Dog Company

The Boys of Pointe Du Hoc - the Rangers Who Landed at D-Day and Fought Across Europe

De: Patrick K. O’Donnell

Narrado por: John Pruden

In the tradition of Band of Brothers, acclaimed combat historian Patrick K. O’Donnell cinematically tells one of World War II’s greatest untold stories.

It is said that the right man in the right place at the right time can mean the difference between victory and defeat. This is the dramatic story of 68 soldiers in the US Army's Second Ranger Battalion, Company D - "Dog Company" - who made that difference, time and again. From D-day, when German guns atop Pointe du Hoc threatened the Allied landings and the men of Dog Company scaled the sheer 90-foot cliffs to destroy them; to the slopes of Hill 400, in Germany’s Hürtgen Forest, where the Rangers launched a desperate bayonet charge across an open field; to a "quiet" section of the Ardennes, where Dog Company suddenly found itself on the tip of the spear at the Battle of the Bulge; the men of Dog Company made the difference.

America had many heroes in World War II; however, few can say that, but for them, the course of the war would have been very different. The right men, the right place, the right time - Dog Company.

Patrick K. O’Donnell is the award-winning author of eight books, including the highly acclaimed account of the Battle of Fallujah We Were One. He has provided historical consulting for Band of Brothers and multiple documentaries. He lives in Austin, Texas.

©2012 Patrick K. O'Donnell (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A great American writer." (Clive Cussler)

"The author’s most important accomplishment among many is to put a human face on the troops who are fighting against some of the fiercest enemies America has ever encountered.… Read O’Donnell’s excellent book." ( New York Post on We Were One)

Couldn't stop listening to this amazing story

The narrator held my attention throughout.
What amazing men these rangers were.
I highly recommend this book

Excellent small unit history

Narration: clear and engaging:

Story: refreshing to listen to a story about the WW2 rangers rather than yet another audio lionizing the marines. The rangers were unbelievably brave and able.

Highly recommended.

Never forget history

History is hard to listen to and remember. But we continue to repeat the same mistakes and go to war again and again because no one remembers how horrible the sacrifices are

Superheroes scaled those cliffs

I’ve seen the cliffs 3 times in person and I still cannot comprehend that men succeeded in getting to the top while under the most brutal of conditions. The book and story are compelling and I learned a little about some of the individualism and training that led to the mission as well as follow-on missions until war’s end. The narrator was biggest drawback of the audio version and I probably would have enjoyed the printed form of this story more. Definitely a book meant to be read versus listened to but glad I finished it. I’m a fan of O’Donnell’s work as a whole.

Excellent

A great account of one Ranger company’s service from June 6h till the end of the war.

Inspiring

The struggles these men faced are jaw dropping. Their heroic actions are the standard we try to meet today.
Thank you for the path you blazed.

Unbelievable

In a world of Safe Spaces, Micro Aggressions and overly-dramatic Man childs...This book describes in detail, what real Courage was. Hoe young men, little older than high school kids...can stare death in the face...and meet the challenge head on.

Truly inspirational.

On par with the best; Band of Brothers, etc

A quick introduction to my ratings...everyone has their own views so you should know what mine are so my review may be of help
***** - 5 Stars, an all time great that I would want to read every year
**** - 4 Stars, a good book that I would be willing to read again
*** - 3 Stars, an average book, glad I read but would not read again
** - 2 Stars, I finished but was sorry I did and would not recommend it
* - 1 Star, i could not even finish it

I list my recommendation if you were my friend, my overall thoughts and then list the 2 things I liked best and the 2 things I liked least about the book. This is not conclusion, rather a 1 min review.

Recommendation - If you like military history, i.e. books like With the Old Breed, Band of Brothers, etc, I highly recommend this book.
Overall,this book is another tribute to the brutality of war and the hearts of the WWII generation. They speak of many battles as the summary describes. It is not sugar coated, the author pulls no punches in romanticizing war.

Best
1. The description of life in battle pulled no punches. The author also expanded on the quotes, attributing them to the interview or source, so the reader knows they were not the author's narrative, they were from interviews, 1st hand accounts. I appreciate that as many authors like to add to it.

2. I enjoyed the ending when the author spoke of what came of the members of Dog Company, it is good to hear how their lives ended up!

Least
1. There is little to say here. I would have enjoyed more background to what was going on big picture, not just the 1st hand accounts, but that would have made for a much longer story.

2. There really was nothing major I did not like about this book. It will come down to personal preference.

real heroes

Would you listen to Dog Company again? Why?

I would listen to dog company again because the characters are well drawn and more importantly, real. The author and narrators do a wonderful job of incorporating vivid descriptions of the actions and first Person memories of some of the men involved.

Would you ever listen to anything by Patrick K. O’Donnell again?

Yes, i heard him bring interviews on pubic radio which is what drew me purchasing the audio book. Excellent research.

What does John Pruden bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

John does an excellent job of capturing the closeness of the men, their commitment to their assignments. Descriptions of battles were vivid.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The actual landing and climb of cliffs

Great War Story

"Dog Company" followed the timeline of "Band of Brothers" (D-Day to V-E Day in Germany) but from the perspective of a different unit. It wasn't the same stories but many new ones. The books are complementary of each other and provide a dramatic history of America's fighting men in the European Theater in WWII.

I believe the battle for Hill 400 is unique to this book. It is quite a hellish story of battlefield horrors and the near destruction of an army unit that held out time and again against attacks from a superior force. I'd like to see a book dedicated to this battle with as complete a rendition as possible from both opposing forces. I'd bet the Germans haves some great tales about Hill 400.

The only shortcoming I found in the book was in the limited development of the personal stories of the men of Dog Company. These were citizen soldiers from many walks of America life who willingly faced battles and campaigns fraught with horrific experiences that could have come from Satan's own top ten list of ways to die. For the most part, the Rangers of Dog Company bravely and repeatedly faced it all with a spirit of aggressive individualism, personal sacrifice, and mission accomplishment. If faced with similar circumstances that might be a hard act to follow in today's modern Army where political correctness, obese bureaucracy, bloated Hqs staffs, and hi-tech micromanagement rules the day.

John Pruden was an excellent narrator and seemed a natural for this book.