I was extremely surprized by this book. It is quite well-written and it tells a terrific story -- and though it is fully first-person, Omar Bradley comes across as a really fine guy. While he genuinely earned the rank, authority and privilege he ultimately exercised as a top US Army general, the story of his slow-but-steady rise through the hierarchy conveys the depth of personality he had achieved by the time he reached the upper ranks. A biography of George Marshall calls Bradley the "most effective troop leader ever produced by the US military system," and one can certainly see the validity in that appraisal by reading his autobiography. Bradley's honesty about other famous generals is interesting (though it is true he pretty much outlived all of them, and was able to have the final word) and appropriatedly honest/kind. Not far into the book, you wish you actually knew him, he seems the sort who would make a great friend.

Bradley's evaluations of several significant events make this book essential reading for students of 20th Century history. The perspective from which he witnessed everything was perfect for retrospective observation -- he wasn't so high up (like Churchill) that he had a global view, nor so low down that he could only see the trenches. And his micro-brief account of Anthony McAuliffe's "Nuts!" episode is just laugh-out-loud funny.

An outstanding autobiography of General Omar Bradley. Informative and homorous at times, but always entertaining. I found the work to have no slow areas, it held my attention throughout. Not only is it the story of Omar Bradley but it is also the story of the US Army for the first half of the twentieth century. Students of World War II history and the true military professional will enjoy this book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This book is the story of WWII as General Omar Bradley saw it.

His unassuming and straight forward style underscores how he is portrayed by contemporary accounts. The man known as the "G.I. General" comes across as an island of equanimity in a sea of incredible egos like Patton, Montgomery et al.

This book is Bradley's take on events. I am sure that some involved in controversies he covered (Patton's slapping incident, Montgomery at Caen, Falaise and Arnhem) would defend their actions (or inactions) vigorously. Yet this account has an aura of authenticity due to the author's lack of need to tout his own accomplishments (which were many). This inner peacefulness, along with command ability, probably explains Bradley's rise to the level of senior American ground commander in Europe.

For an insider's account of the American effort and strategic management in the European Theater of Operations, this book is superb. It is well written, clear and largely devoid of the bombast that can weigh down some combat and command accounts. Although a big book, it reads quickly.

"A Soldier's Story" is the perfect title for General of the Army Omar Nelson Bradley's account of WW2. In this book he talks of his career just previous to the outbreak of the war, of his experience as Eisenhower's "eyes and ears" in North Africa, of his command of the II Corps in Tunisia and Sicily, of his role as being either commander of the First Army and 1st (later 12th) Army Group for a time, of his impressions on Russian officers, and so.

What set this book aside from other personal accounts on WW2 is not only its wealth of facts and details, but on how it is told: as personal and passionate as a general can be. General Bradley does not only tell how things happened, but also how he felt about them. There we find his impressions on those great figures of Eisenhower, Patton, and (specially) Montgomery are remarkable, but also his appreciation for the common soldier, more specifically when disagreeing with Patton's opinion of battle fatigue being a lame excuse for cowardice. Bradley admitted that the living of a frontline soldier is harsh, where death can be found in the next step, and that the role of a commander is to balance casualties in order to keep them low in the long run, even at a cost of a higher rate from an immediate action. Interesting is how he reproduces the infantryman custom of mentioning where in the US a fellow soldier came from, like when he told about the "hedgerow cutter device" and telling that its inventor, Sgt. Curtis Cullin, came from New York. No surprise that he earned the nickname of "G.I. General".

With this respect, of telling things lively, he is unsurpassed by any American soldier or general: Eisenhower's "Crusade in Europe" seems a "bureaucratic" account when comparised with "A Soldier's Story" (sorry Ike fans). It measures up with the massive Winston Churchill's "The Second World War", which for its turn is written under a political perspective.

Anyway, I really liked a lot this book and strongly recommend it for anyone interested on WW2.

After watching the movie Patton more times than I can remember, I FINALLY got to buying Gen'l Bradley's book. The new Modern Library reprint is nicely done. The maps are good and you'll notice how much more real estate the U.S. army gained as compared to Monty sauntering along the coast road. Also, within the U.S. forces, it's amazing how Patton's 3rd army gained ground and killed Germans.

Bradley writes well and this is terrific summary of the North African, Sicilian and European battles.

After reading this, I can see why two seemingly different people, Patton and Bradely, got along so well with each other in Europe. These two guys knew that attacking and encircling were the quickest ways to inflict casualties on the enemy and win the war. They did it spectacularly.