Sons and Soldiers tells the remarkable story of how 2,000 German-born Jews were able to get the crucial intelligence that saved American lives and helped win World War II. ... The message of their courage and patriotism should not be lost in today’s war on terrorism.” — Leon Panetta, Former Director of the CIA and Former Secretary of Defense
“Henderson is a skilled storyteller. Sons and Soldiers records concrete acts of courage, commitment, compassion... and, of course, unspeakable cruelty.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“Highly compelling. … The Ritchie Boys… are the unsung heroes who saved so many American lives and helped win the war.” — Daily Mail (London)
“Riveting. ... Richly detailed. ... Puts readers alongside the Ritchie Boys in some of the darkest moments of history. ... A spellbinding account of extraordinary men at war.” — USA Today
“Gripping. … A story of courage and determination, revenge and redemption. … Opens a window into a much-ignored aspect of the war. … A magnificent story, one crying out to be told, and one that is told very well.” — Boston Globe
“Thrilling. ... Gripping. ... An overdue tribute to these unique Americans.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Harrowing. ... No small amount of courage was needed for [the Ritchie Boys’] work. ... Their contribution to victory is undeniable.” — New York Post
“[A] mesmerizing account of how frightened boys grew into fearless men... to fight Nazi barbarianism.” — San Antonio Express-News
“An irresistible history of the WWII Jewish refugees who returned to Europe to fight the Nazis.” — Newsday
“A revelatory work about a group of Jewish men whose World War II journeys are so implausible and heroic it’s difficult to understand why so few of us knew about them before now. A book of fear, flight and almost divine retribution.” — Steve Twomey, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Countdown to Pearl Harbor
“A must-read. ... Poignant. ... Henderson is a wonderful storyteller who has written a never-before-told chapter of the Second World War.” — Jewish Book Council
“An ably researched and written account. ... Henderson does well to humanize the story.” — Publishers Weekly
“A first-rate account of one of the last, great untold stories of World War II.” — Steven P. Remy, author of The Malmedy Massacre
“[A] sparkling account of young Jewish-German exiles deployed... in the fight against Nazi Germany.” — Politico
“Bruce Henderson’s Sons and Soldiers artfully evokes the drama of the persecution and flight and later, their brave return as soldiers of German-born Jewish sons to America, where they found a new home and a divine purpose. More than an enlightening history, it is a stellar addition to the literature of human survival and triumph.” — Colin Heaton, author of The German Aces Speak and The Star of Africa
“An impressive account. ... Henderson expertly delineates the lives and valor of the Ritchie Boys. ... Filled with gripping stories.” — World War II Magazine
“This coming-of-age saga is a story of patriotism and courage unlike any other from World War II. An unforgettable story and a great read, told in Bruce Henderson’s poignant and powerful style.” — Bill Sloan, author of Their Backs Against the Sea
“Unforgettable. ... The ‘Ritchie Boys’ finally get their due. In telling their... story so eloquently, Henderson has done them proud.” — Washington Independent Review of Books (a Favorite Book of 2017)
“Sons and Soldiers is the riveting and long neglected story of Jewish refugees from Nazi barbarism who fought an intensely personal war for America. Bruce Henderson has delivered a fast-paced and rich narrative.” — Douglas Waller, author of Disciples: The World War II Missions of the CIA Directors Who Fought for Wild Bill Donovan
“An inspiring account. … Chronicles how, despite great personal risk if their Jewish identity was discovered, these soldiers were on the front lines in Europe, gathering crucial intelligence.” — Booklist
“An inspiring story. ... Fans of Stephen Ambrose and World War II histories will enjoy this look into a little-known aspect of U.S. Army operations.” — Library Journal
“A triumph! More than seventy years after World War II ended, historians scramble to unearth a fresh story. With Sons and Soldiers , Bruce Henderson has found one. This gripping account of German Jews who fled their nation only to return as members of an elite U.S. Army unit to help defeat the Nazis, tugs at every emotion.” — John Wukovits, author of Tin Can Titans
“An important, fascinating story.” — Jewish Review of Books
“Pays homage to [the Ritchie Boys’] achievements. ... Achieves a rare intimacy, putting readers in foxholes and interrogation rooms. — Forward
“An invaluable, must-read addition to the canon of important WWII books, about the thousands of European-born American soldiers whose own odysseys were ingrained in the 20th Century’s two most significant narratives: the Holocaust and the Allied war against their families’ oppressors in Nazi Germany.” — Steven Karras, author of The Enemy I Knew: German Jews in the Allied Military in World War II
“Fascinating. ... Extensively researched.” — Winnipeg Free Press
“This is an extremely informative book on a little-known subject and is highly recommended.” — Journal of America’s Military Past
Henderson is a skilled storyteller. Sons and Soldiers records concrete acts of courage, commitment, compassion... and, of course, unspeakable cruelty.
Sons and Soldiers tells the remarkable story of how 2,000 German-born Jews were able to get the crucial intelligence that saved American lives and helped win World War II. ... The message of their courage and patriotism should not be lost in today’s war on terrorism.
Harrowing. ... No small amount of courage was needed for [the Ritchie Boys’] work. ... Their contribution to victory is undeniable.
Gripping. … A story of courage and determination, revenge and redemption. … Opens a window into a much-ignored aspect of the war. … A magnificent story, one crying out to be told, and one that is told very well.
Riveting. ... Richly detailed. ... Puts readers alongside the Ritchie Boys in some of the darkest moments of history. ... A spellbinding account of extraordinary men at war.
Henderson is a skilled storyteller. Sons and Soldiers records concrete acts of courage, commitment, compassion... and, of course, unspeakable cruelty.
Unforgettable. ... The ‘Ritchie Boys’ finally get their due. In telling their... story so eloquently, Henderson has done them proud.
Washington Independent Review of Books (a Favorite Book of 2017)
Bruce Henderson’s Sons and Soldiers artfully evokes the drama of the persecution and flight and later, their brave return as soldiers of German-born Jewish sons to America, where they found a new home and a divine purpose. More than an enlightening history, it is a stellar addition to the literature of human survival and triumph.
A triumph! More than seventy years after World War II ended, historians scramble to unearth a fresh story. With Sons and Soldiers , Bruce Henderson has found one. This gripping account of German Jews who fled their nation only to return as members of an elite U.S. Army unit to help defeat the Nazis, tugs at every emotion.
A first-rate account of one of the last, great untold stories of World War II.
An inspiring account. … Chronicles how, despite great personal risk if their Jewish identity was discovered, these soldiers were on the front lines in Europe, gathering crucial intelligence.
Unforgettable. ... The ‘Ritchie Boys’ finally get their due. In telling their... story so eloquently, Henderson has done them proud.
Washington Independent Review of Books
This is an extremely informative book on a little-known subject and is highly recommended.
Journal of America’s Military Past
An invaluable, must-read addition to the canon of important WWII books, about the thousands of European-born American soldiers whose own odysseys were ingrained in the 20th Century’s two most significant narratives: the Holocaust and the Allied war against their families’ oppressors in Nazi Germany.
A revelatory work about a group of Jewish men whose World War II journeys are so implausible and heroic it’s difficult to understand why so few of us knew about them before now. A book of fear, flight and almost divine retribution.
This coming-of-age saga is a story of patriotism and courage unlike any other from World War II. An unforgettable story and a great read, told in Bruce Henderson’s poignant and powerful style.
Sons and Soldiers is the riveting and long neglected story of Jewish refugees from Nazi barbarism who fought an intensely personal war for America. Bruce Henderson has delivered a fast-paced and rich narrative.
An important, fascinating story.
[A] sparkling account of young Jewish-German exiles deployed... in the fight against Nazi Germany.
[A] mesmerizing account of how frightened boys grew into fearless men... to fight Nazi barbarianism.
An impressive account. ... Henderson expertly delineates the lives and valor of the Ritchie Boys. ... Filled with gripping stories.
Fascinating. ... Extensively researched.
Highly compelling. … The Ritchie Boys… are the unsung heroes who saved so many American lives and helped win the war.
A must-read. ... Poignant. ... Henderson is a wonderful storyteller who has written a never-before-told chapter of the Second World War.
Harrowing. ... No small amount of courage was needed for [the Ritchie Boys’] work. ... Their contribution to victory is undeniable.
Riveting. ... Richly detailed. ... Puts readers alongside the Ritchie Boys in some of the darkest moments of history. ... A spellbinding account of extraordinary men at war.
An irresistible history of the WWII Jewish refugees who returned to Europe to fight the Nazis.
Pays homage to [the Ritchie Boys’] achievements. ... Achieves a rare intimacy, putting readers in foxholes and interrogation rooms.
05/01/2017 Military historian Henderson (Rescue at Los Baños) shares the story of eight of the 1,985 young German and Austrian Jewish men who escaped the Nazis, emigrated to America, joined the U.S. Army, and returned to Europe to interrogate German POWs, largely during the last year of WWII. Called the Ritchie Boys after the military camp where they underwent eight weeks of intensive training, this group of young men proved highly effective in their work because of their accent-free German and knowledge of the nuances of German culture. Yet their activities were also risky because they were Jewish. For example, in December 1944 two Ritchie Boys, Kurt Jacobs and Murray Zappler, were captured in the Ardennes while fighting alongside other American soldiers and were separated from their comrades and shot. Henderson does well to humanize the story of the boys, although he occasionally gets bogged down in the details of particular battles. He also opens the book by overstating the number of victims of the November 1938 German national pogrom known as Kristallnacht. Despite these shortcomings, this is an ably researched and written account of a previously unknown facet of the American-Jewish dimension of WWII. Agent: Writers House. (July)
An inspiring account. … Chronicles how, despite great personal risk if their Jewish identity was discovered, these soldiers were on the front lines in Europe, gathering crucial intelligence.
Sons and Soldiers tells the remarkable story of how 2,000 German-born Jews were able to get crucial intelligence that saved American lives and helped win World War II. The 'Ritchie Boys’ interrogated German POWs and helped defeat the enemy that persecuted them and their families. The message of their courage and patriotism should not be lost in today’s war on terrorism.
06/01/2017 Discriminatory laws and increasing violence forced many Jews to flee Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Families made heart-wrenching decisions to split up, knowing they might never see one another again. Henderson (And the Sea Will Tell) tells the untold story of the sons of these families who joined the U.S. Army after the outbreak of World War II. Recruited for their knowledge of German language, culture, and psychology, these Camp Ritchie boys, as they came to be known in their training center in western Maryland, endured intense instruction in order to gather intelligence. They fought in every major battle from D-Day until the defeat of Germany in 1945. According to an army estimate, 60 percent of all credible intelligence during World War II resulted from work done by the Camp Ritchie boys. VERDICT An inspiring story about a group of men who took up arms for their adopted country against their former countrymen. Fans of Stephen Ambrose and World War II histories will enjoy this look into a little-known aspect of U.S. Army operations. [See Prepub Alert, 2/6/17.]—Chad E. Statler, Lakeland Community Coll., Kirtland, OH
★ 2017-05-10 The inspiring story of the "Ritchie Boys" and their unique contribution to the Allied victory in World War II.The Ritchie Boys, named for Maryland's Camp Ritchie, where they trained, were primarily Jewish refugees from Hitler's Germany, chosen for their language skills and knowledge of German culture. In a highly readable, often thrilling narrative, prolific nonfiction author Henderson (Rescue at Los Baños: The Most Daring Prison Camp Raid of World War II, 2015) focuses on the members of this elite, 2,000-man unit who escaped from Europe and by one means or another made it to the United States. Enlisting for military service, they were given specially designed intelligence training at Camp Ritchie. After their training, they went back to Europe as intelligence specialists and interrogators and performed a vital function on the front lines for the 82nd Airborne and Patton's 3rd Army, among many others. Trained specifically in the details of the Nazi military's order of battle, the Ritchie Boys had the skills to provide Allied forces with detailed knowledge of what they would encounter as they moved forward in the advance across Europe. While Henderson acknowledges the contributions of all the Ritchie Boys his researcher could identify, his account focuses on about a dozen men. He tells the individual stories of how these youngsters' families were split up, especially after Kristallnacht in 1938, and they came here to make a new start, some with just a few dollars in their pockets. Some of the standouts from this impressive group were Werner Angress, who, without proper parachute training, jumped into Normandy with the 82nd Airborne on D-Day; and Victor Brombert, who provided intelligence for the counterattack in the Battle of the Bulge. Others were among the first into some of the most notorious death camps in Germany, and many went on to make equally significant postwar contributions to their adopted country. A gripping addition to the literature of the period and an overdue tribute to these unique Americans.