This a book of the American men in the field from D-Day through the battle of the bulge. It details their day-to-day lives, but is best for illuminating the personal relationships of the men with their war, their surroundings, their army, their comrades, and their enemies. There's enough of the big picture to make it all frightfully relevant, but the focus is quite narrowly focused on the men. Good stuff.

Ambrose, an accomplished military historian, has spent plenty of personal time on the Lewis and Clark Trail. This labor of love is really a biography of Lewis, but as it relies heavily on the journals of the expedition, and adds focus on Lewis' relationship with Jefferson, it tastes more like a history than a biography.

No matter. We go along for the preparations, the trip, and the aftermath, and it is fascinating all the way. You can almost feel Ambrose reining in a boyish enthusiasm. But he's honest and fair, and this book will endure and delight.