Reviews for Battle: The Story of the Bulge

The average rating for Battle: The Story of the Bulge based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-11-17 00:00:00 Edwin Heywood A grisly story of a brutal battle, told well. A well-researched, carefully constructed chronicle of one of the most famous/infamous battles and, in many way, one of the final turning points in WWII in Europe. An impressive piece of military history told in the most human of terms. Much of the author's art is the ability to present the big (and I mean big) picture - from Hitler to Eisenhower - while presenting a broad range of perspectives - both axis and allied, from individual soldiers (and civilians) to sergeants, junior officers, and commanders of all types. (Granted, the reader's lens can blur, periodically, as you rush/flit/jump from squad, platoon, and company actions to foxholes and tank turrets and field hospitals and private homes and church cellars and airplanes and forests to table-top maps where battalions and divisions and armies are manipulated like board game pieces, and, well, you get the idea....) This isn't a new book, but I'm glad it finally made it to the top of my reading stack. It's an impressive example of what history can be, when a lot of hard work is pieced together into a coherent and digestible story that, while presenting an extraordinary amount of factual information, not only informs and enlightens but entertains. Military history geek note: At many points in the book, I was reminded of the iconic historical pieces from similar times/places by Cornelius Ryan, and so I was amused when Ryan actually made a cameo appearance late in the book. That was a fun bonus that I didn't see coming....

Review # 2 was written on 2015-09-04 00:00:00 Jan Schmelcher A book about the Battle of the Bulge, that reads like a movie script. This book, written in 1959, gives a broad overview of the actions that took place during the Battle of the Bulge. It is somehow a little one sided account of various witnesses (American and Belgian) about the battles but skips the details about the siege of Bastogne. Therefore, a good introduction to the battle, fast pacing and enjoyable, but will lack the detail that a more profound WWII buff reader will require.