Still, I gave him a pass, knowing that sometimes writers make mistakes when it comes to citing sources.īut the accusations of plagiarism kept cropping up, along with the Eisenhower Presidential Library accusing him of fabricating interviews with Ike. Then, I read Crazy Horse and Custer and noticed that entire pages were copied almost verbatim from Royal Hassrick’s The Sioux. When I read the flaccid Pegasus Bridge – my first experience – I told myself that I was at fault, not the great Ambrose.

I’ve tried very hard in the past to enjoy Ambrose books. The living memory of World War II is fading fast, and it is due to the efforts of historians, biographers, and researchers like Stephen Ambrose that we will have so many incredible stories, even after that generation has passed into memory.īut here’s the thing: I think he’s a crap writer. Moreover, Ambrose did history itself an incredible service by collecting the stories of ordinary men. I didn’t know him personally, but in interviews he seemed like a nice man, congenial and friendly, who often charmingly mentioned his family in his books. However, as someone who finds it impossible not to say what I feel like saying, I’ll just go ahead and say it: I don’t like Stephen Ambrose. William Shakespeare, Henry V, Act 4, Scene 3Īs a history lover, and as someone who loves not getting flamed on Goodreads, I am loathe to say what I am about to say. “For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother…”

Band of brothers by stephen e ambrose