Where the Birds Never Sing

Description

The inspiring story of Joe Sacco and his part in the greatest battles of World War II, from Omaha Beach to the liberation of the concentration camp at Dachau, Germany.

In his riveting debut, Where the Birds Never Sing, Jack Sacco recounts the realistic, harrowing, at times horrifying, and ultimately triumphant tale of an American GI in World War II. Told through the eyes of his father, Joe Sacco—a farm boy from Alabama who was flung into the chaos of Normandy and survived the terrors of the Bulge—this is no ordinary war story. As part of the 92nd Signal Battalion and Patton’s famed 3rd Army, Joe and his buddies found themselves at the forefront—often in front of the infantry or behind enemy lines—of the Allied push through France and Germany.

After more than a year of fighting, but still only twenty years old, Joe was a hardened veteran, but nothing could have prepared him for the horrors behind the walls of Germany’s infamous Dachau concentration camp. Joe and his buddies were among the first 250 American troops into the camp, and it was there that they finally grasped the significance of the Allied mission.

Surrounded and pursued by death and destruction, they not only found the courage and the will to fight, they discovered the meaning of friendship and came to understand the value and fragility of life. Told from the perspective of an ordinary soldier, Where the Birds Never Sing contains first-hand accounts and never-before published photos documenting one man’s transformation from farm boy to soldier to liberator.

In this riveting book, Jack Sacco tells the realistic, harrowing, at times horrifying, and ultimately triumphant tale of an American GI in World War II as seen through the eyes of his father, Joe Sacco — a farm boy from Alabama who was flung into the chaos of Normandy and survived the terrors of the Bulge.

As part of the 92nd Signal Battalion and Patton’s famed Third Army, Joe and his buddies found themselves at the forefront of the Allied push through France and Germany. After more than a year of fighting, but still only twenty years old, Joe had become a hardened veteran. Yet nothing could have prepared him and his unit for the horrors behind the walls of Germany’s infamous Dachau concentration camp. They were among the first 250 American troops into the camp, and it was there that they finally grasped the significance of the Allied mission. Surrounded by death and destruction, the men not only found the courage and will to fight, but they also discovered the meaning of friendship and came to understand the value and fragility of life.

“Jack Sacco has paid his father and all those who have ever served this country the ultimate tribute. Where the Birds Never Sing is an honest, moving portrait of his father, an American soldier in World War II, who fought for everything that makes our nation great.” “My father, John Bradley, raised the flag on Iwo Jima after facing and overcoming incredible hardship. Jack Sacco’s father, Joe, survived the savagery of Normandy and learned the terrible secrets of Dachau. If you are looking for a great book about heroes in a dark place, read Where the Birds Never Sing.” “Jack Sacco has written a personal story about his father that will find a place wth the world War II remembrances of Tom Brokaw and Stephen Ambrose and the film Saving Private Ryan. Where the Birds Never Sing is not only a compelling biorgraphy, it is a revealing personal story about a group of young men caught up in events for which no one could have prepared them.” “Anyone who reads this skillfully crafted, stirring story can deny neither the greatness and commitment of the American citizen-soldier nor the unspeakable atrocities committed by the Nazis. Every page constitutes a tribute to the role Patton and his Third Army played in freeing Europe.” “If you are looking for a great book about heroes in a dark place, read Where the Birds Never Sing.” “One of the more accurate and compelling recreations of the GI experience in recent years.” “This story will remain with you….[It is] one you should read to understand what the fear, exhilaration, reflective moments, and final victory feelings were really like.”

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