Book Review: ‘Fierce Valor: The True Story of Ronald Speirs and His Band of Brothers’

A dive into Easy Company’s enigmatic soldier

American troops landing on Normandy on D Day 1945. Life Photo Collection. Public Domain

For fans of the HBO series “Band of Brothers,” the name Ronald Speirs is very familiar. He was a fan favorite due to his bravery, stoicism, and enigmatic nature. The new book “Fierce Valor: The True Story of Ronald Speirs and His Band of Brothers” by Jared Frederick and Erik Dorr proves that this portrayal was quite accurate.

The military life of Speirs is worthy of a biography. His exploits during D-Day on through the Battle of the Bulge and the end of World War II, as well as service during the Korean War and contributions during the Cold War era, are a testament to a man who personified brilliance on the battlefield.

A Controversial Hero

The authors begin the book by writing briefly about Speirs’s parents, Robert and Martha, who with their five children emigrated from Scotland to New England and found success during the 1920s, managing well even during the Great Depression. Ronald was the youngest of the five.