Book Review: Shifty’s War: The Authorized Biography of Sergeant Darrell “Shifty” Powers, the Legendary Sharpshooter From the Band of Brothers

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Book Review: Shifty's War: The Authorized Biography of Sergeant Darrell "Shifty" Powers, the Legendary Sharpshooter from the Band of Brothers
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If you have watched the Band of Brothers series, you may remember Sergeant Darrell “Shifty” Powers, the marksman of Easy Company. He was seen in all ten episodes because he was one of the original Toccoa men who was never wounded in combat. If you heard him speak on the series, you will appreciate Shifty’s War: The Authorized Biography of Sergeant Darrell “Shifty” Powers, the Legendary Sharpshooter from the Band of Brothers because you can actually hear him talking as you read his words.

This book was published after Shifty had passed away. The author Marcus Brotherton pulled the book together through interviews with Powers and his family, interviews with other members of Easy Company, and documentation used for other books. Brotherton is the author of a number of books about the men of Easy Company.

The book is 284 pages long spanning 17 chapters. With each book, there are experiences being shared that can only be told in that man’s voice. Shifty Powers had one of those unforgettable voices. As I noted earlier, you could distinctly hear Shifty’s voice as you read his words. It is one of the things I really appreciated about this book.

Each chapter focused on different parts of his WWII experience. The book begins with General Taylor’s Lottery. This is when his name was drawn to return back to the states. What I did not realize was that Powers was involved in a terrible accident and spent a significant amount of time in the hospital on his way home. Here are the other chapters covered:

  • General Taylor’s Lottery
  • No Ordinary Country
  • The Fun in the Fear
  • Bulletproof
  • Faces Set Like Flint
  • The Things I had No Words For
  • Orders
  • A Blur of Battles
  • Craziness
  • Only Safe Under the Earth
  • Foy
  • Maybe We’ll Actually Live
  • At War’s End
  • The Difference at Home
  • How a Man Wrestles with War
  • The Band of Brothers
  • The Last Garden

Naturally, some of the recollections from Powers varied from the accounts of other books. Each person sees events differently.

The chapters where Powers spoke of his life before and after the service had the most impact on me. When he got back from the war, he was still recovering from injuries. It was interesting to listen to him as he worked to put the war behind him and move forward with his life.

It was also fascinating to watch as he got older because physical ailments such as vision began to get the better of him. His loss of sight was perhaps the most frustrating thing for him since he relied on his perfect vision during the war and he still loved to shoot. As he tells it, depression began to set in.

As his family shared, the Band of Brothers series and the activities surrounding the series helped Powers deal with his depression. I got a sense he really appreciated the attention that he and the rest of the men received.

If you enjoy the Band of Brother series and want to learn more about these men, I would definitely recommend that you read Shifty’s War. It adds additional pieces to the story of Easy Company.

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