No Surrender: A World War II Memoir - Softcover

Sheeran, James

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0425245381 ISBN 13: 9780425245385

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 2012

Synopsis

No Surrender is the true story of an American WWII soldier who escaped a Nazi POW train and fought in the French Resistance, rivetingly told by the man himself.

A paratrooper in the 101st Airborne, James Sheeran was just a kid when he floated into Normandy-part of the historic invasion that brought more than a hundred thousand Allied soldiers into Nazi-occupied France. He survived D-Day only to be captured by German forces. Barefoot, starved, and sleep-deprived, he was forced on a marathon march, exposed to fire from American fighter planes, and herded onto a train to Germany.

But, using his jump knife, he carved his way out of the boxcar and leaped into the countryside. Stumbling into a French village, he found his way with the aid of the underground network, and fought alongside a guerrilla faction of the French Resistance.

This gripping account of war-torn Europe is, ultimately, a story about humanity's capacity for self-sacrifice and remarkable endurance. Here Sheeran shares not only the details of his extraordinary wartime experience, but the private thoughts that guided him in his darkest moments. It is an unforgettable memoir that will speak to anyone who has faced adversity and refused to admit defeat.

About this title

About the Author

James Sheeran was named a chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor-France's highest order-for his heroic experiences during World War II. He was also awarded a lifetime achievement award by the New Jersey Assembly and the Congressional Bronze Star by the U.S. A former mayor of West Orange, New Jersey, he died in July 2007.

From Publishers Weekly

Readers will marvel at the heroics of this 19-year-old paratrooper after he floated down on D-Day into Nazi-occupied France. In this account of courage and endurance, Sheeran (who died in 2007) was a private with the 101st Airborne when he was captured by the enemy, rounded up with other POWs and marched through American bombs and aircraft strafing to a German camp, chatted up by Axis Sally, and herded before the French in Paris for Gestapo newsreels. He covers it all: the starvation, the exhaustion and hopelessness of captivity, and the suffocating boxcars of the prisoner train. Eventually, the plucky private and his pals escape into the dark and freedom. Each of Sheeran's chapters is devoted to a grander feat of daring than the last—joining the Resistance, battling the Germans toe-to-toe, repeating the same feat his father performed in the previous war. This is a moving portrait of a humble man who was awarded a Bronze Star and named a chevalier of France's Order of the Legion of Honor, going on after the war to become a respected New Jersey politician. (Feb.)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0425245381
• ISBN 13: 9780425245385
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336