Buy new:
-17% $18.30
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$18.30 with 17 percent savings
List Price: $22.00

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 10 hrs 56 mins
In Stock
$$18.30 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$18.30
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$14.33
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Softcover. Slight shelf/use wear including creasing/curled/bumped corners. All text pages are clean and have no writing or markings. SHIPS DIRECTLY FROM AMAZON, 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. Softcover. Slight shelf/use wear including creasing/curled/bumped corners. All text pages are clean and have no writing or markings. SHIPS DIRECTLY FROM AMAZON, 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. See less
FREE delivery Tuesday, May 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35. Order within 10 hrs 56 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$18.30 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$18.30
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Omar Nelson Bradley
+ Follow
Omar Nelson Bradley
+ Follow
See all
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

A Soldier's Story (Modern Library War) Paperback – May 4, 1999

by Omar N. Bradley (Author), A.J. Liebling (Introduction)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 219 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$18.30","priceAmount":18.30,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"18","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"30","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"njhzwXYkYE8gA1xGbzpoRvJ4kjgXsyy9au6b0ZdS%2F5CKniQYPOSZkDI4VXM5b%2FBMGz5kZ5%2FvTQzVXPOOF0DcxmS6lHsJ9%2FjnMybNJUE2MzDRDVz0SZuWhOrR1WzjgqlKfN9jemsb%2Bi4%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$14.33","priceAmount":14.33,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"33","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"njhzwXYkYE8gA1xGbzpoRvJ4kjgXsyy9zcXGKyDjxeaGiBQX9CUVMwPqo3SFD5%2Bkh%2ByvvSC%2BkPcVdi7C3wKdPI9%2B0DSfM0rXBE2Sb1bHYaoKsI25vHH4bDikJKnKTsTsbD8NAvUAk%2B7UQzgEyCMmGGTe%2Bdj4J7zf%2F5MHn87VyZW%2Fgn32YkSLbtcBQ5X97e9V","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge, the liberation of Paris, the relentless drive through Germany toward Allied victory--Omar Bradley, the "GI General," was there for every major engagement in the European theater. A Soldier's Story is the behind-the-scenes eyewitness account of the war that shaped our century: the tremendous manpower at work, the unprecedented stakes, the snafus that almost led to defeat, the larger-than-life personalities and brilliant generals (Patton, Eisenhower, Montgomery) who masterminded it all. One of the two books on which the movie Patton was based, A Soldier's Story is a compelling and vivid memoir from the greatest military tactician of our time.
      
The books in the Modern Library War series have been chosen by series editor Caleb Carr according to the significance of their subject matter, their contribution to the field of military history, and their literary merit.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    688 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Modern Library
  4. Publication date
    May 4, 1999
  5. Dimensions
    6.1 x 1.5 x 9.24 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0375754210
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0375754210
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

A Soldier's Story (Modern Library War)
$18.30
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Crusade in Europe: A Personal Account of World War II
$15.20
Get it May 17 - 22
In stock
Usually ships within 3 to 4 days.
Ships from and sold by allnewbooks.
+
War As I Knew It
$15.82
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This 1951 volume by the so-called "GI General" is quite an appropriate title to help launch Modern Library's new "War" line of paperback reprints. Bradley here offers a firsthand account of World War II. This is the only paperback available of this title.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Superb history and literature...surpassed only by the magnificent volumes of  Winston Churchill."  -- The Saturday Review

"A Soldier's Story tells, better than any other book of its kind to date, how the war in the European theater was fought and why it was fought that way."
--A. J. Liebling, The New Yorker

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Modern Library; First PB Edition (May 4, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 688 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0375754210
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0375754210
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.68 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 1.5 x 9.24 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 219 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Omar Nelson Bradley

    Omar Nelson Bradley

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
  2. Omar Nelson Bradley

    Omar Nelson Bradley

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
219 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

locomac
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, Great History, Must Read if you are interested in real history
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2015
Verified Purchase
Omar Bradley was a true hero of WWII. This is a book by him about his role in the war. He was not a "Flashy" General, he was one of the guys who got things done. A lot has been written about Patton and Montgomery, but without people like Bradley, they would have not been effective. Bradley spent a lot of time at the front, often in dangerous situations, but that is how he felt he needed to support the troops.

Ernie Pyle was a war correspondent that didn't write about generals, but rather wrote about the soldiers in the field and how they went through hell. These were not career military people, but former bartenders, teachers, librarians, etc. who stepped up and did their duty. The only general that Ernie wrote about was Bradley, which was high acclaim indeed.

I had already read this book, and bought it for my father who is a WWII vet. He enjoyed it as much as I did.

If you like real history, you have to read this book. A good companion to this is Eisenhower's "Crusade in Europe".
14 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
James M
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book by the one who planned and lived it
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2012
Verified Purchase
Anyone who is a fan of military history will thoroughly enjoy this book. General Bradley has an easy style of writing. He's objective, yet unabashedly loyal to his own forces. He does not hide his occasional criticism of Montgomery, yet quickly gives praise in the same breath. As Bradley says in the beginning of the book, he felt compelled to "set the record straight" and provide reasoning for his decisions that may not have been clear to either the war correspondents or the foot soldier under his command. Although some similar descriptions can come off dry, the author injects enough anecdotal humor that I found myself smiling or quietly chuckling several times. I also recommend "An Army At Dawn".
Helpful
 Report
barney
5.0 out of 5 stars Omar Bradley....great autobiography.
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
Bradly played a far bigger role in WWII Europe than he is given credit. He was not flashy but he was an excellent strategist and tactician. His book is a very fair and balanced review of his own work and that of all the other "names" like Patton, Eisenhower, DeGaulle, you name it. I will re-read this book every year or two.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Rose Richards
4.0 out of 5 stars Behind the scenes in the European theater
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2012
Verified Purchase
"A Soldier's Story" is quite an unpretentious name for the memoirs of one of America's greatest generals and military tacticians, but then again, Omar Bradley was essentially a down-to-earth man. There's another sense, however, in which the title is entirely suitable. Bradley dedicates this thick volume to "those soldiers who must often have wondered WHY they were going where they did. Perhaps this will help answer their questions." I can't speak for the men in Bradley's army, of course, but it's not hard to imagine that many of them did indeed find this clear look at the bigger picture of the war in Europe not only enlightening and satisfying, but comforting.

The world of generals arguing tactics over giant maps may seem uncomfortably distant from the world of men on the front lines of battle. While it's young men, little more than boys, who shiver in the foxholes, who kill and die, strategy is strictly the province of middle-aged men who get through the war in relative comfort and safety. In "A Soldier's Story," Bradley may be working behind the scenes, but the story he has to tell is every bit as gripping as any to come out of war, because Bradley never loses sight of the fact that every advance, every bold maneuver, every worthwhile risk must be paid for in the hard coin of human suffering. "War has neither the time nor heart to concern itself with the individual and the dignity of man," Bradley states coldly, explaining his decision to relieve one of his generals. "Men must be subordinated to the effort that comes with fighting a war, and as a consequence men must die that objectives might be taken." Yet in the next sentence, he admits that "For a commander the agony of war is not in its dangers, deprivations, or the fear of defeat but in the knowledge that with each new day men's lives must be spent to pay the costs of that day's objectives." Bradley's strength both as a general and as a military historian springs from his human awareness; he may at times be pragmatically cold-blooded, but never cold-hearted. Although Bradley deals extensively in these pages with tactical decisions and the challenges of personnel and supply, it never feels dry or textbookish. Bradley keeps his account lively with numerous anecdotes - many humorous, some haunting, all revelatory of the principal Allied figures of the European theater and their unique situation. Never does Bradley either put his fellow generals on a pedestal or smear their reputations. He gives credit where credit is due, but also shows these men to be, first and foremost, men: fallible, emotional, prideful. "I prefer to remember Patton as a man," he writes of his canny, impetuous comrade, "as a man with all the frailties and faults of a human being, as a man whose greatness is therefore all the more of a triumph." He might have said the same thing about Eisenhower, about Montgomery (whose many brilliant accomplishments he praises, although he found the man stubbornly difficult to work with), about himself.

You don't have to have any particular interest in military history to enjoy "A Soldier's Story." I've always considered it a rather dry discipline; when I study history, I'm interested in people and their ideas, not statistics and troop movements. All too rare are those writers of history who remind me what I so often forget: that every subtype of history is but a facet of that one immense picture, that every type of history is overwhelmingly and pervasively human. Although Bradley never talks down to the reader, he doesn't assume complete familiarity with military lingo, either. If you don't know the difference between an army, a corps, and a division, don't worry; it's explained. The prose is simple and lucid; even though my military knowledge is on the weak side, I always had at least a general sense of what was going on, and most of the time I was hanging on Bradley's every word. Whether you're interested in the details of Allied action in Europe in World War II or curious about what it's like to be the brains of a massive military operation, you'll find "A Soldier's Story" an enlightening and intriguing read.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
deacon blue
5.0 out of 5 stars More insightful than expected
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2021
Verified Purchase
Having read a few dozen biographies of military leaders, I would rank this toward the top of the list. If you want to focus on the decisions made and why, the key relationships and how they developed over time, then this is definitely worth your time.
Helpful
 Report
Shaun M. Costello
5.0 out of 5 stars A well written piece of twentieth century history.
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2009
Verified Purchase
I didn't find out until recently that Francis Ford Coppola leaned heavily on this volume when writing the screenplay for the film "Patton". Omar Bradley, the 'G.I. General', turns out to have been an unexpectedly talented writer, in penning this extraordinary account of WWII, from the North African campaign to the German surrender and Allied occupation. Patton's exploits, Eisenhower's sometimes frustrating, politically driven decisions, and Monty's egocentric hijinks; all woven together into a historically significant tapestry. A refreshingly frank look at the adversarial relationship between the Amarican and British military hiararchy, which sometimes erupted into downright dislike for one another. Although Bradley attempts to minimize the rift between the two Allied Armies, it's quite obvious that he never forgave Montgomery for not taking Antwerp, which probably added three months to the war. This is a great read for anyone up for a highly personal, and richly detailed look at this slice of Twentieth Century history.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Marcelo Rivera
5.0 out of 5 stars Great condition
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
I haven’t read it yet. But this book is in beautiful condition. Looking forward to reading it when I finish my current book.
Helpful
 Report
Miles
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good read
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is a great book by a great soldier.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Henrique Villa-Forte
5.0 out of 5 stars SATISFATÓRIO
Reviewed in Brazil on April 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
Gostei do conteúdo do livro.
Report
NoNameShopper
5.0 out of 5 stars Prompt delivery.
Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2019
Verified Purchase
Fast delivery. Can't wait to tear into this one. Supposed to be one of the better accounts of D-Day onward.
I can also highly recommend Dwight D. Eisenhower's Crusade in Europe as a must read in the same vein.
Report
JOSEPHY Philipe
5.0 out of 5 stars Bel ouvrage et bon timing
Reviewed in France on June 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
Bel ouvrage et bon timing
Report
G. Robinson
5.0 out of 5 stars Quite brilliant!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 7, 2019
Verified Purchase
American five star General Omar Bradley's (the G. I's General) personal perspective on the latter part of WW2 from the deserts of Africa, the mountains of Sicily, the boot of Italy and eventually on to the beaches of Normandy and the defeat of Nazism.

Most history is written, as you would expect, by professional historians who in the main have no or very little direct personal knowledge of the subject in question. To tell the story they use official documents and reports, interviews with the participants, archives, diaries, journals, and in some cases hearsay and even “common knowledge”. The older the period the less primary sources are usually available and so secondary sources are often used which can often contain errors and mistakes. This distance and disconnect from the real events as they occurred does inevitably mean that the writer has to use his/her imagination (along with all the material already mentioned) to bring out the truth. This need to use imagination to fill in the gaps in the record does unfortunately lead to personal bias slipping into the narrative even amongst the most diligent of historians. Objectivity is of course subjective, especially when dealing with the past.

It is clear from Mr Bradley's supremely clear and easy to read personal history that he has no axe to grind and no battles to recreate for the reader. His agenda is clear from the first page when he says the book is “A Soldiers Story”, he being the soldier in question. Another aspect of the prose that comes over well is his obvious fairness to those he worked and fought with, the fact that he can criticize and then praise the same person on different pages at different times in different theatres is a good indicator that he does not remember situations and stressful times through rose tinted glasses when it suits him. It also acts as a guide to the complex emotions and stresses that he had to endure when trying to organise one of the most complex jobs ever held by anyone. Tempers sometimes flared and personal rivalries often made his job almost impossible, and it is clear that his clear head and calm nature did come to his aid on many occasions. He is obviously remembering things as they happened, and as he perceived them at the time. He does not, as some have, insulate and distance himself from criticism, he openly confesses that mistakes were made, opportunities missed, and misunderstandings in communications caused casualties that might have been avoided. He however makes it clear that he and other commanders made supreme efforts to minimise casualties at all times and that plans were always changed or amended if circumstances on the ground changed to any serious degree.

Obviously making good use of his memory and the documentary evidence available to him, the story is told with a simple style and refreshing amount of candour and self deprecating humour. His regular runs ins with Patton, Montgomery, Eisenhower and Ike are well documented and feel real. The immense complexity and utter practicality of warfare is plainly stated from supply and deployment problems to the ever difficult task of anticipating your enemies intentions, strength and effectiveness in the field.

One of the best books about the practicalities of warfare I have ever read and I have read quite a few. I'm sure many of the soldiers under his command may have read this quite outstanding book and now know why what happened happened the way it did.

Great stuff.
One person found this helpful
 Report
william fillon-payoux
5.0 out of 5 stars The book every history buff should read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
The book arrived when it was supposed to no damage read the book enthralling read as above a must fir history buffs of the second world war
Uj
Report