No Silent Night: The Christmas Battle For Bastogne

by Don Cygan, Leo Barron

On Christmas Eve, the holiest of nights for the many Christian peoples of Europe, Adolf Hitler was unleashing the full fury of his remaining Luftwaffe bomber force on Bastogne.

For Bastogne was the holdout city, center of Allied resistance to his Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhein) offensive—the German surprise attack in the west that would become known among the Allies as the Battle of the Bulge…

The battle that would result from Hitler’s orders would become the climactic event of the Bastogne saga: a rapid-fire, desperate assault by overwhelming German armored might, defended in bloody struggles by the ragged and weapons-strapped GIs trapped in Bastogne. It would be either the last stand of the American defenders or the culmination of the German drive to capture the vital crossroads. Either way pointed to a climactic showdown—a desperate bloodbath in the snowy fields of Bastogne.

For hundreds of German and American soldiers facing off in the siege, the events of Christmas 1944 would destroy any sense of holiness and peace on earth. For the soldiers on both sides, and for the brave people of Bastogne, this would be no silent night.

Genres: History, Military History, World War II, American History, Military Fiction, Nonfiction, Christmas

432 pages, Hardcover

First published November 6, 2012

About the author

Don Cygan is a Colorado author, professor, and historian.
Cygan worked for several years as a newspaper reporter for the Douglas County Daily News-Press. He has also been a free-lance writer for several Denver-area publications. He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Northern Colorado and has both a Masters in Communication from Denver University and a Masters in Military History from Norwich University.
He served in the U.S. Army and Colorado Army National Guard during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990s.
Currently, Cygan is a professor of history at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colorado. He lives in Evergreen, Colorado.
No Silent Night: The Christmas Battle for Bastogne is his first book.

Reviews

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read for the history enthusiast and historical wargamer.

The book begins with a short overview of the rationale and planning leading up to the Battle of the Bulge, with the majority of the book then being focused very specifically on Bastogne, and the villages around it. The stories of the participants are blended throughout in an engaging manner, with views of the battle from higher levels of command as well as from the men (and civilians) in the thick of the action. The authors do a nice job of providing the context of the importance of Bastogne crossroads to the overall German plan of attack.

The perspective switches back and forth between the German and the American, allowing the reader to understand more about what both sides were experiencing. One of the organizational mechanisms used in the book that I liked, is the way in which each chapter is further defined by specific dates and times. This makes following the action of several story threads easily done.

For the historical wargamer this book is full of good scenario options, providing enough detail to generate the orders of battle and objectives, along with some excellent descriptions of the terrain.

The pacing and development of the battle in No Silent Night, The Christmas Battle for Bastogne is well done, and I was thoroughly engaged throughout.

I am happy to recommend it.

[Michael Gerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have known of the German siege of the Belgian town of Bastogne during the so-called Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 through other books and the Stephen Ambrose book-turned-HBO mini-series "Band of Brothers". This book explains in more detail the circumstances behind the siege and the different units, both American and German, involved in the battle.

Popular notion may seem to portray the American defense of Bastogne as solely done by the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division. But as this book shows, the paratroopers were not alone. Other units, especially the glidermen, the tank destroyers, and the artillery, all helped save Bastogne from capture by the Germans and prevented the latter from having a hub of major roads in and out of that town.

A note to Goodreads: the book was written not just by Leo Barron; Don Cygan is a co-author.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great look at the battle for Bastogne. Barron does a masterful job creating the scenes on both sides of the battle, US and German. Relying on first hand accounts to create his narrative, Barron's look at both sides will leave you amazed at the bravery and heroism demonstrated by the defenders. You even get to walk beside the German commanders, and watch them realize the impossibility of victory against the Allies, both in Bastogne and in the overall war.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good history book that reads like a novel. You won't be disappointed with this.

[Steve Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

A weak start: When the author's admit in the introduction that "In several points in the book...we took the liberty of creating conversations or thought processes...."

I HATE this.

It immediately puts the book into the realm of historical fiction, which is not what I wanted when I purchased it. There is no excuse for this. None. It's laziness. It's fake history. People will now pass on quotes based on an imagined conversation. As I read it I notice the authors not only have imagined conversations, but have also imagined perceptions, emotions, and behaviors of some of the participants...as well as created scenery. Checking the references show that they couldn't have provided the authors with anything significant that would have justified this.

Problematic technical details that nerds will find frustrating:

The authors report an air strike by American fighter bombers at 2330 hours that devastates a German column...which is approaching midnight. I have never heard of a WWII night time ground support mission nor am I aware of us having the technology to carry out such an attack. It's not a spelling error whereby a digit was off (making it 1330, early afternoon) the authors specifically say the attack took place at night.

The authors report that the Germans of the Volksgrenadiers commandeered four "Tigers" to fight against the counterattack by Patton's Third Army. They then later refer to the vehicles as "Jagdtigers" and described them as "behemoths". The Jaagdtiger is a tank destroyer armed with a 128 mm gun. These vehicles are described as having 88 mm guns and weighed 55 tons. That would make them Tiger I's. Not Jagdtigers. We live in the age of the internet. The authors betray their lack of knowledge of the arms and armor of the era.

The authors build suspense leading up to the battle for the hamlet of Marvie...then give no account of the battle and merely mention it in passing as having happened. Checking the index there is supposed to be a mention of it on page 154. Nope. It's not there.

On page 221 he describes Forward Observer Lieutenant Jim Robinson's observation post as having a line of observation to Robinson's left, "heading almost due east, where he could just make out the snow-covered rooftops of Flamizoulle....". That village was due WEST of Robinson's position, according to the supplied maps.

The book picks up in action around page 200 with the attack of the 115 Panzer-grenadiers and the 26th Volksturm division. It's an exciting read at that point. That said, this book has some serious defects, and I suspect there are far better resources. I have John Toland's book, and will order Charles MacDonald's books tomorrow.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received my copy of No Silent Night as part of the Goodreads FirstReads program.

In December of 1944, Hitler's Third Reich launched its last-ditch effort to stop the Allied advance--Wacht am Rhein, or the offensive that would lead to the famed Battle of the Bulge. While this battle was more than overflowing with moments of drama and heroism, one of the most fascinating elements was the battle for the small crossroads town of Bastogne. As the German offensive was once more dependent on Blitzkrieg tactics, good roads were going to be essential for moving their armor, troops and supplies quickly to where they needed to be to support the frontline's advance deep into Allied territory. Quickly taking crossroads towns like Bastogne would be essential to the German advance--a fact that was not lost on the commanders of either side. While the German flood swept towards Bastogne, the Allied command hurriedly installed the 101st Airborne and any other stray troops they could find in defense of the town and its outlying villages, creating an island of Allied resistance that was quickly surrounded. If the defenders of Bastogne could hold out long enough, they could seriously impair the German offensive. If they failed, the Germans would have a direct supply line for their forward troops. Poorly supplied and seriously outnumbered, the defenders of Bastogne were in for a Christmas they would never forget.......

This book first caught my eye because I was passingly familiar with the story--it was featured in the stellar HBO/BBC miniseries Band Of Brothers (if you haven't seen that, go do so immediately!) Historical narratives have a reputation (not always deserved) of being dry and uninteresting for the non-historian, but I was pleased to find this was not the case with this book. The authors tell the story of Bastogne's defense from both sides, following both the American defenders and the German besiegers, and the style is very engaging. While the book is a secondary source, I suspect intended more for the general public than for academia, the authors have done quite a bit of original research including interviews with several of the key characters. I will undoubtedly mine their works cited section for some other works on the subject when I get the chance--several of the memoirs they cite look quite intriguing.

This is the first book either author has written, and I had never heard of either of them before, but the book was quite good. According to the dust jacket, Leo Barron has served in the 101st Airborne in Iraq, holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in history, and trains military intelligence officers for the US Army. Don Cygan is a history teacher and journalist.

Content: PG-13 for language and violence. Soldiers' language can be a bit salty, and this is a narrative about war. On the whole its not too gruesome, but there are a couple occasions that are a bit disturbing and illustrate the horror of war.

[Mike Kershaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of the Christmas Day attempt by the Germany Army to take Bastogne. The authors have reconstructed the different units engaged in considerable detail -- in particular, drawing attention to those other units (Armor, Artillery, Tank Destroyers and Tactical Air) that did so much to support the 101st during this epic battle of World War II (much like Burgett's "Seven Roads to Hell"). They additionally follow several key German units involved in the attack which gives an added dimension to the story -- and why the Germans thought they could pull off such an audacious stroke at this late stage of the war. This book is to be commended on several levels, but chief amongst these is that all 'great' battles in the end are a series of small unit engagements. The authors faithfully follow a few characters and key units and provide copious and detailed maps to reconstruct the confused action. They also remind us, as Field Marshall Slim does in his classic treatise, "Victory into Defeat", that there comes a time in an engagement when the Generals realize they can do nothing and that the battle is essentially in the hands of their Regimental Officers. Thus, while General Officers on both sides are mentioned for perspective, it is the Regimental and Battalion Commanders who are critical in setting the stage for the action that in the end will be decided by Company Commanders, Squad Leaders, Tank Commanders and individual Soldiers on both sides. Finally, the book records the many frictions -- the weather, the inadequate communications, the incomplete orders, etc... that dominate combat and conspire to make it such a difficult endeavor. Because the book has focused on the tactical level of the battle, I would recommend reading any of the numerous accounts of either the Ardennes Counteroffensive or the Battle for Bastogne in particular to understand the larger picture. A superb book.

[Drew MacGregor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a decent narrative, culling different sources into a well told story. However it does read like a edited narrative...so and so "drummed his fingers", and other examples of minute detail are present. Overall it gives a snapshot of part of Christmas in Bastogne, a critical moment for the US Army. But it lacks as an overall history. Events such as the Malmedy Massacre are given a passing sentence, as are references to Germans in US uniforms. There are many more complete histories of the Bulge, and this falls between a complete story and an oral history.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history of the siege at Bastogne during World War II based on interviews and letters of men who took part. Numerous other sources were used as well and the work is extensively end-noted. A very interesting read.

[Paul Lindstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing men.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the battle of the Bulge fight. Some call it the battle for Bastogne.
What- ever you want to call it the battle was bloody and calculated at every corner. The Germans thought they knew how to easily take Bastogne but on the other hand, the Americans knew how to defend and be the offensive power when need be.
This is a well put together story of the battle from the German side and the American side. At times I felt like too much information was inserted. But that's how wars and sporting games are won and lost. Need that info.
Yes, it is a good book to read about the Christmas Battle For Bastogne.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story focuses on the efforts of the 101st Airborne's 327th Glider Infantry Regiment in the defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. The 101st famously got this important Ardennes Forest crossroads before the Germans making it impossible for them to focus on crossing the Meuse River that could have reeked havoc far behind the Allied lines.

The Germans had to take the town at all cost to save any chance of winning the battle. They had the town surrounded and decided that the segment of the line held by the 327th was the weakest.

It was at this segment that the Germans arrived to demand the town's surrender and received the famous "Nuts" reply.

The book focuses on the German effort to break through the 237th on Christmas Day 1944. The Germans outnumbered and outgunned the Americans but the Americans were better soldiers and had better leaders and tactics.

The author recognizes that not all readers are familiar with World War 2 army tactics and weapons so he tells the story in a way to engage all levels of readers.

He tells the perspective from both the German and American perspective by telling events from the soldiers who were there.

[Avis Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have been wanting to read this book for some time, as my father was with Patton's 3rd Army in WWII.
My dad was with the 494th Field Artillery Unit and was in the Battle of the Bulge, along with other battles. When he was alive and I was older, he would tell us some of things he saw, did and places he was at during the war. Many times he would cry remembering those he served with and who had died. He, also, told us about the Consecration Camps his unit help liberate. He took some pictures and gave them to me, which I still have. So this book brought back some of the memories of things that happened. My dad had nightmares quite often and we, as children, were told not to sneak up and scare my dad, as a joke. There wasn't any of the help then for the veteran's as far as treatment for the mental experiences they had gone thru. Those guys and their families worked together each day.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in what our military men and women went thru. It wasn't a picnic then and it still isn't in today's world.
God Bless Them All.

[Mike Mages · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written book about the strategic planning and horrific reality of war. This book goes into great detail to explain how the Battle for Bastogne would happen. I enjoyed how the authors would put you on the American side and explain things from their point of view and a few pages later you would be given everything from the Germans point of view. I also enjoyed how the book was presented as a narrative rather than all the facts thrown at the reader at once. Again, this book is well written, very educational, and an all around great read. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in World War II, history, or war.

[John E · Rating 4 out of 5]

An admirable study of the battle from the individual's point of view. From Private in their frozen foxholes to Field Marshal in thier castles, the book give a well-organized and well-written presentation of the confusion, frustrations, and terror of the World War II battlefield. The authors do a great job on integrating the text and the maps (although the placement of the map pages could have been a little better) and of keeping the big picture and immediate action in clear perspective.

[James Williams-ness · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not a full history of the "Battle of the Bulge", Barron's tale of the German Christmas offensive is a broder view of the battle than either Alex Kershaw's excellent "The Longest Winter" or Ambrose's narrow telling of the battle in "Band of Brothers". This is an excellent read for antyone wishing to get a bigger overview of the start of the German offensive and the first days of the battle.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because after my grandfather died I had a sudden urge to know more about the battles that he fought in during the War. I've never really read a history book like this, so the details were a little overwhelming for me. I did enjoy learning about how the Americans won the battle.

[Fresno Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

epic tale of the defense of Bastogne, good maps. Makes me want to play Battle of the Bulge on my Ipad!

[Margaret Elder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exceptionally well researched. To their credit, the authors report at length on the changing positions of various troops. While this has the tendency to bog the reader down sometimes, and the book would be improved with larger, more readable maps, it was still in places very exciting. My Dad was 4th Infantry (having just gone through the hours of Hurtgen Forest), serving at that time under Patton whose troops were fighting as they made their way to relieve Bastogne. Of course that has piqued my interest as I remembered my father's talk about the 101st being trapped there. I have had a lifelong interest in W War II, and I have read many books, but I don't know if I have ever read one that described greater carnage than the Christmas Day battle for Bastogne. It is the anecdotal information that moves this book forward at an increasingly faster pace. Also the author does not mince words about the sometimes questionable and unnecessary brutal actions of tired and frenzied GIs. To hear an American commander describe killing so many Germans as a "fun Christmas Day turkey shoot" is disturbing, but it is this honesty that is commendable in the book and important for history. After reading the book, I not only understand the battle much, much better but also the desperate moves of the German commanders under Hitler's grip, even when commanders down the line warned that some of their decisions were impractical and dangerous.

[Linda Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I choose to read this because my father was in Patton’s 3rd armored division and was involved with this battle. I remember him telling me about sleeping in foxholes covered in snow. I was bogged down with the German names due to pronunciation. This made the flow of reading less smooth but I found it interesting. Reading this at Christmas made me more aware of the great sacrifice these men made. People complain about such minor things in their lives and celebrate without realizing what others have done for them. The part about Christmas Eve before the battle particularly has stuck with me. The service in the little chapel, McAuliffe hearing the German prisoners singing Stille Nacht stopped to wish them a merry Christmas, then getting in his jeep to go see his men on the lines knowing for some it would be their last Christmas. I know many would not want to read a story like this, true or otherwise at this time of the year but maybe we should and then be more thankful.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. I previously read the author's other book, Patton at the Battle of the Bulge, and was looking forward to this one. It did not disappoint. I appreciated the maps at the beginning of each chapter, they greatly helped me grasp the battlefield narrative (the Patton book also has maps in each chapter).
In summary, this is a great book about the German Christmas Day attack on Bastogne and the American defense and victory. I highly recommend. I look forward to reading more of Barron's books.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Thoroughly researched history that gives a most complete depiction of this pivotal part of the Battle of the Bulge. The action is complicated and there are many, many individuals to keep track of, yet the book remains lucid and clear in telling the story of Bastogne. The Authors use a lot of original materials, especially interviews, and are able to present both the American and the German sides of the story. Excellent history writing and a model of concision and clarity.

[Tomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very detailed account of the Battle for Bastogne, using both American and German sources.

[J. Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding read

[Joshua Emil · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Let the world never see such a Christmas night again! To die, far from one's children,one's wife and mother,under the fire of guns, there is no greater cruelty. To take away a son from his mother, a husband from his wife, a father from his children, is it worthy of a human being? Life can only be for love and respect. At the sight of ruins, of blood and death, universal fraternity will rise."

The text above was believed to be authored by a German officer from the 77th Volksgrenadier Regiment. It was found written on a chalkboard in a local school in Champs, Belgium and discovered by Monsieur Schmitz and some American soldiers after the Christmas Battle for Bastogne.

We all know the heroism of the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge, most especially the stubborn defense of Bastogne. In that fighting, they garnered the name "The Battered Bastards of Bastogne". The Battle of the Bulge has been portrayed in different films such as Battleground, Saints and Soldiers and the mini-series, Band of Brothers. How much do we know about the Defense of Bastogne? For me, I had relied on the film Battleground and the mini-series Band of Brothers. But now, I had read the 'full' account of the noted actions on the Defense of Bastogne.

This wasn't just a chronicle of combat. It was the story of a town during that time. The stories weren't one sided; it came from different sides, Americans, Germans and Belgians. The authors made it more of a narrative (as said in the introduction) for the reader to have a feel of the event.

It was here I gained knowledge some of the key participants of the war like the 463rd Parachute Field Artillery Battalion, the 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion, the Volksgrenadiers and the Panzergrenadiers.

No Silent Night is the story of human endurance during the Battle and Defense of Bastogne in the Christmas of 1944. Let no earth experience such horror it indirectly says.

On reading: Please try and keep track of the names of persons involved because they are plenty and their roles may be overlooked.

[Todd Kehoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book on what the the 101st Airborne,9th/10th Armored, 705 Tank battalion went through holding off Bastogne in the siege. This is the first of two, the other by the same author wrote 'Patton at Battle of The Bulge' as the third army drive for Bastogne. Both sides needed each other as much as they wish to not admit it.

101st & others held the city off pulling resources from Patton's drive to Bastogne & vice versa. Both sides helped each other. Airborne troops are elite & used to being in dire spots.

I don't want to say much, it shows how fragile the situation was on both sides of the battle & the Bastogne situation really bogged the Germans on their drive that they could have won, but the Airborne had others ideas. Good read. It goes from both sides of the battle.

Another I would recommend is 'Alamo in the Ardennes' by John C. McManess. He talks about before Bastogne in the first few days of the battle & then eventually holding Bastogne to hand over to the Airborne when the the first few divisions were being beaten badly by the Germans. That book talk about how the Americans slowed the Germans down to fighting for every bloody yard taken. Without that, there would have been no Battle for Bastogne. A nice unknown story I never really heard of.

[Olivia Plasencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book and well researched but at times you can feel bogged down with information. Still it's a book that anyone that has interest in World War II should pick up. Not only did the book cover the Americans side but also the Germans. You follow their movements and the attacks. I just wish that the book related the outside movement of the battle of the bulged to the time frame inside the village but I think the writer was going for giving the reader the total feeling of isolation that the Americans must have felt, so that was not included. Still well done.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodread's Giveaway, and actually had a chance to read it right after receiving it but hadn't had a chance to write a review. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and felt the author did a very good job of telling the story.

[Audiobook Accomplice (Gillian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just canNOT help but feel pride and, gosh: AWE!!!
My Full Review →