FIGHTING FOX COMPANY

FIGHTING FOX COMPANY                     BILL BROWN & TERRY POYSER
Posted:  March 13, 2014

  Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division has become one of the most famous small units in U.S. history, thanks to Stephen Ambrose s superb book Band of Brothers, followed by portrayals in film. However, to date little has been heard of Fox Company of that same regiment the men who fought alongside Easy Company through every step of the war in Europe, and who had their own stories to tell.Notably this book, over a decade in the making, came about for different reasons than the fame of the Band of Brothers. Bill Brown, a WWII vet himself, had decided to research the fate of a childhood friend who had served in Fox Company. Along the way he met Terry Poyser, who was on a similar mission to research the combat death of a Fox Company man from his hometown. Together, the two authors proceeded to locate and interview every surviving Fox Company vet they could find. The result was a wealth of fascinating firsthand accounts of WWII combat as well as new perspectives on Dick Winters and others of the Band, who had since become famous.Told primarily through the words of participants, Fighting Fox Company takes the reader through some of the most horrific close-in fighting of the war, beginning with the chaotic nocturnal paratrooper drop on D-Day. After fighting through Normandy the drop into Holland saw prolonged ferocious combat, and even more casualties; and then during the Battle of the Bulge, Fox Company took its place in line at Bastogne during one of the most heroic against-all-odds stands in U.S. history.As always in combat, each man s experience is different, and the nature of the German enemy is seen here in its equally various aspects. From ruthless SS fighters to meek Volkssturm to simply expert modern fighters, the Screaming Eagles encountered the full gamut of the Wehrmacht. The work is also accompanied by rare photos and useful appendices, including rosters and lists of casualties, to give the full look at Fox Company which has long been overdue.REVIEWS The authors have done meticulous research and have been fortunate to still be able to gain first hand accounts from those who were there and did that ! The detailed research and accessibility to the actual participants and circumstances of events covered, verify that what is documented is factual, and not embellished by what ifs !...For this reviewer the story of Fighting Fox is again a definitive reminder and proof that, for every infantry rifle company be it airborne, glider, or straight leg, each becomes a band of brothers during and forever following the first engagement with an equally determined and as well led and equipped enemy infantry unit. The uniforms and weaponry may differ the why we fight be diametrically opposed. But, the love of country will be equal, and, as well, the fear of death!The Airborne Quarterly Fighting Fox Company is a superb book and should be the new model for small unit histories. Terry Poyser and Bill Brown have done an outstanding job of research and have included an incredible amount of detail about the personnel, organization, and operations of the company, while integrating it into the narrative in a way that doesn't interfere, but enhances it. The quality of the photographs are first rate and compare with those of Mark Bando's fine works. Through the photographs you get to put faces with the names of the officers and men in the book. The maps are plentiful and well done. There is a fine balance of first person accounts woven into the narrative, which is particularly good considering that this was their first published work. I hope that historians and authors will use this book as a model and a template for similar books. The only negative thing I can find about this book is the tag line of the title, The Battling Flank of the Band of Brothers. Fox Company nor this book should take a backseat to Easy Company and Band of Brothers. This book is a must read for readers of World War II and airborne history. I highly recommend it.Phil Nordyke, Author and Historian"

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
The fighting Fox Company is the company that fought with Easy Company of the 101st during WWII. Starts from their training leading up to their first jump D-Day. You then get the feel of all of the action that happens during the night and next days until they are relived and sent back to England for R&R. During this time they get replacements and you get the feel of difficult it is to step into a group of men who you have trained with and have fought with. It will take time for these knew men to fit in. The next jump Market Garden, was during the day they did not go into that much of this battle. Though I know what happened since my father was with the 82 airborne so I knew the story. The next battle is The Battle of the Bulge and their stand at Bastogne. Again this battle they went into more detail about and it was a different but not too much of a different story. Overall I liked the booked because it was a story by the men who fought through these battles and to me that is great. Besides there are not too many people who wanted to jump out of perfectly good planes and these young men did. I got this book from net galley.