joe Beyrle sustained that strength of character and faith in his organization over the many months of WWII. Tom Taylor has done a fine job of weaving together a lot of original research and interviews to put together one of the classic, uplifting tales of combat through the eyes of an airborne infantryman.

"Behind Hitler's Lines" tells the incredible journey of one of the 101st's parachuters: his training, buddies, his youthful gung-ho attitude leading up to his drop behind the lines of Normandy beach, only to be immediately captured. The reviews on the book jacket, though provoking, nonetheless, failed to prepare me for the harrowing experiences Joe went through: his defiance and determination that supported him through wounds and excessive torture; the mental and emotional wreckage which could have ended his usefulness in the war against inhumanity.I liked how the author intersperced Joe's on-going tale of horrible bad luck and imprisonment (in Stalag) with the actual fighting war his fellow 101st pals were battling out in Bastonge.Not for the faint of heart: torture, humans-as-pig-fodder. However, this story digs deep:, a true soldier climbs out of a pit of physical agony and despair, endures, turns his personal demons into constructive vengeance; lives to return home and live in freedom.

Very good book and an awe inspiring GI. What he went through is just astounding. Definitely a book to be read again.

So I just started this book...I'm a life long soldier and combat Vet. The documentation of how and what soldiers did and do, is important to me. This book has very odd formatting, like it was translated. It also, so far, has rather vague references and facts related to gear and training that is not exactly cricket. Trivial perhaps, but it makes me wonder at the veracity of the content of the story. If you read "Red Platoon" or "Excommunicated Warrior" there is little doubt about time and place. Anyway, this book is compelling, but I will admit; a few more glaring disparities, and I will put it away and not recommend it.

It makes a change to hear from a soldier who went into action, and was captured in his first fight. This book gives a view into a different sort of the war, a war just to survive after capture in the POW camps and how he managed to escape, was caught and the treatment from the gestapo.

Really interesting read, both from the larger strategic picture it provides, and from the more personal perspective of SGT Beyrle. Taken as a whole this is an essential piece of 101st ABN literature. That said, the narration jumps around, and doesn't always ground the reader in the perspective of the character. All of Beyrle's experience are fairly well worked out, but when the author jumps to other lesser characters it can sometimes become challenging to identify whose story is being told. Really a good, unique story that deserves the attention of any WWII aficionado.

A well respected Veteran wrote his war memorial. That is a noble notion.That does not mean that the reader will be presented with a view that will enhance his own horizon.It will not with this book. The author stuck to prejudices, Klischee's and a narrow view on human conditions.The soldiers of the Soviet Army will be categorized as brutes without much social human trades and catagorized by1.) Mongol's (using the authors description) as fearless cannon fodder at the point of front line assaults.2.) Soviet small and medium level Commanders as incapable for carrying out complex tactical maneuvers.3.) Accusing Russian soldiers to sing in "depressing" lyrics, and strange tunes.It goes on and on like this, until the reader will get the distinct feeling of why should i keep reading a tunnel vision report.

A well told real story reminding us that such catastrophe should never be repeated!

can't say it's very exciting to be honest, I forced myself past around 40 pages and was never stimulated. The premise is interesting but the execution is off