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After the Battle: Then and Now
Battle of the Bulge: Then and Now
This WWII pictorial history presents an in-depth study of Hitler's epic, final offensive campaign.
In December of 1944, nine days before Christmas, Hitler played Germany's last card on which he staked everything to turn the tables in the West. In this densely illustrated volume, military historian Jean Paul Pallud examines the entire salient with 'then and now' photographs.
Hundreds of miles have been traveled by the author throughout every corner of the battlefield to search out the scenes of past events — every known photograph belonging to combatants, civilians, and in public collections and private sources has been sought or considered. All available film has been examined frame by frame and certain sequences illustrated and analyzed.
This painstaking process offers a vividly detailed look at the famous battle. A number of classic pictures used — or misused — in depicting the conflict are placed in their true context, often revealing them to be very different from what they seem!
In December of 1944, nine days before Christmas, Hitler played Germany's last card on which he staked everything to turn the tables in the West. In this densely illustrated volume, military historian Jean Paul Pallud examines the entire salient with 'then and now' photographs.
Hundreds of miles have been traveled by the author throughout every corner of the battlefield to search out the scenes of past events — every known photograph belonging to combatants, civilians, and in public collections and private sources has been sought or considered. All available film has been examined frame by frame and certain sequences illustrated and analyzed.
This painstaking process offers a vividly detailed look at the famous battle. A number of classic pictures used — or misused — in depicting the conflict are placed in their true context, often revealing them to be very different from what they seem!
1573 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 21, 2016
Having finally managed to get through this massive book(544 pages long and weighs a few lbs),I
have come to the conclusion that this book is the most concise account of the battle(Wacht Am Rhein,German codename for what historians call the "battle of the Bulge") that I've ever read,or will read.
This is the first "Then and Now"(After the Battle publications) book that I have read,but surely wont be the last. The vast amount of information contained within its pages makes this book
the most complete,clear and concise book on the last major offensive by the Germans in World War Two. This book contains a vast amount of photos in the "Then and Now context. The Author has done a marvellous job of putting together this library of photos with a very detailed narrative.
The book includes everything from; The siege of Bastogne; The Malmedy massacre; Skorzenys commandoes to the Defence of Saint-Vith. Includes many maps,organizational charts and diagrams to complement the photos and detailed narrative. The book concludes with a survey of the relics,memorials and Museums situated around the Ardennes and other places where this battle raged during the winter of 1944.
So if your looking for a book on this battle,then look no further,this is the book for you.
The vast wealth of information and "outstanding" pictures makes this book one of the very best you will read on this subject.
A must read! A Bible of a book! So don't delay try this book today. You wont be disappointed.
have come to the conclusion that this book is the most concise account of the battle(Wacht Am Rhein,German codename for what historians call the "battle of the Bulge") that I've ever read,or will read.
This is the first "Then and Now"(After the Battle publications) book that I have read,but surely wont be the last. The vast amount of information contained within its pages makes this book
the most complete,clear and concise book on the last major offensive by the Germans in World War Two. This book contains a vast amount of photos in the "Then and Now context. The Author has done a marvellous job of putting together this library of photos with a very detailed narrative.
The book includes everything from; The siege of Bastogne; The Malmedy massacre; Skorzenys commandoes to the Defence of Saint-Vith. Includes many maps,organizational charts and diagrams to complement the photos and detailed narrative. The book concludes with a survey of the relics,memorials and Museums situated around the Ardennes and other places where this battle raged during the winter of 1944.
So if your looking for a book on this battle,then look no further,this is the book for you.
The vast wealth of information and "outstanding" pictures makes this book one of the very best you will read on this subject.
A must read! A Bible of a book! So don't delay try this book today. You wont be disappointed.
July 29, 2011
Meticulous and Magnificent ..., August 28, 2010
I just received this in the mail today and after spending over 2 hours going page-by-page it struck me how thorough this volume truly was.
First and foremost, the book is massive ... over 500 glossy pages of maps, photos, data and text. However, it is the voluminous collection of photos which comprises the bulk of the book and makes the biggest impression.
Pallud's meticulous and exhaustive research includes a detailed collection of photos that chronologically illustrate the course of the battle. The massive accumulation of common and rare photos include researched explanations of each; the detail is simply amazing. Pallud focuses a great deal on the destruction of German armor during the battle to the point of graphically accounting for each of the Tiger II tanks employed during the Bulge. As the title of the book suggests, there are plenty of "then and now" photos arrayed side-by-side to give the reader (or traveler to the battlefield) an idea of what happened at particular locations and see how time has erased the widespread destruction ... an interesting perspective.
In my opinion, what separates Pallud's book from any other book on the subject matter (aside from the sheer volume of photos) is the meticulous care spent on presenting a factual explanation of each picture. In particular, the author clarifies the inaccuracies associated with many of the generic German photos so often associated with the Battle of the Bulge. For example, he finally "proves" the purported photo of Joachim Peiper at a Malmedy crossroads reading a road sign from a Schwimmwagon, is not Pieper at all (to the extent of illustrating the famous photo lacks evidence of Peiper's dimpled chin). The presentation is fact-based and neutral in nature ... he lets the photos explain everything. Additionally, Pallud includes chapters toward the end of the book that list Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross and Knight's Cross recipients, museums and pictures of war relics that still remain.
Overall, the volume is informative, detailed, interesting, very thorough and all-inclusive ... simply impressive. This is the second book from the "Then and Now" collection that I own (the other being "Berlin: Then and Now") and it certainly affirms my desire to collect additional volumes in the series. "Battle of the Bulge: Then and Now" is is definitely a valuable resource to anyone interested in the battle. The biggest drawbacks to these "Then and Now" books are that they are expensive and somewhat hard to find (at least at an affordable price). However, being patient pays off as I finally found a quality, but affordable, used copy of this book from a bookseller ... it was on my Wish List over six months.
I just received this in the mail today and after spending over 2 hours going page-by-page it struck me how thorough this volume truly was.
First and foremost, the book is massive ... over 500 glossy pages of maps, photos, data and text. However, it is the voluminous collection of photos which comprises the bulk of the book and makes the biggest impression.
Pallud's meticulous and exhaustive research includes a detailed collection of photos that chronologically illustrate the course of the battle. The massive accumulation of common and rare photos include researched explanations of each; the detail is simply amazing. Pallud focuses a great deal on the destruction of German armor during the battle to the point of graphically accounting for each of the Tiger II tanks employed during the Bulge. As the title of the book suggests, there are plenty of "then and now" photos arrayed side-by-side to give the reader (or traveler to the battlefield) an idea of what happened at particular locations and see how time has erased the widespread destruction ... an interesting perspective.
In my opinion, what separates Pallud's book from any other book on the subject matter (aside from the sheer volume of photos) is the meticulous care spent on presenting a factual explanation of each picture. In particular, the author clarifies the inaccuracies associated with many of the generic German photos so often associated with the Battle of the Bulge. For example, he finally "proves" the purported photo of Joachim Peiper at a Malmedy crossroads reading a road sign from a Schwimmwagon, is not Pieper at all (to the extent of illustrating the famous photo lacks evidence of Peiper's dimpled chin). The presentation is fact-based and neutral in nature ... he lets the photos explain everything. Additionally, Pallud includes chapters toward the end of the book that list Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross and Knight's Cross recipients, museums and pictures of war relics that still remain.
Overall, the volume is informative, detailed, interesting, very thorough and all-inclusive ... simply impressive. This is the second book from the "Then and Now" collection that I own (the other being "Berlin: Then and Now") and it certainly affirms my desire to collect additional volumes in the series. "Battle of the Bulge: Then and Now" is is definitely a valuable resource to anyone interested in the battle. The biggest drawbacks to these "Then and Now" books are that they are expensive and somewhat hard to find (at least at an affordable price). However, being patient pays off as I finally found a quality, but affordable, used copy of this book from a bookseller ... it was on my Wish List over six months.
July 24, 2011
It took quite some time but I have finally finished this massive work on the Battle of the Bulge. This attractive volume is beautifully illustrated with abundant photographs which have been meticulously researched. Often the pictures are matched with a modern photo, perhaps the authors car located where a Panzer V (for example) once was. The sheer volume of work putting this together is astounding. I would love to drive around Belgium myself and see some of these sites.
The text seems to include just about every interesting fact of the battle that the author could lay his hands on. Clearly the Germans were frustrated by traffic jams, lack of fuel and allied artillery and airpower. Despite some excellent equipment they could hardly prevail against the vast resources at the disposal of the allies. The tenacious and stubborn defence of Elsenborn ridge, St Vith and of course Bastogne should have shown the Germans that the enemy were not going to just collapse (like in 1940) and that ultimately this whole offensive was completely hopeless. I was surprised at how successfully the Germans were able to extricate themselves from the Bulge when it became necessary.
This is an excellent book and for any self respecting WW2 buff and an excellent read.
The text seems to include just about every interesting fact of the battle that the author could lay his hands on. Clearly the Germans were frustrated by traffic jams, lack of fuel and allied artillery and airpower. Despite some excellent equipment they could hardly prevail against the vast resources at the disposal of the allies. The tenacious and stubborn defence of Elsenborn ridge, St Vith and of course Bastogne should have shown the Germans that the enemy were not going to just collapse (like in 1940) and that ultimately this whole offensive was completely hopeless. I was surprised at how successfully the Germans were able to extricate themselves from the Bulge when it became necessary.
This is an excellent book and for any self respecting WW2 buff and an excellent read.
March 13, 2026
Wildly well-researched and detailed guide to the events and especially the images/film of the Battle of the Bulge. The most nerdy coffee table book I own.
This book is the crazy, decades-consuming passion project of a relentless Frenchman with a penchant for maps and WWII photos. It is more of a reference book than a read-it-front-to-back narrative, and particularly shines for its incredible shot-by-shot breakdowns of German and American battlefield photography.
If you are a fanatic of Battle of the Bulge history, this is the magnum opus for you.
This book is the crazy, decades-consuming passion project of a relentless Frenchman with a penchant for maps and WWII photos. It is more of a reference book than a read-it-front-to-back narrative, and particularly shines for its incredible shot-by-shot breakdowns of German and American battlefield photography.
If you are a fanatic of Battle of the Bulge history, this is the magnum opus for you.
September 16, 2025
wonderful book with the different photos taken in 1944 during the battle of the bulge and the locations today. Amazing.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews