Band of Brothers

One of the challenges the men of Easy Company increasingly faced as they continued to fight was living by values that are appropriate for war but that run counter to typical civilian values. Compare and contrast civilian and military values,as explained in the book.

Discuss heroes in the book. How is heroism defined by the soldiers, military leadership, and civilians in the book? How do these definitions differ and why?

While the Allied powers won World War II, many resources and lives were expended in securing that victory. Not all of the costs were material ones, however. What were some of the intangible costs of the war for the countries and men involved?

The men of Easy Company trained and fought in several settings over the course of the narrative. Discuss the impact that each setting had on the lives of the men and the morale of the company.

In Noville and Foy, several members of Easy Company came close to breaking psychologically. Discuss what distinguished those who did break from those who did not. What coping strategies did the soldiers use to survive?

Discuss the importance of the Holocaust in the book. How much knowledge did the soldiers portrayed in the book have of the Holocaust, and what were their attitudes toward it? How (if at all) did their growing knowledge of it affect their attitudes toward Germany, German culture, and the war?

Ambrose argues that one of the reasons the U.S. was able to tip the balance in favor of the Allies during World War II was a difference in culture, specifically that American culture was morally superior to German culture and because the U.S. had a more open culture during the 1940s (219). Compare and contrast how American culture and German culture are portrayed in the book, both directly by the men, and, secondarily, by Ambrose. Do you agree or disagree with Ambrose’s assessment, based on your review?

The men of Easy Company came from many different walks of life. Discuss the different motivations for military service in the book, including initial motivations and motivations that arose over the course of their service.