Battle: the Story of the Bulge by TOLAND JOHN

ISBN: 0739403079

Author: TOLAND JOHN

Condition: new

In December 1944, the snow-blanketed forests of the Ardennes were a resting place, a quiet sector where exhausted American veterans and raw recruits gathered strength, or courage, for the fight ahead. But on the morning o December 16th, 25 crack German divisions hit the front line with a sledgehammer blow. It would be called the largest American land battle of World War II. But for thousands of GIs, the Battle of the Bulge was hundreds of small and lonely struggles, fought with terrified determination by musicians, cooks and clerks who suddenly found themselves guarding the front lines. In the end, it was the inestimable courage and skill of these scattered defenders that blunted the onslaught, dooming what would be Hitler's greatest - and last - gamble. In researching this book, author John Toland spent over two years interviewing more than 1,000 people in 10 countries. He spoke to survivors from both sides of the conflict - officers, grunts and civilians - and came away with a fresh and vivid perspective. In this unforgettable account, John Toland brings unparalleled insight and harrowing realism to the battle that pushed the Allies to the edge of disaster.