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The Battle Of The Bulge. Hitler's Final Gamble In Western Europe
- GenresNonfictionHistory
Paperback
Published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 22, 2023
The Battle of the Bulge was (16/12/44 – 25/1/45) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during WWII. It was also the largest and bloodiest single battle fought by the United States and the third-deadliest campaign in American history. In fact it’s really inaccurate to call it a single battle as it was really a series of fights between German and largely inexperienced US troops, fought through the densely forested Ardennes region of Belgium.
This book covers of the context of the battle and walks through the significant events that took place during those terrible five weeks. The detail imparted also includes: troop movements, intelligence gathered, equipment and armoury deployed, condition and terrain. Aside from this there are quite a number of first person accounts of actions witnessed – some of these extremely harrowing. Incidents touched on include atrocities carried out by German troops, such as the Malmedy massacre, a war crime committed by soldiers of the Waffen-SS.
What comes across strongly is just how much confusion was caused to Allied troops, who were caught completely off-guard by the offensive. Also, very evident is the chaos, confusion, random luck (both good and bad) and sheer brutality of war. One surprise to me was the degree of antipathy senior American soldiers felt towards British Field Marshal Montgomery, who after the event tried to grab much of the glory even though he only really got seriously involved after the battle had been pretty much won.
I listened to an audio version, competently read by Mack Gordon. My only reservation here being that trying to keep tabs on what was a complex and confusing event was very difficult without a map to hand or a good working knowledge of both the area and the makeup of the various American units deployed. An easy one to remedy, perhaps, but tough when you’re largely listening to the book whilst walking your four-legged friend.
My thanks to Arcturus Digital Audio for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book covers of the context of the battle and walks through the significant events that took place during those terrible five weeks. The detail imparted also includes: troop movements, intelligence gathered, equipment and armoury deployed, condition and terrain. Aside from this there are quite a number of first person accounts of actions witnessed – some of these extremely harrowing. Incidents touched on include atrocities carried out by German troops, such as the Malmedy massacre, a war crime committed by soldiers of the Waffen-SS.
What comes across strongly is just how much confusion was caused to Allied troops, who were caught completely off-guard by the offensive. Also, very evident is the chaos, confusion, random luck (both good and bad) and sheer brutality of war. One surprise to me was the degree of antipathy senior American soldiers felt towards British Field Marshal Montgomery, who after the event tried to grab much of the glory even though he only really got seriously involved after the battle had been pretty much won.
I listened to an audio version, competently read by Mack Gordon. My only reservation here being that trying to keep tabs on what was a complex and confusing event was very difficult without a map to hand or a good working knowledge of both the area and the makeup of the various American units deployed. An easy one to remedy, perhaps, but tough when you’re largely listening to the book whilst walking your four-legged friend.
My thanks to Arcturus Digital Audio for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 31, 2025
The start of this book is enough to capture the interest of any student of military history. There is a recommendation by a veteran of the battle attesting to it capturing the spirit and possessing an authentic feel. Then the author describes an event which is the catalyst to him writing the book; a veteran taking off four pairs of socks to show a foot with mere stumps of the toes lost to frostbite. This might be anticipated in the east on the Russian front, but in Belgium/Luxembourg that would be thought unusual. This certainly had me hooked.
This work is an excellent blend of historical fact and the personal reflections of those who were there, together with author commentary and observations to complete a compelling narrative. Its one that highlights the waste of war and the bravery of men, along this the strange trivialities that are common to most conflicts. In this case a German POW who is a barber in Civvy Street cutting the hair of dirty, exhausted US troops and author Ernest Hemmingway bravely liberating the bar of the Paris Ritz, albeit the case that the Germans had already left. It’s the thought that counts. It’s an interesting, but also entertaining read and one I would certainly recommend.
The battle has been regarded by many as a brave final throw of the dice, a breakthrough in the west, but ultimately doomed to failure. This may in part be true, but weakening the defensive lines against a rampaging Red Army in the East makes no tactical sense. Surrender to the Allies would have surely been preferable to the Russians. By this time Operation Valkyrie had occurred, it was ultimately a failure, but one that had exposed Hitler as a broken man, one whose support had been shaken and could see that the war was already lost.
By this point in the war the Germans were recruiting the young, the old, the previously rejected and men from occupied territories, but this was no fight of men against boys. The German panzer divisions had many battle-hardened men and were led by commanders like Joachim Peiper and Sepp Deitrich. Both men were to be implicated in the Malmedy Massacre and other war crimes. In comparison the US troops were fresh and well equipped but lacking in battle experience.
As noted earlier the winter of 1944 was a severe one, cold and wet, with temperatures at times falling as low as -28°c. The Germans who were so badly prepared for the Russian winter were better equipped this time around, but conditions affected both sides with bouts of trench foot and frostbite. Add to these lice and sexually transmitted disease it was a tough winter for many.
The most striking aspect for me was the role of General Dwight D. Eisenhower as the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe. This was by no means a straightforward job in trying to control such determined Generals as Omar Bradley, George Patton and Bernard Montgomery. Brilliant in their own rights, but men with different ideas, strategies, egos and personalities. It was essential that Eisenhower got the best out of these leaders and their men, the success of which was a stepping stone to the White House.
The narration was good, retaining the listeners interest, albeit with some unfamiliar pronunciations.
This work is an excellent blend of historical fact and the personal reflections of those who were there, together with author commentary and observations to complete a compelling narrative. Its one that highlights the waste of war and the bravery of men, along this the strange trivialities that are common to most conflicts. In this case a German POW who is a barber in Civvy Street cutting the hair of dirty, exhausted US troops and author Ernest Hemmingway bravely liberating the bar of the Paris Ritz, albeit the case that the Germans had already left. It’s the thought that counts. It’s an interesting, but also entertaining read and one I would certainly recommend.
The battle has been regarded by many as a brave final throw of the dice, a breakthrough in the west, but ultimately doomed to failure. This may in part be true, but weakening the defensive lines against a rampaging Red Army in the East makes no tactical sense. Surrender to the Allies would have surely been preferable to the Russians. By this time Operation Valkyrie had occurred, it was ultimately a failure, but one that had exposed Hitler as a broken man, one whose support had been shaken and could see that the war was already lost.
By this point in the war the Germans were recruiting the young, the old, the previously rejected and men from occupied territories, but this was no fight of men against boys. The German panzer divisions had many battle-hardened men and were led by commanders like Joachim Peiper and Sepp Deitrich. Both men were to be implicated in the Malmedy Massacre and other war crimes. In comparison the US troops were fresh and well equipped but lacking in battle experience.
As noted earlier the winter of 1944 was a severe one, cold and wet, with temperatures at times falling as low as -28°c. The Germans who were so badly prepared for the Russian winter were better equipped this time around, but conditions affected both sides with bouts of trench foot and frostbite. Add to these lice and sexually transmitted disease it was a tough winter for many.
The most striking aspect for me was the role of General Dwight D. Eisenhower as the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe. This was by no means a straightforward job in trying to control such determined Generals as Omar Bradley, George Patton and Bernard Montgomery. Brilliant in their own rights, but men with different ideas, strategies, egos and personalities. It was essential that Eisenhower got the best out of these leaders and their men, the success of which was a stepping stone to the White House.
The narration was good, retaining the listeners interest, albeit with some unfamiliar pronunciations.
February 16, 2022
An interesting book and a good place to start when learning about this particular action of ww2. However, it jumps around quite a bit which made it difficult to follow at times and really only covers the first days of the battle in any detail.
December 20, 2023
Some decent anecdotes. Narrator pronounced so many names wrong that I looked up the pronunciations myself to make sure I wasn't crazy.
July 1, 2024
As advertised. Lots of mispronounced words.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews