What do you think?
Rate this book
Modern War Studies
Corps Commanders of the Bulge: Six American Generals and Victory in the Ardennes
If the Battle of the Bulge was Germany's last gasp, it was also America's proving ground-the largest single action fought by the U.S. Army in World War II. Taking a new approach to an old story, Harold Winton widens our field of vision by showing how victory in this legendary campaign was built upon the remarkable resurrection of our truncated interwar army, an overhaul that produced the effective commanders crucial to GI success in beating back the Ardennes counteroffensive launched by Hitler's forces.
Winton's is the first study of the Bulge to examine leadership at the largely neglected level of corps command. Focusing on the decisions and actions of six Army corps commanders—Leonard Gerow, Troy Middleton, Matthew Ridgway, John Millikin, Manton Eddy, and J. Lawton Collins—he recreates their role in this epic struggle through a mosaic of narratives that take the commanders from the pre-war training grounds of America to the crucible of war in the icy-cold killing fields of Belgium and Luxembourg.
Winton introduces the story of each phase of the Bulge with a theater-level overview of the major decisions and events that shaped the corps battles and, for the first time, fully integrates the crucial role of airpower into our understanding of how events unfolded on the ground. Unlike most accounts of the Ardennes that chronicle only the periods of German and American initiative, Winton's study describes an intervening middle phase in which the initiative was fiercely contested by both sides and the outcome uncertain. His inclusion of the principal American and German commanders adds yet another valuable layer to this rich tapestry of narrative and analysis.
Ultimately, Winton argues that the flexibility of the corps structure and the competence of the men who commanded the six American corps that fought in the Bulge contributed significantly to the ultimate victory. Chronicling the human drama of commanding large numbers of soldiers in battle, he has produced an artful blend of combat narrative, collective biography, and institutional history that contributes significantly to the broader understanding of World War II as a whole. With the recent modularization of the U.S. Army division, which makes this command echelon a re-creation of the corps of World War II, Corps Commanders of the Bulge also has distinct relevance to current issues of Army transformation.
Winton's is the first study of the Bulge to examine leadership at the largely neglected level of corps command. Focusing on the decisions and actions of six Army corps commanders—Leonard Gerow, Troy Middleton, Matthew Ridgway, John Millikin, Manton Eddy, and J. Lawton Collins—he recreates their role in this epic struggle through a mosaic of narratives that take the commanders from the pre-war training grounds of America to the crucible of war in the icy-cold killing fields of Belgium and Luxembourg.
Winton introduces the story of each phase of the Bulge with a theater-level overview of the major decisions and events that shaped the corps battles and, for the first time, fully integrates the crucial role of airpower into our understanding of how events unfolded on the ground. Unlike most accounts of the Ardennes that chronicle only the periods of German and American initiative, Winton's study describes an intervening middle phase in which the initiative was fiercely contested by both sides and the outcome uncertain. His inclusion of the principal American and German commanders adds yet another valuable layer to this rich tapestry of narrative and analysis.
Ultimately, Winton argues that the flexibility of the corps structure and the competence of the men who commanded the six American corps that fought in the Bulge contributed significantly to the ultimate victory. Chronicling the human drama of commanding large numbers of soldiers in battle, he has produced an artful blend of combat narrative, collective biography, and institutional history that contributes significantly to the broader understanding of World War II as a whole. With the recent modularization of the U.S. Army division, which makes this command echelon a re-creation of the corps of World War II, Corps Commanders of the Bulge also has distinct relevance to current issues of Army transformation.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published March 16, 2007
8 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 9, 2013
Excellent details and descriptions
I received this book as a gift while I was convalescing from back surgery in 2010. I read it three times in six weeks. I’ve read many accounts of the historic bulge, but never anything that went into great depth concerning how a Corp operated. It was amazing how quickly these units were put together and turned into a cohesive fighting machine. Absolutely amazing. I remember reading some time ago how impressed the Germans were with the Americans ability to adapt and move troops quickly to threatened sectors. This book will explain how this was accomplished.
This work is for all historians and fans of WWII who are looking for missing pieces in the framework of command structures.
I received this book as a gift while I was convalescing from back surgery in 2010. I read it three times in six weeks. I’ve read many accounts of the historic bulge, but never anything that went into great depth concerning how a Corp operated. It was amazing how quickly these units were put together and turned into a cohesive fighting machine. Absolutely amazing. I remember reading some time ago how impressed the Germans were with the Americans ability to adapt and move troops quickly to threatened sectors. This book will explain how this was accomplished.
This work is for all historians and fans of WWII who are looking for missing pieces in the framework of command structures.
April 4, 2019
This book is a comprehensive study of the six American Corps Commanders who fought the Battle of the Bulge. The author is well qualified to make this study. Harold R. Winton is a Professor of Military History at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Air University. The six Corps Commanders are: Troy Middleton, VIII Corps, Leonard Gerow, V Corps, Matthew Ridgway, XVIII(Airborne) Corps, John Millikin, III Corps, Manton Eddy, XII Corps and Lawton Collins, VII Corps. After his introduction explaining that this is a study to compare and contrast the commanders of the highest tactical unit of the Army as they performed in the battle of the Ardennes. as the author quotes the applicable Field Service Regulation,"The corps is primarily a tactical unit of execution and maneuver." The corps is a level above the Division and below the Army. It has a flexible configuration which depends on mission, terrain and situation, usually two to five divisions (Winton p.7). In the second chapter Professor Winton explains the Army's philosophy of command and the education system for senior Army leaders, The Command and General Staff School (CGSC) and the Army War College. The next step in the process of evaluating these officers is to explain the education, training and experience level of each officer evaluated. Chapter three does that. These chapters set the stage for the assessment of the Corps Commanders.
Major General Gerow was a VMI graduate and had experienced service in France in WWI. He was a graduate of both CGSC and the Army War College. Ge had extensive experience including command and staff positions. He was chief of the War Plans Division when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. He successfully commanded the 29th Division prior to its combat introduction and was selected to take command of V Corps by his friend General Eisenhower. He commanded V Corps from Normandy through the Ardennes. Major General Middleton enlisted in the Army after graduating from Mississippi A&M College. He received a direct commission and served in France in WWI. He graduated from CGSC and stayed on as an instructor. He graduated from the Army War College and taught ROTC at Louisiana State University for six tears. He was sent to the Philippines where he decided to leave service in 1937 as a Lieutenant Colonel. After Pearl Harbor he returned to the Army and was given command of 45th Infantry Division. He led the division through the fighting in Sicily. A knee problem led to his being relieved of command and recuperation. When he recovered he was given command of VIII Corps. He led the corps from Normandy through the Ardennes. Major General Ridgway graduated from West Point. He saw duty on the Mexican border and then taught languages at the Military Academy under General MacArthur. He was then assigne to China where he served under future Chief of Staff Marshall. He graduated from both CGSC and the Army War College. He worked in the War Plans Division and was selected to be the deputy commander of the 82nd Infantry Division under General Bradley. It was training to become the first Airborne Division. When Bradley left, Ridgway became the division commander. He commanded the division through Sicily and Normandy until given command of the XVIII (Airborne) Corps in September 1944. Major General John Millikin was a West Point graduate. He saw service in France in WWI. He married General Peyton March, the Army Chief of Staff's daughter. He graduated from both CGSC and the Army War College. He had both command and staff positions and commanded the experimental 6th Cavalry Regiment (Horse and Mechanized). He went on to command the 33rd Division in Hawaii and was selected to command III Corps. The corps went to Europe in September 1944. major General Manton Eddy graduated from Shattuck Military Academy and received a commission in 1916. He saw action in France commanding a machine gun company. He was wounded and upon recovery was given command of a Machine Gun Battalion. He did service as an ROTC instructor and returned for the Infantry officer's advanced course where he was observed by General Marshall. He went on to battalion and then to CGSC where he stayed on as an instructor. He did not attend the Army War College. He commanded the 9th Infantry Division through Africa and Sicily. The division was selected fot eh Normandy invasion. He took command of the XII Corps in August 1944. Major General Lawton Collins graduated from West Point. He did not serve in France in WWI. He did occupation duty in Germany. He graduated from both CGSC and the Army War College. He served in the Philippines on troop duty then on the G-2/G-3 staff. He was assigned to the General Staff secretariat when General Marshall was Chief of Staff. He was selected as Chief of Staff VII Corps in California then sent to Hawaii. He was given command of the 25th Infantry Division and fought it on Guadalcanal. He returned on leave and he lobbied for corps command. General MacArthur thought Collins too young for Pacific corps command so Marshall sent him to Europe where he took over VII Corps. He fought the corps from Normandy through the Ardennes. These were the men who fought the Corps Battle of the Bulge.
I spent time explaining their background because they all have extensive experience and military schooling. Only MG Eddy did not graduate from the Army War College. Only MG Eddy and MG Middleton had actually seen combat in WWI although a couple of the other had been in France. MG Millikan was the least combat experienced when the Ardennes campaign began. As a young Captain, General Jimmy D. Ross said something to me that I'll never forget about General Officers. He said that if all of the individuals selected for a star when he was were killed in an aircraft crash, their replacements would have similar experience and schooling as he had when he was selected. These Corps Commanders attest to the validity of General Ross's statement made in 1979.
The remainder of this study is composed of three phases. Phase I is the battle during the German initiative. Phase II is the Initiative in Flux. Phase III is the American Initiative in Action. The author explains the battle from the corps perspective for each of the corps involved. He provides analysis and observations of each of the commanders. There are some supporting maps. I will not fight the battle and assess each Corps Commander. I'll leave that to the author and the reader. The Battle of the Bulge was a tough fight and we know the outcome. The Corps Commanders did their jobs, some better that others, but they were successful. Two of the corps commanders, Collins and Ridgway went on to be Army Chief of Staff. General Millikin was the only one of the six relieved of Corps command after Remagen by General Hodges. I think wrongly but I wasn't his commander. Millikin went on to successfully command the 13th Armored Division through the end of the European Campaign. General Middleton retired after the war and returned to LSU. The author surmises he was destined for greater responsibility had he remained in the Army but...? He became president of LSU in 1951 and expanded the University. General Gerow was promoted to General and helped strengthen the Army education system.. He served as the Virginia election campaign manager for his friend General Eisenhower in 1952. General Eddy was promoted to Lieutenant General and his last command was the newly activated Seventh Army in Germany. With the exceptions of Ridgway and Collins these men are overshadowed by their seniors in WWII, Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton, Hodges, and Montgomery. But it was Middleton, Gerow, Millikin, Eddy, Collins and Ridgway who won the fight in the Battle of the Bulge!
If you are a serious student of World War II this is a book you should read. It is superb!
Major General Gerow was a VMI graduate and had experienced service in France in WWI. He was a graduate of both CGSC and the Army War College. Ge had extensive experience including command and staff positions. He was chief of the War Plans Division when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. He successfully commanded the 29th Division prior to its combat introduction and was selected to take command of V Corps by his friend General Eisenhower. He commanded V Corps from Normandy through the Ardennes. Major General Middleton enlisted in the Army after graduating from Mississippi A&M College. He received a direct commission and served in France in WWI. He graduated from CGSC and stayed on as an instructor. He graduated from the Army War College and taught ROTC at Louisiana State University for six tears. He was sent to the Philippines where he decided to leave service in 1937 as a Lieutenant Colonel. After Pearl Harbor he returned to the Army and was given command of 45th Infantry Division. He led the division through the fighting in Sicily. A knee problem led to his being relieved of command and recuperation. When he recovered he was given command of VIII Corps. He led the corps from Normandy through the Ardennes. Major General Ridgway graduated from West Point. He saw duty on the Mexican border and then taught languages at the Military Academy under General MacArthur. He was then assigne to China where he served under future Chief of Staff Marshall. He graduated from both CGSC and the Army War College. He worked in the War Plans Division and was selected to be the deputy commander of the 82nd Infantry Division under General Bradley. It was training to become the first Airborne Division. When Bradley left, Ridgway became the division commander. He commanded the division through Sicily and Normandy until given command of the XVIII (Airborne) Corps in September 1944. Major General John Millikin was a West Point graduate. He saw service in France in WWI. He married General Peyton March, the Army Chief of Staff's daughter. He graduated from both CGSC and the Army War College. He had both command and staff positions and commanded the experimental 6th Cavalry Regiment (Horse and Mechanized). He went on to command the 33rd Division in Hawaii and was selected to command III Corps. The corps went to Europe in September 1944. major General Manton Eddy graduated from Shattuck Military Academy and received a commission in 1916. He saw action in France commanding a machine gun company. He was wounded and upon recovery was given command of a Machine Gun Battalion. He did service as an ROTC instructor and returned for the Infantry officer's advanced course where he was observed by General Marshall. He went on to battalion and then to CGSC where he stayed on as an instructor. He did not attend the Army War College. He commanded the 9th Infantry Division through Africa and Sicily. The division was selected fot eh Normandy invasion. He took command of the XII Corps in August 1944. Major General Lawton Collins graduated from West Point. He did not serve in France in WWI. He did occupation duty in Germany. He graduated from both CGSC and the Army War College. He served in the Philippines on troop duty then on the G-2/G-3 staff. He was assigned to the General Staff secretariat when General Marshall was Chief of Staff. He was selected as Chief of Staff VII Corps in California then sent to Hawaii. He was given command of the 25th Infantry Division and fought it on Guadalcanal. He returned on leave and he lobbied for corps command. General MacArthur thought Collins too young for Pacific corps command so Marshall sent him to Europe where he took over VII Corps. He fought the corps from Normandy through the Ardennes. These were the men who fought the Corps Battle of the Bulge.
I spent time explaining their background because they all have extensive experience and military schooling. Only MG Eddy did not graduate from the Army War College. Only MG Eddy and MG Middleton had actually seen combat in WWI although a couple of the other had been in France. MG Millikan was the least combat experienced when the Ardennes campaign began. As a young Captain, General Jimmy D. Ross said something to me that I'll never forget about General Officers. He said that if all of the individuals selected for a star when he was were killed in an aircraft crash, their replacements would have similar experience and schooling as he had when he was selected. These Corps Commanders attest to the validity of General Ross's statement made in 1979.
The remainder of this study is composed of three phases. Phase I is the battle during the German initiative. Phase II is the Initiative in Flux. Phase III is the American Initiative in Action. The author explains the battle from the corps perspective for each of the corps involved. He provides analysis and observations of each of the commanders. There are some supporting maps. I will not fight the battle and assess each Corps Commander. I'll leave that to the author and the reader. The Battle of the Bulge was a tough fight and we know the outcome. The Corps Commanders did their jobs, some better that others, but they were successful. Two of the corps commanders, Collins and Ridgway went on to be Army Chief of Staff. General Millikin was the only one of the six relieved of Corps command after Remagen by General Hodges. I think wrongly but I wasn't his commander. Millikin went on to successfully command the 13th Armored Division through the end of the European Campaign. General Middleton retired after the war and returned to LSU. The author surmises he was destined for greater responsibility had he remained in the Army but...? He became president of LSU in 1951 and expanded the University. General Gerow was promoted to General and helped strengthen the Army education system.. He served as the Virginia election campaign manager for his friend General Eisenhower in 1952. General Eddy was promoted to Lieutenant General and his last command was the newly activated Seventh Army in Germany. With the exceptions of Ridgway and Collins these men are overshadowed by their seniors in WWII, Eisenhower, Bradley, Patton, Hodges, and Montgomery. But it was Middleton, Gerow, Millikin, Eddy, Collins and Ridgway who won the fight in the Battle of the Bulge!
If you are a serious student of World War II this is a book you should read. It is superb!
October 6, 2020
Just when you thought that there couldn't be another useful book on the Battle of the Bulge, Professor Harold Winton proves us wrong with this fine portrait of the battle that focuses on the way it was commanded by the six American corps commanders who were involved: Gerow, Middleton, Ridgeway, Milikin, Eddy and Collins. This emphasis on what Winton calls "the middle level of command" allows us to see the battle as it developed operationally and provides the reader with perhaps the clearest and most understandable narrative of the Battle of the Bulge ever written. Winton helpfully divides the history of the battle into three phases and covers the activities and decisions of the officers in each phase: their relationships with their superiors and subordinates, what tactical demands the battle placed on them, and even how they held up physically and psychologically. Since the book also includes brief biographies of those officers, Winton is able to evaluate the effectiveness of how the US Army educated its officers for higher command between the World Wars - all six were CGSS and five of them were War College grads. Winton also takes the time to show the true role of allied air power in the battle. All in all, this book is a must-read for those who study the Battle of the Ardennes and the US Army in the Second World War.
One small sour note: either Dr. Winton or his editors at University Press of Kansas - a military history publisher of note - should have been aware that Marlborough was not at Waterloo (see p.160).
One small sour note: either Dr. Winton or his editors at University Press of Kansas - a military history publisher of note - should have been aware that Marlborough was not at Waterloo (see p.160).
November 22, 2020
I enjoyed Winton's study of the six American generals during the 1944 Battle of the Bulge. Those generals were Leonard T. Gerow, Troy H. Middleton, Matthew B. Ridgway, John Milliken, Manton S. Eddy, and J. Lawton Collins. Winton has done a good job of weaving their roles and actions into those of Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, and Montgomery, along with individual division commanders. The layout of each chapter includes analysis and "Some Closing Observations", which helped me to gain even more understanding of the decisions and leadership abilities of these generals.
Winton's book filled a gap in my understanding of events after Montgomery's failed Operation Market-Garden of September 1944, and up to and including the Battle of the Bulge. His book will be included in my reference materials when I teach on leadership and decision making, and it has spurred further interest in studying the lives of the six generals.
Winton's book filled a gap in my understanding of events after Montgomery's failed Operation Market-Garden of September 1944, and up to and including the Battle of the Bulge. His book will be included in my reference materials when I teach on leadership and decision making, and it has spurred further interest in studying the lives of the six generals.
January 7, 2013
Military history is not for everyone, but if it interests you, then I highly recommend this book. It is at once an exceptional work of scholarship and accessible historical narrative. I was especially impressed with the clarity of Winton's narrative organization. He presents the history, the biography, and his critical analysis of each commander's performance in such logical order that the reader is easily able to follow and to understand the complexities of what was one of the largest and most complex battles of the Second World War.
December 11, 2012
This book really consists of two parts. The first part goes thru the history of the 6 American generals who commanded corps during the Battle of the Bulge (WWII).
The second part looks at the fighting and command decisions of each of the 6 during the actual battle.
I felt this was a very good book with a great deal of attention focused on what it is to command. The author reviews each of the commanders for each of his time slices and rates their command decisions.
The maps are so so.
The second part looks at the fighting and command decisions of each of the 6 during the actual battle.
I felt this was a very good book with a great deal of attention focused on what it is to command. The author reviews each of the commanders for each of his time slices and rates their command decisions.
The maps are so so.
September 15, 2023
A rare look at the upper-middle level of American leadership in this battle. The period after 26 December is not ignored, either, which often happens.
Changing to 5 stars on 2nd read, 2019.
2023: reading as background during long game of "Last Blitzkrieg"
Changing to 5 stars on 2nd read, 2019.
2023: reading as background during long game of "Last Blitzkrieg"
March 22, 2015
Good book. New view of the battle from the corps commanders level.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews