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The Battle of Hurtgen Fores: The Untold Story of a Disastrous Campaign
30,000 American soldiers lost their lives in the battle of Hurtgen Forest. This book tells how the blunders and obstinacy of the commanders sent these men to their death in an attack that should not have taken place. Whiting's other books include "Bloody Aachen" and "Operation Northwind".
290 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 1988
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About the author
Charles Whiting
256 books52 followersCharles Whiting was a British writer and military historian and with some 350 books of fiction and non-fiction to his credit, under his own name and a variety of pseudonyms including Ian Harding, Duncan Harding, K.N. Kostov, John Kerrigan, Klaus Konrad, and Leo Kessler.
Born in the Bootham area of York, England, he was a pupil at the prestigious Nunthorpe Grammar School, leaving at the age of 16 to join the British Army by lying about his age. Keen to be in on the wartime action, Whiting was attached to the 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment and by the age of 18 saw duty as a sergeant in France, Holland, Belgium and Germany in the latter stages of World War II. While still a soldier, he observed conflicts between the highest-ranking British and American generals which he would write about extensively in later years.
After the war, he stayed on in Germany completing his A-levels via correspondence course and teaching English before being enrolled at Leeds University reading History and German Language. As an undergraduate he was afforded opportunities for study at several European universities and, after gaining his degree, would go on to become an assistant professor of history. Elsewhere, Whiting held a variety of jobs which included working as a translator for a German chemical factory and spells as a publicist, a correspondent for The Times and feature writer for such diverse magazines as International Review of Linguistics, Soldier and Playboy.
His first novel was written while still an undergraduate, was published in 1954 and by 1958 had been followed by three wartime thrillers. Between 1960 and 2007 Charles went on to write over 350 titles, including 70 non-fiction titles covering varied topics from the Nazi intelligence service to British Regiments during World War II.
One of his publishers, Easingwold-based Rupert Smith of GH Smith & Son said he was a quiet man and prolific writer.
"He's one of a band of forgotten authors because he sold millions of copies and still, up to his death was doing publishing deals.He was the kind of man who was very self-effacing, one of Britain's forgotten authors, still working at 80 years of age, with his nose down and kicking out books."
Charles Henry Whiting, author and military historian died on July 24 2007, leaving his wife and son.
Born in the Bootham area of York, England, he was a pupil at the prestigious Nunthorpe Grammar School, leaving at the age of 16 to join the British Army by lying about his age. Keen to be in on the wartime action, Whiting was attached to the 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment and by the age of 18 saw duty as a sergeant in France, Holland, Belgium and Germany in the latter stages of World War II. While still a soldier, he observed conflicts between the highest-ranking British and American generals which he would write about extensively in later years.
After the war, he stayed on in Germany completing his A-levels via correspondence course and teaching English before being enrolled at Leeds University reading History and German Language. As an undergraduate he was afforded opportunities for study at several European universities and, after gaining his degree, would go on to become an assistant professor of history. Elsewhere, Whiting held a variety of jobs which included working as a translator for a German chemical factory and spells as a publicist, a correspondent for The Times and feature writer for such diverse magazines as International Review of Linguistics, Soldier and Playboy.
His first novel was written while still an undergraduate, was published in 1954 and by 1958 had been followed by three wartime thrillers. Between 1960 and 2007 Charles went on to write over 350 titles, including 70 non-fiction titles covering varied topics from the Nazi intelligence service to British Regiments during World War II.
One of his publishers, Easingwold-based Rupert Smith of GH Smith & Son said he was a quiet man and prolific writer.
"He's one of a band of forgotten authors because he sold millions of copies and still, up to his death was doing publishing deals.He was the kind of man who was very self-effacing, one of Britain's forgotten authors, still working at 80 years of age, with his nose down and kicking out books."
Charles Henry Whiting, author and military historian died on July 24 2007, leaving his wife and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
June 8, 2016
The Battle for Hurtgen Forest was a difficult book to finish, not because the subject matter (the bloodiest and most futile American campaign of the war in Western Europe) was so disheartening, but because the book is so poorly written. I was unaware of author Charles Whiting before, and after reading just a few chapters, I did a little research to find out just who he was—I downloaded this book for free from Amazon.com, and I wondered if this was a first effort by an amateur writer and wannabe historian. I was surprised to read that his Wikipedia biography labels him a “military historian.” He was also a prolific writer of trashy suspense and thriller novels, but that I could believe, as much of the book’s prose was lurid and more befitting a cheap paperback throwaway than a work of military history. I had difficulty following the flow of the four- or five-month battle due to Whiting’s disjointed narration, and was often annoyed by the frequent digressions that had nothing to do with the battle, and were usually just opportunities for Whiting to go off once again about how much the American leaders sucked. This vitriol about the American army—especially about Eisenhower—was for me the most annoying aspect of the book. I have never given a book a one-star rating before—if the book is that bad, I usually put it down and pick up another—and for the life of me I don’t understand why I persisted in reading this book through to the end. Maybe it’s because of the subject—I was hungry to learn more about the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest, and I kept wading through Whiting’s turgid account hoping to glean some information and understanding. But mostly what I got was a desire to read a better book on the subject.
December 22, 2015
For a non-fiction book, this one carried a sensational tone at first. The horrors of the battle were systematically lamented. An odd approach for the late 80's, until at the end an explicit Vietnam parallel is made. Still, I don't appreciate hindsight drama. The Horror of WWII was contemporarily compared to WWI, not future conflicts.
Charles Whiting is not Max Hastings: it is harder to get an operational overview of the battle in between the eyewitness accounts. I already noticed this in his contributions for Ballantine's Illustrated History of World War II. On the other hand, Hurtgen was light on classic objectives or strategy.
There is a lot of Brass-bashing, relating to the Bulge also. Is all of it justified when using David Irving's "War between the Generals" ? Food for thought.
Charles Whiting is not Max Hastings: it is harder to get an operational overview of the battle in between the eyewitness accounts. I already noticed this in his contributions for Ballantine's Illustrated History of World War II. On the other hand, Hurtgen was light on classic objectives or strategy.
There is a lot of Brass-bashing, relating to the Bulge also. Is all of it justified when using David Irving's "War between the Generals" ? Food for thought.
April 3, 2019
This was a battle, that could not be won, even with the shear numbers thrown against the objective. Instead it became a matter of US high command pride. An objective insignificant in the great scheme of things. An objective that could easily be by-passed with a containing force left behind to keep the Germans within the forest and supplies out. Instead the pride of generals prevailed over wisdom and hundreds of thousands died. Divisions nearly depleted, companies almost disappearing. An awful pride driven, military tactical mistake.
Hindsight, being what it is, can easily lay blame, where blame does not belong. This book and the background research has laid out a case for negligence and does not color those in charge in a very great light. To me, it seemed that the author is (rightfully) angry, and feels like there is something very personal beyond the loss of young lives.
Well written, insightful. As a student of WWII history, I had never encountered this battle in Hurtgen Forest and how expensive it was. The book tends to hammer home, over and over the ignorance and short slightness of the American command to a point of distraction. This book gets can easily convey the mistakes without so much fist thumping. I highly recommend this book, despite it being slow going at times. I recommend this book for those who love WWII history in great detail and presents thoroughly researched facts.
Hindsight, being what it is, can easily lay blame, where blame does not belong. This book and the background research has laid out a case for negligence and does not color those in charge in a very great light. To me, it seemed that the author is (rightfully) angry, and feels like there is something very personal beyond the loss of young lives.
Well written, insightful. As a student of WWII history, I had never encountered this battle in Hurtgen Forest and how expensive it was. The book tends to hammer home, over and over the ignorance and short slightness of the American command to a point of distraction. This book gets can easily convey the mistakes without so much fist thumping. I highly recommend this book, despite it being slow going at times. I recommend this book for those who love WWII history in great detail and presents thoroughly researched facts.
December 23, 2012
An eye-opener about the personalities, incompetence, ignorance, etc. of many of our best-known military leaders during WW II. This book is about one major series of battles fought late in 1944 on the border of Germany. It is barely known today, probably because the truth about the immense waste of American lives was covered up. The battles were pointless and unneccessary to winning the war, and according to the author the only possible justification for the senseless slaughter was only found after thousands of our soldier's lives had been sacrificed.
A couple of things I learned from this book: Our generals and other leaders learned nothing from the events surrounding these battles, and history repeated itself in Vietnam. Our generals for the most part lived very well in France, far from the front lines, almost never visited the front, and were more concerned with their comforts and careers than with the lives of the men under their command.
Read the book. It will definitely change your opinion of people like Dwight D. Eisenhower and many other leaders of the time.
A couple of things I learned from this book: Our generals and other leaders learned nothing from the events surrounding these battles, and history repeated itself in Vietnam. Our generals for the most part lived very well in France, far from the front lines, almost never visited the front, and were more concerned with their comforts and careers than with the lives of the men under their command.
Read the book. It will definitely change your opinion of people like Dwight D. Eisenhower and many other leaders of the time.
March 23, 2016
This is a wonderful book about a terrible story. Hurtgen Forest is an unnecessary battle that the US Army spent 4 months fighting and lost during the second world war. I'll bet you never heard of it? That is because the US does not like to talk about losses. The author creates an environment where you feel you are there. You suffer the pain and loss with the infantrymen. More sadly, you also visit the Supreme Command HQ where the generals were concurrently enjoying golf, champagne, women, completely oblivious to the horrors of their soldiers.
September 25, 2018
The Battle of Hurtgen Forest is the very definition of insanity - doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. The hubris of the military brass who had no idea (or care) what they were sending their men into is sickening. That Eisenhower was wining and dining in Paris with his mistress while the "grunts" were uselessly fighting and dying in the Hurtgen is deplorable. What a waste of human lives.
March 6, 2016
Again a warning about the difficult task of fighting in forests and the immense toll that pride takes in battles which have no strategic use
January 14, 2023
It is possible to draw a series of similarities and contrasts between the island battle of Peleliu in the Pacific in September 1944 and the struggle for the Hurtgen Forest on the border between Belgium and Germany, which lasted from November 1944 until February 1945. Peleliu was fought in blistering 115-degree heat; the Hurtgen was bone-chillingly wet, snowy and cold. The Marines at Peleliu suffered from heat exhaustion and dehydration (much of their drinking water was contaminated with gasoline); the Army troops in the Hurtgen were tormented by trench foot and frostbite. Both battles were waged against enemies who were staring defeat in the face but were determined to fight on against all odds, led by commanders fanatically devoted to their cause. Both were responsible for thousands of casualties on either side.
The most striking similarity, however, is at the same time the most ironic and most tragic, and it is that neither battle needed to be fought at all, and all the blood spilled was shed needlessly and pointlessly. Both objectives could have been isolated and bypassed with little effect on the overall strategic situation. Peleliu’s airbase could have been bombed into ineffectiveness and the island then isolated by a naval blockade; but Douglas MacArthur insisted that it had to be reduced in order to neutralize a potential threat to the upcoming invasion of the Philippines. Unfortunately, he got his way—at the cost of thousands of Marines and Army troops futilely sacrificed.
Whiting shows how the Hurtgen, located south of Aachen and north of the Ardennes, could also have been surrounded and bypassed as the American armies pressed on toward their next objectives: the Siegfried Line, and ultimately the river Rhine. It had little strategic value; the troops garrisoning it were not strong enough to mount an effective counterattack, though they were certainly able to put up strong resistance against any invader; they had little hope of reinforcement since the German Army’s focus was entirely directed toward preparation for the upcoming Ardennes offensive. Nevertheless, the Hurtgen had been heavily mined and fortified and many strong points established. In addition, because of the freezing weather and the density of the forest, conditions were among the most adverse ever faced by soldiers in the European theater. Frostbite and trench foot were common; wounds in artillery bombardments were often as not due to flying (and often lethal) wooden splinters as by shrapnel.
While the book does a more than adequate job of explaining the adverse battle conditions and the casualties that resulted, it suffers from two notable weaknesses. The author consistently describes the military leadership as the “top brass” in a pejorative sense, and seems to be on a single-minded crusade to portray their insistence on sending more and more troops into the meat grinder of the Hurtgen, until it was effectively neutralized in February 1945, as a stubborn, prideful unwillingness to admit that they had been wrong in initiating the battle to begin with. While there may have been some truth to this, there is no need to belabor the point until it becomes a distraction—which this book does. The second weakness is a loss of continuity. When the crucial date of December 16, 1944, is reached, the narrative switches to some of the highlights of the Ardennes battle and then suddenly jumps to the conclusion of the Hurtgen conflict in February without any attention devoted to what went on in the Hurtgen while the Battle of the Bulge raged to its south. To this reviewer, this omission was more annoying than the seeming determination to portray American commanders in the worst possible light.
To his credit, the author does include a last chapter containing interviews with survivors and descriptions of what certain locations looked like at the time of writing (mid-1970’s); this is certainly food for reflection on whether or not it was all necessary. The reader will have to decide this--and also if this concluding section is enough to overcome the book’s deficiencies.
**** review by Chuck Graham ****
The most striking similarity, however, is at the same time the most ironic and most tragic, and it is that neither battle needed to be fought at all, and all the blood spilled was shed needlessly and pointlessly. Both objectives could have been isolated and bypassed with little effect on the overall strategic situation. Peleliu’s airbase could have been bombed into ineffectiveness and the island then isolated by a naval blockade; but Douglas MacArthur insisted that it had to be reduced in order to neutralize a potential threat to the upcoming invasion of the Philippines. Unfortunately, he got his way—at the cost of thousands of Marines and Army troops futilely sacrificed.
Whiting shows how the Hurtgen, located south of Aachen and north of the Ardennes, could also have been surrounded and bypassed as the American armies pressed on toward their next objectives: the Siegfried Line, and ultimately the river Rhine. It had little strategic value; the troops garrisoning it were not strong enough to mount an effective counterattack, though they were certainly able to put up strong resistance against any invader; they had little hope of reinforcement since the German Army’s focus was entirely directed toward preparation for the upcoming Ardennes offensive. Nevertheless, the Hurtgen had been heavily mined and fortified and many strong points established. In addition, because of the freezing weather and the density of the forest, conditions were among the most adverse ever faced by soldiers in the European theater. Frostbite and trench foot were common; wounds in artillery bombardments were often as not due to flying (and often lethal) wooden splinters as by shrapnel.
While the book does a more than adequate job of explaining the adverse battle conditions and the casualties that resulted, it suffers from two notable weaknesses. The author consistently describes the military leadership as the “top brass” in a pejorative sense, and seems to be on a single-minded crusade to portray their insistence on sending more and more troops into the meat grinder of the Hurtgen, until it was effectively neutralized in February 1945, as a stubborn, prideful unwillingness to admit that they had been wrong in initiating the battle to begin with. While there may have been some truth to this, there is no need to belabor the point until it becomes a distraction—which this book does. The second weakness is a loss of continuity. When the crucial date of December 16, 1944, is reached, the narrative switches to some of the highlights of the Ardennes battle and then suddenly jumps to the conclusion of the Hurtgen conflict in February without any attention devoted to what went on in the Hurtgen while the Battle of the Bulge raged to its south. To this reviewer, this omission was more annoying than the seeming determination to portray American commanders in the worst possible light.
To his credit, the author does include a last chapter containing interviews with survivors and descriptions of what certain locations looked like at the time of writing (mid-1970’s); this is certainly food for reflection on whether or not it was all necessary. The reader will have to decide this--and also if this concluding section is enough to overcome the book’s deficiencies.
**** review by Chuck Graham ****
July 10, 2022
A poignant and intriguing book on the bloodiest battle fought by the US Army in Europe during WW2. Starting in September 1944, the battle for the Hurtgen Forest - a relatively small wooded area between Belgium and Germany - lasted six months and saw massive casualties by the US First Army. Several infantry divisions like the 9th or the 28th were almost obliterated and needed to be substantially rebuilt. The battle results were mixed: though the Americans finally conquered the Forest in February 1945, they paid a hefty price and their obsession for the area ended up facilitating the German offensive in the Ardennes. It was at best a Pyrrhic victory, at worst (and in the author's judgment) a humiliating defeat.
Whiting's book is a relentless critique of the US high command and its mistakes in dealing with the Hurtgen "problem". Revered generals like Eisenhower and Bradley are cut to pieces and shown as vainglorious, egocentric, and completely out of touch with the brutal reality at the front. Perhaps Whiting exaggerates sometimes in his polemical outburst, but it's hard to disagree that the battle of Hurtgen was not the brightest moment of Ike's "crusade in Europe". The Supreme Commander and his close collaborators seemed unable to grasp the situation and continued to follow a very questionable strategy till the end of the affair. The result was thousands of US soldiers killed and wounded for a piece of land that could have easily been bypassed for more important targets.
The book is also a constant acknowledgment of US soldiers' heroism in the terrible circumstances of the battle. Yet even here the picture is complex: while many soldiers won posthumously the Medal of Honor for their bravery, others deserted, shot themselves in the foot, and tried every trick to avoid combat. In the Forest, the contradictions of the US military machine emerged starkly and anticipated the bigger troubles of Vietnam. But the Hurtgen odyssey still remains a testament to the incredible courage and resourcefulness of US infantrymen in WW2, capable of bearing great suffering and triumphing over adversity.
Perhaps a little more focus on the German side would have been useful and put American troubles in perspective. Why did the Wehrmacht fight so hard for such a relatively minor area? Was it really necessary? How did the events in the Hurtgen affect the plans for the Ardennes offensive? Was Field Marshal Model's strategy really successful? Unfortunately, Whiting is so obsessed on American shortcomings to pay scant attention to the other side of the hill. When he mentions the Germans is generally to provide a positive counterpoint to American "incompetence", but it's a kind of argument not always convincing. A deeper engagement with the German side might have provided a more nuanced appreciation of the battle and its meaning in the context of the broader military events of 1944-45.
In the end, The Battle of Hurtgen Forest is a solid and gripping book on a tragic, forgotten engagement of WW2. Sometimes it's not easy reading but it helps to understand better a key moment in the war history and the huge sacrifices required to achieve victory over Hitler's regime. It's history that takes you by the guts - visceral, intense, sometimes exhilarating.
Whiting's book is a relentless critique of the US high command and its mistakes in dealing with the Hurtgen "problem". Revered generals like Eisenhower and Bradley are cut to pieces and shown as vainglorious, egocentric, and completely out of touch with the brutal reality at the front. Perhaps Whiting exaggerates sometimes in his polemical outburst, but it's hard to disagree that the battle of Hurtgen was not the brightest moment of Ike's "crusade in Europe". The Supreme Commander and his close collaborators seemed unable to grasp the situation and continued to follow a very questionable strategy till the end of the affair. The result was thousands of US soldiers killed and wounded for a piece of land that could have easily been bypassed for more important targets.
The book is also a constant acknowledgment of US soldiers' heroism in the terrible circumstances of the battle. Yet even here the picture is complex: while many soldiers won posthumously the Medal of Honor for their bravery, others deserted, shot themselves in the foot, and tried every trick to avoid combat. In the Forest, the contradictions of the US military machine emerged starkly and anticipated the bigger troubles of Vietnam. But the Hurtgen odyssey still remains a testament to the incredible courage and resourcefulness of US infantrymen in WW2, capable of bearing great suffering and triumphing over adversity.
Perhaps a little more focus on the German side would have been useful and put American troubles in perspective. Why did the Wehrmacht fight so hard for such a relatively minor area? Was it really necessary? How did the events in the Hurtgen affect the plans for the Ardennes offensive? Was Field Marshal Model's strategy really successful? Unfortunately, Whiting is so obsessed on American shortcomings to pay scant attention to the other side of the hill. When he mentions the Germans is generally to provide a positive counterpoint to American "incompetence", but it's a kind of argument not always convincing. A deeper engagement with the German side might have provided a more nuanced appreciation of the battle and its meaning in the context of the broader military events of 1944-45.
In the end, The Battle of Hurtgen Forest is a solid and gripping book on a tragic, forgotten engagement of WW2. Sometimes it's not easy reading but it helps to understand better a key moment in the war history and the huge sacrifices required to achieve victory over Hitler's regime. It's history that takes you by the guts - visceral, intense, sometimes exhilarating.
October 10, 2022
Oh well, I finished the book, but despite the fact that it tries to show the reader the horrors of this battle, which there most certainly were, it did not achieve what one would expect of it. The subtitle, mentioning 'the untold story, does hold up because of the fact that many people are unaware of this struggle. It was overshadowed by the Ardennes offensive in December, 1944. So to make people aware of this, yes it does. But after reading it, the reader will just have a vague idea of what took place and just won't be able to tell the tale.
One thing that really annoyed me was the constant use of 'Top Brass' for the commanders of the US Army. It pops up just everywhere!!! Yes, not all was smooth sailing, but come on, as an author you should be able to do better than this. Just keep on repeating that the 'Top Brass' messed up, were just partying and made a mess of it, doesn't cut it. We do get some explanations here and there, but it is just done to easy here.
The numerous examples of situations the GI's ended up fighting in and all the suffering they had to endure become clear from the pages of the book, but it is really hard to follow what actually happened on the ground and where. There are just two maps, at least in my version of the book, and they are utterly useless to help the reader understand the situation.
And there is the story of Pvt. Eddie Slovik, which runs along the whole book to illustrate how the 'Top Brass' didn't care a thing. A bad choice in my opinion. Yes, that he was executed is sad, really sad, but it does not add anything to illustrate the Hurtgen Forest battle.
So for a thorough understanding of the battle you'll have to turn to other books...
One thing that really annoyed me was the constant use of 'Top Brass' for the commanders of the US Army. It pops up just everywhere!!! Yes, not all was smooth sailing, but come on, as an author you should be able to do better than this. Just keep on repeating that the 'Top Brass' messed up, were just partying and made a mess of it, doesn't cut it. We do get some explanations here and there, but it is just done to easy here.
The numerous examples of situations the GI's ended up fighting in and all the suffering they had to endure become clear from the pages of the book, but it is really hard to follow what actually happened on the ground and where. There are just two maps, at least in my version of the book, and they are utterly useless to help the reader understand the situation.
And there is the story of Pvt. Eddie Slovik, which runs along the whole book to illustrate how the 'Top Brass' didn't care a thing. A bad choice in my opinion. Yes, that he was executed is sad, really sad, but it does not add anything to illustrate the Hurtgen Forest battle.
So for a thorough understanding of the battle you'll have to turn to other books...
August 22, 2017
Having never heard of this campaign, I thought I might learn something about it. This book does give you an idea about this somewhat pointless campaign but is incredibly repetitive and the language is off putting. I read a review when I downloaded this book which complained that Whiting had a chip on his shoulder about officers because he kept calling them "top brass" in a derogatory manner. My conclusion was that the reviewer was one of the type who can't take criticism of the upper strata of society.
Such people are common in military history, especially in WWI accounts where they maintain that the generals could've done little else. Such notions are a false revisionism - given that the generals had 50 years of experiences to draw from and were trained in Napoleonic methods - so I ignored the criticism. In this instance, the critic was right though - Whiting's visceral hatred of authority really gets in the way of telling this story.
Sadly, the main casualty of this approach is the story Whiting wants to tell. You start to not care. Indeed, this book would probably only get one star but for the tale of the incredibly hard done by Eddie Slovik (the first American to be shot for desertion in nearly 100 years) and the shrewd observation that Hurtgen is Vietnam in minature. Indeed, Eisenhower and particularly Westmorland were to have significant roles in that later conflict. If only Whiting could stick to the narrative, which brings out such tales and cut the unnecessary diatribes, we might have a good chronicler of the undertold history.
Such people are common in military history, especially in WWI accounts where they maintain that the generals could've done little else. Such notions are a false revisionism - given that the generals had 50 years of experiences to draw from and were trained in Napoleonic methods - so I ignored the criticism. In this instance, the critic was right though - Whiting's visceral hatred of authority really gets in the way of telling this story.
Sadly, the main casualty of this approach is the story Whiting wants to tell. You start to not care. Indeed, this book would probably only get one star but for the tale of the incredibly hard done by Eddie Slovik (the first American to be shot for desertion in nearly 100 years) and the shrewd observation that Hurtgen is Vietnam in minature. Indeed, Eisenhower and particularly Westmorland were to have significant roles in that later conflict. If only Whiting could stick to the narrative, which brings out such tales and cut the unnecessary diatribes, we might have a good chronicler of the undertold history.
December 13, 2024
Fast paced, well written and uncharacteristically poetic for a work of its nature I cannot recommend this book enough. Although non-fiction, there are times where the landscape description and grotesque writing of bloody battle after bloody battle will feel like you’re reading the early American fictions of Cormac McCarthy. Only this book describes the very real and harrowing experiences of our battle weary ancestors that helped shape the global landscape of the 20th century with a naked view of the mistakes and blunders so often hidden by American propaganda. This book is raw and at times unbelievable. For anyone interested in military history, this is the book for you.
June 1, 2017
The Hurtgen Forest campaign was not one I had prior knowledge of - as a campaign with no real winner, that shouldn't come as a surprise.
Whiting's walkthrough, whilst detailed and clear, too often felt like an 'us vs them' diatribe - with the top brass as his villains. He presents the Hurtgen campaign in a vacuum, with no reference to the wider strategic context, which feels a little disingenuous.
However - it is a good book about a horrible series of battles that brings balance to the western front narrative from an allied perspective. Worth a read.
Whiting's walkthrough, whilst detailed and clear, too often felt like an 'us vs them' diatribe - with the top brass as his villains. He presents the Hurtgen campaign in a vacuum, with no reference to the wider strategic context, which feels a little disingenuous.
However - it is a good book about a horrible series of battles that brings balance to the western front narrative from an allied perspective. Worth a read.
September 1, 2019
I read this book because I knew nothing about this subject. It was an interesting book to read because of the language and the fluidity of the author. It is seldom that a history book is readable for even those who are not entrenched in the subject. I learned so much about something I knew nothing about. Most of it was depressing due to the lack of any purpose in the battle itself. The author took the time to highlight particular soldiers from the PFC to the generals. Some of them came better off than others in his telling. Want a meaningless and tragic loss of life for nothing.
November 7, 2019
The Death Factory
I was so naive. The men ordered into battle were sent into a heavily defended forest where the Germans were ready.
While the Generals drank Champagne the men in battle often choked on their own blood.
The author does a very good job of documenting this terrible chapter following our invasion of Normandy.
It is a page turner.
And the reader must hope that in the next chapter there will be a better report. Good reports were long in coming.
What a disaster this battle worse.
I was so naive. The men ordered into battle were sent into a heavily defended forest where the Germans were ready.
While the Generals drank Champagne the men in battle often choked on their own blood.
The author does a very good job of documenting this terrible chapter following our invasion of Normandy.
It is a page turner.
And the reader must hope that in the next chapter there will be a better report. Good reports were long in coming.
What a disaster this battle worse.
August 15, 2020
Excellent book about a forgotten battle in WWII, The Hurtgen Forest. The battle ended up being a meat grinder of American soldiers because the command staff did not want to lose a battle. Men were thrown into a battle that could have been avoided just by bypassing the Germans like we did in the Pacific with the Japanese. Unfortunately a large number of the junior officers who rose in rank, did the same thing with the Vietnam War. The lessons from the Battle of Hurtgen Forest were not learned by these men,.one of which was General Westmoreland. A good and eye opening read.
November 25, 2016
This was an OK history. Whiting however spent a lot of time repeating himself and attacking the military commanders rather than telling the whole story. He constantly repeated how bad the generals in charge of the war were, and rather than telling us of what they did in a specific situation he went off about several things each time it came up.
November 25, 2018
Fascinating and tragic battle. This book would have been better had we not been beaten constantly with the author’s repeated exclamations on how this was a battle that shouldn’t have happened and his very low opinion of “The Top Brass’. While wading through the book you would get some good pieces that described the battle but they are few and far between.
August 3, 2017
Required reading for anyone who buys into the whitewashed version of WW2, where the "Greatest Generation" did no wrong and kept the world safe for Democracy and Freedom. Superb book that opened my eyes, eyes that I thought were already open!
April 11, 2020
Well written book of history
As a Vietnam veteran I could understand the cover ups the top brass told in order to keep their ranks. This book was
a very well written account of fighting that occurred in a place with no justification for all of the Americans lives lost.
As a Vietnam veteran I could understand the cover ups the top brass told in order to keep their ranks. This book was
a very well written account of fighting that occurred in a place with no justification for all of the Americans lives lost.
December 30, 2017
My dad lost his brother in this battle. A real life account of one of the most tragic ( and seldom talked about) battles of WW2. Excellent book for those wanting to know the truth.
December 30, 2020
War is hard, read about it!
Troops moving forward are easy to observe and predict there movements. Firing into a mass of troops is easy, however controlling their movement is unpredictable. Soldiers move forward and take their objectives.
Troops moving forward are easy to observe and predict there movements. Firing into a mass of troops is easy, however controlling their movement is unpredictable. Soldiers move forward and take their objectives.
March 2, 2021
Death Factory, the Hurthen hurt.
November 28, 2016
The Secrets That Could Have Cost the War
Charles Whiting has performed a heroic task in uncovering the the hidden secrets of World War II, and exposing the leadership failures and negligence that lead to many of the Allied deaths and losses in that war. He doesn't uncover everything, he merely reports some of the true stories of the Battle of Hurygen Forest. These true stories explain not only the failures of World War II, but also Vietnam and other wars since. I was dismayed to learn of the failures and clay feet of some of my lifelong personal heroes, but my fact checking leads me to conclude that Whiting's story is correct. For those without a background of reading military history, this will no doubt be a shocking story. I had read of certain aspects of the story prior to reading this book, and it could have gone much further if it were a simple accusation or indictment. Instead, the author has written an honest history, without embellishment. Highly Recommended
Charles Whiting has performed a heroic task in uncovering the the hidden secrets of World War II, and exposing the leadership failures and negligence that lead to many of the Allied deaths and losses in that war. He doesn't uncover everything, he merely reports some of the true stories of the Battle of Hurygen Forest. These true stories explain not only the failures of World War II, but also Vietnam and other wars since. I was dismayed to learn of the failures and clay feet of some of my lifelong personal heroes, but my fact checking leads me to conclude that Whiting's story is correct. For those without a background of reading military history, this will no doubt be a shocking story. I had read of certain aspects of the story prior to reading this book, and it could have gone much further if it were a simple accusation or indictment. Instead, the author has written an honest history, without embellishment. Highly Recommended
March 10, 2019
Great book on a little known written battle
The Battle of the Bulge always take center stage when western front battles involving America is discussed. Until a few years ago I had never heard of the Hurtgen Forest battle and I have read dozens of books on WW2. This was an eye opener to the horror that plaid out in the German forest for little or no objectives to see the utter stupidity of American command and how prestige was considered more important than men’s lives and worthwhile objectives. This book takes nothing away from the heroic men who sacrificed their lives for their country while the generals played golf had affairs and celebrated their so called accomplishments in the rear. The grittiness of this book puts you right in the action. I highly recommend this book.
The Battle of the Bulge always take center stage when western front battles involving America is discussed. Until a few years ago I had never heard of the Hurtgen Forest battle and I have read dozens of books on WW2. This was an eye opener to the horror that plaid out in the German forest for little or no objectives to see the utter stupidity of American command and how prestige was considered more important than men’s lives and worthwhile objectives. This book takes nothing away from the heroic men who sacrificed their lives for their country while the generals played golf had affairs and celebrated their so called accomplishments in the rear. The grittiness of this book puts you right in the action. I highly recommend this book.
March 14, 2016
Learning experience
I didn't realize that two great battles were so close to each other and only separated from each other by only one open field between them.
The battle of the Hurtgen forest would take place in summer and fall of 1944 and the battle of the bulge that started on my birthday ten yrs. before I would be born the only battle that is most known about ie most famous would be the battle of the bulge the the battle of the Hurtgen Forest would be swept under the rug and not make it to the pages of history because of the huge loss of life to our WWII soldiers.
I highly recommend this book if you want to know what really happened in those two great battles of WWII
I didn't realize that two great battles were so close to each other and only separated from each other by only one open field between them.
The battle of the Hurtgen forest would take place in summer and fall of 1944 and the battle of the bulge that started on my birthday ten yrs. before I would be born the only battle that is most known about ie most famous would be the battle of the bulge the the battle of the Hurtgen Forest would be swept under the rug and not make it to the pages of history because of the huge loss of life to our WWII soldiers.
I highly recommend this book if you want to know what really happened in those two great battles of WWII
March 12, 2016
In depth look at a battle that I knew very little about. It's an account given with the perspective of the impact to the regular GI in mind. Seemingly well researched and with great effort to "paint the truly horrific picture" it is decidedly a very sad tale.
The author's perspective is very present in his writing, I prefer an approach where facts are presented and I can draw my own conclusions. Maps would have also helped but it was easy enough to follow using google or any other theater map.
Overall I walk away wiser for the tale.
The author's perspective is very present in his writing, I prefer an approach where facts are presented and I can draw my own conclusions. Maps would have also helped but it was easy enough to follow using google or any other theater map.
Overall I walk away wiser for the tale.
January 25, 2013
Not bad, but a very narrative approach to history, with not a lot of analysis. Some gripes I had were that not enough dates were used, making it hard to keep the overall narrative in context with the larger war. Also there was a bit of a fixation, comparing the Battle of the Huertget forest with Vietnam. Perhaps not entirely inappropriate, but nonetheless distracting and not quite in sync with WWII.
March 11, 2016
Excellent Military History book - Reccommended
Excellent book about an important WW2 battle. Forgotten not because it was unimportant or minor but solely because it didn't fit the desired political/military narrative.
Would be 5 stars were it not for a lack of maps to give a better sense of the ground over which events transpired.
Excellent book about an important WW2 battle. Forgotten not because it was unimportant or minor but solely because it didn't fit the desired political/military narrative.
Would be 5 stars were it not for a lack of maps to give a better sense of the ground over which events transpired.
March 10, 2016
Outstanding!
This book brought back some bitter memories of my tours in Vietnam. I am 78 and i am still bitter with my government for losing that war. Well written well edited with verification a plenty. I spent 21 years in our Army and never knew a General Officer, i feel this fact has had no detrimental effect on my life whatsoever.
This book brought back some bitter memories of my tours in Vietnam. I am 78 and i am still bitter with my government for losing that war. Well written well edited with verification a plenty. I spent 21 years in our Army and never knew a General Officer, i feel this fact has had no detrimental effect on my life whatsoever.
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