Historian Stephen Ambrose, author of 'Band of Brothers,' dies at 66 after battle with cancer

Associated Press ^ | 10-13-02 | BRETT MARTEL

[Tony in Hawaii]

Band of Brothers was great. The sound effects alone were astounding.

[highpockets]

I understand you are a FR newbie so I'll explain the rule: The first one to accuse someone of being Clintonion automatically loses. Now, move along.

Which of your novels is currently in print?

[highpockets]

Now that had absolutely nothing to do with topic now did it?

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

This is a profound loss. What a legacy this man left.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Hey, highpockets - I like your name. Did you choose your nick for Clara Fuentes (Phillips), or someone or something else?

[Skooz]

I think you posted to the wrong person.

Apology accepted.

[ex-snook]

"I've always wondered what the ratio of cigarettes smoked to bullets fired by our troops in WWII was? I'm guessing it was close to 1:1. :) "

Hey Tony. Each K ration contained a small pack of cigs (4-5 as I remember) so you might be a little off!

[Chemnitz]

I have published quite a bit. Taking Ambrose at his word, I cannot call that plagiarism. In a few cases he failed to use proper citation methods. To footnote without quotation marks is not very careful, but it was not his standard behavior. In contrast, Kearns seems to have used the work of others without attribution.

[PaulNYC]

A sad day, I hadn't even heard he was sick. A great writer, I always felt that he was "talking" to me. A hero who taught the world what heroism really means. Goodbye and God Bless Stephen Ambrose.

[highpockets]

My #43 was an attempt to do just that. Got caught up in other things...
But was alittle perplexed about your Ambrose comments.. We all have different taste...
I love Undaunted Courage.

[austingirl]

Agree, Ambrose was a great writer - Kearns Goodwin is a hack.

[Othniel]

One thing I admire about Ambrose was that in his narraratives, he plainly laid out the facts without embellishment. In doing so, he gave me a view of masculinity and manhood that really opened my eyes about the deficiencies present in so many guys who attempt to pass themselves off as men, myself often included. The guys who fought in WWII grew into their manhood through the things they did. They saved the world from an evil tyranny, and made the advancements we made during the 50's through the 90's possible. They were responsible guys who looked their task in the eye and did it, regardless of the consequences. Even in the photos in Band of Brothers, the men *look* different than men of today. Sturdier, my wife says. More mature. Compare any one of the soldiers to *any* smarmy rap punk or pop star and you'll know what I mean.

Thanks, Dr. Ambrose, for opening this man's eyes about what it means to be a man.

Maybe that's one reason why the left hates him so much.

[Tony in Hawaii]

So, am I high or low? Remember, lots of rear-area types smoked like chimneys too. :)

[The Person]

The text in comment 4 aren't THE FACTS about Ambrose's republishing other people's words as his own. This is Ambrose's rather feeble defense. He repeatedly copied language from other books, footnoted it, but presented the words as his own. Perhaps it was an accident, perhaps not.

If you want to read about it, go to the History News Network and search for "Ambrose":

http://hnn.us/search.php

There are about 40 articles about him.

[Jonathon Spectre]

Goodbye and Godspeed to a great writer and a great American. Thank you for all you did to show war through the eyes of ordinary Americans.

[Humidston]

Please FReepers, if you smoke, quit. We need to take care of ourselves because we have a hard battle to fight.

Please don't take this wrong. I'm not judging anyone because of my 'sensitive nose' or my 'hatred of smokers.' It's more like smoking is Russian Roulette.

I know because it happened to me.

So just DO IT. Please?

[cooperj]

you have my envy. i would love to read an ambrose book again as a first-time reader...they're that good.
RIP

[tubebender]

Ambrose Retrospect on C-span2 now...

[Snidely Whiplash]

A damned shame. When I heard he was ill, I suspected he might eventually lose the fight, but I didn't think it'd come this soon.

My guess, though, is that right now there's a hell of a lot of our boys Up There throwing a party for the guy. : )

Snidely

[Valin]

For those that don't have cable
http://www.c-span.org/mmedia/booknote/lambbook/transcripts/10005.htm
from June 5 1994