Those Devils in Baggy Pants

by Ross S. Carter

Book Overview

Book annotation not available for this title.Title: Those Devils in Baggy PantsAuthor: Carter, Ross S.Publisher: Buccaneer BooksPublication Date: 1987/06/01Number of Pages: Binding Type:... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553251252
• ISBN13: 9780553251258
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.

Customer Reviews

This is a story of men who make America proud

Ross Carter, a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne wrote this story almost 60 years ago. He then abruptly died shortly after WWII because of a "bad" mole which caused his melanoma cancer to metastisize. Too bad, because his story as told in this book is worthy enough to merit a follow-on. His personal story is presented as a series of vignettes. Considering the arduousness of his task as a soldier, it must have been a tall order to write it down contemporaneously with living it. It starts with his tales of parachute training in North Africa followed by a prolonged bloody stint in Italy, circa the autumn of '43 followed by his units' subsequent experiences in the Battle of the Bulge in the Fall of '44. They were in frontline combat under the most difficult of conditions for over 300 days while suffering a >200% replacement rate. It's a miracle that anyone could live through the descriptions of combat as laid out in the book, meaning Carter was remarkably fortunate to have "made it". The core of the story reflects the self sacrificing nature of these men who carry the mantle of American greatness on their collective shoulders. When you compare their heroics to the carping classes in today's America the contrast is glaring. It makes me reflect on the attutudinal differences between the time of Rome's greatness and the time of its collapse. <br /> <br />I've read many stories of combat such as "Fields of Fire" by Webb, "Face of Battle" by Keegan, "Dispatches" by Herr, "A Rumor of War" by Caputo, "Once an Eagle" by Myrer, "Goodbye Darkness" by Manchester, and "Soul of Battle" by Hansen, to cite a few, but to my mind none are as relentless or as compelling as this story. The poignant little things that pop-up in every vignette plus the feeling for these men as nothing less than a force of nature is beyond comparison. One can only marvel at them. <br /> <br />This book explains both directly and indirectly the components of leadership, the kind needed to not only demand excellence, but to get it. It's a story thousands of years old, retold as though a composite of today. It's still us vs them and it's here or there. That there are differences in the technologies of war or of the geographical landscape makes less difference than that it's mano a mano with the will to fight and win the pre-eminent factor ( Victor Davis Hansen describes this well in his terrific work "Soul of Battle.)" <br /> <br />The way to read this book is to imagine a combat infantry paratrooper, dodging death both day and night on a constant basis, taking the time to write down his reflections of the conflict within which he's a participant. Read it and you'll see what I mean. This is one helluva book. <br /> <br />

Airborne all the way!

Mr Carter wrote a fasinating,timeless,and motivating story of the men whom fought for this great nation as paratroopers, and the esprit de corps which binds them. An unassuming and moving narrative,as seen through the eyes and mind of an airborne infantry soldier. I read this book the first time as a seventh grader, and took the decision to become a paratrooper. Graduated jump school June 1972. Went on to become ranger qualified. Served 30 months on jump status. Motivation. I still think of Mr.Carter and his fellow paratroopers to this day. Hooah, Geronimo!!

They died for you. Do you remember?

I have read upwards of twenty book about W W I I. This ranks at the top of all lists. I read it at age 17 and was overwhelmed. I read it at age 62 and was overwhelmed. This is a first hand account of a paratroop division that fought the Nazis for two years, sometimes going for several weeks under fire without beds, warm food, clean clothes or water to bathe in. The hardships are stated simply and frankly without embellishment and they are chilling. The sudden death, the casual and astonishing acts of bravery and the mass murder of war are all presented the same way. And yet there is literature. The author never speaks of his own conduct in war, he only observes. Fewer than half a dozen men he started out with came back alive. He died of cancer shortly after finishing this book. One of the survivors of his unit visited his grave with the author's brother and said, "The bravest man I ever knew is buried on that hill." This is as close as you can come to understanding war without being there. The feats of the common men that Ross Carter served with are feats one would only expect of a superman. They laughed about it, lived with it and died with it. The book compares with "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Remarque, with "To Hell and Back", by Murphy and with "Her Privates, We", by Manning.

Those Devils in Baggy Pants (My Dad was one of those devils)

I was just goofing around tonite on my computer and was thinking of my dad, (Thomas Leccese) who passed away 3-18-80 at the age of 62. I punched in author William Breuer who contacted me several years ago in search of my dad. Mr.Breuer was writing several war books and was conversing with Ret.General William Gavin of the 82nd Airborne (504th) who gave Mr. Breuer my dad's name. It was and still is quite amazing to me that General Gavin remembered my dad after 50 years and thousands of paratroopers he met. I suppose he remembered my dad's name because of the odd circumstances. My dad was guarding the General and took a bullet in the arm which was meant for General Gavin, the bullet was made of wood which apparently made it memorable for the General. When my brothers and I were young we use to play with the hole in dad's arm which was situated between all the tatoos which listed all dad's battle jumps (he jumped in all the major battles). It was pretty cool. The only other thing that was more cool was watching dad's legs jump while he was sleeping but this event only happened when the weather was damp. Mom informed us that dad got shot too many times in the legs during the war. I believe he had a purple heart with three clusters as well as silver star, bronze star and was actually up for the distinguished service star but his 11 court marshalls took care of that. The story was that dad did not like to salute officers and just liked to punch people who [ticked] him off. But anyways, I saw "The devils in Baggy Pants" come on the screen by Ross S>.Carter which I have in paperback (it was my dads copyright 1951)Actually I opened up the book and found some photos of my dad getting on a plane ready for battle as well as dad at the hospital with his left arm bandaged (yep, wooden bullet wound). I am very exited to see the book is out in hard cover and I will go get one tomorrow.<br> Dad is in the book in chapter 37." Six Men On a Suicide Stand" page 152, briefly.<br> I remember dad telling me the book was surprisingly very accurate and the names were correct but the author had some of the men mixed-up with the tasks but did a great job with the facts.<br> Other books dad was in were; "They jumped at Midnight" and "Drop Zone Sicily" both by William Breuer a couple neat stories about dad.<br> I recall William Breuer asking me to let him borrow my dad's war photos (which I have a few of) but my mom would not hear of it. Mr. Breuer stated he would hand carry them and bring them back but mom did not know what to do so it did not happen. I feel badly now we did not let Mr. Breuer take the photos, I am certain they would have been returned in perfect condition. Well maybe someone will be looking for the photos the next book. I do have one great photo with dad and two more paratroopers standing in front of a plane in full gear. It appears they are getting ready to board the plane. Dad told me they did not get on the plane in the photo du

Most engrossing combat book I've ever read,

I may be the only reviewer who read the original paperback (in the early 50s - I remember a postscript referred to Ross Carter's death from cancer - I recall it was a melanoma on his back, for war author trivia buffs - and he's buried on a hillside in rural Virginia, I think). To this day I remember how devastated I was to read this vivid, image-rich book and then learn at the end that its author died so young, but so ironically peacefully (I hope it was peaceful...he earned it). His frank, honest,human account of what he and his fellow soldiers experienced has stayed w/me for more than 40 yrs. It's an incredible book and I for one am very thankful the rough edges of Carter's literary artistry were not smoothed, that his story, apparently, was published so soon after it happened that no "smoothing" editor had time to polish it. Folks, I read this book four decades ago and HIGHLY recommend it. Wish my Mom hadn't tossed that paperback.