The Rifle

Combat Stories from America's Last WWII Veterans, Told Through an M1 Garand

By: Andrew Biggio

Narrated by: Shawn Compton

The Rifle is the inspirational story of a 28-year-old US Marine, Andrew Biggio, who returned home from combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, full of questions about the price of war. He found answers from those who survived the costliest war of all - WWII veterans.

It began when Biggio bought a 1945 M1 Garand Rifle, the most common rifle used in WWII, to honor his great uncle, a US Army soldier who died on the hills of the Italian countryside. When Biggio showed the gun to his neighbor, WWII veteran Corporal Joseph Drago, it unlocked memories Drago had kept unspoken for 50 years. On the spur of the moment, Biggio asked Drago to sign the rifle. Thus began this Marine's mission to find as many WWII veterans as he could, get their signatures on the rifle, and document their stories.

For two years, Biggio traveled across the country to interview America's last-living WWII veterans. Each time he put the M1 Garand Rifle in their hands, their eyes lit up with memories triggered by holding the weapon that had been with them every step of the war. With each visit and every story told to Biggio, the veterans signed their names to the rifle. Ninety-six signatures now cover that rifle, each a reminder of the price of war and the courage of our soldiers.

©2021 Andrew Biggio (P)2021 Tantor

Fantastic book!

well written, and fantastic, captivating stories from the vetrans. An awesome book! i would recomend it to all.

Essential Book for WWII Fanatics

This book is powerful. As Biggio is collecting these stories, these WWII heroes are dying before the book publishes. The journey, the history, the humanity…this book is worth it, you’ll come back to it…and you’ll buy it for a friend.

Powerful stories

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great stories of WWII veterans. A must read for WWII history buffs.

m1 grand

loved it couldn't put it down, my dad and uncles carried it all over Europe most of the veterans from Vietnam loved the m14 more than the m16 I am a Vietnam veteran

Thank you to all VETERANS!

Awesome book, instantly glued!! Thankful for all VETERANS!! WHERE WOULD WE BE IF IT WEREN'T FOR THESE VETS THAT PAID THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE?

An Important Book

Andrew Biggio has written an important book. To really understand any war, and it’s human toll, one must go beyond generals, strategy and tactics. One must endeavor to understand war from the perspective of the individual and too often nameless participants who experienced it. Biggio has succeeded superbly in this task. I highly recommend this book.

Incredible

I had to wait a few days before writing this review in order to allow everything to settle. I am still struggling as to how to adequately describe this book. The only thing I can think to say, especially if you are a veteran, is to listen to this book. I dare you not to tear up and think of your own time in service, or the comrades you lost.

Outstanding

My grandfather was a VSO for 20yrs as well as a WW2 veteran. I had the honor of growing up around many vets and hearing their stories. This book is a great testimony to them.

A moving portrait of unsung heroes

I didn't know what to expect but a friend of mine, whose opinions/recommendations are nearly always spot on, told me I should read it. Well, with a newborn I don't have a lot of time to read so I got this audio version to listen to on my way to and from work and I am absolutely smitten with this story. Loved it from start to finish and I can't wait to listen to the sequel that just came out!

Exceptional collection of stories of WWII veterans

Almost all of us have heard or overheard stories by or about the men who were the warfighters of the war that was so significant to the lives of virtually all of us. But Andrew Biggio was able to solicit the stories that most of us would not hear because he was like them, a war fighter but a couple of generations later. His stories are from interviews with old men - old heroes - that would not have let the rest of us see inside their memories, including many that they would rather not remember.
That generation of WWII young men are down to a few old men. They are fading into history.