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Title: Hitler's Last Gamble: The Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945 by Trevor N. Dupuy, David L. Bongard, Richard C., Jr. Anderson ISBN: 0-06-016627-4 Publisher: Harpercollins Pub. Date: 01 November, 1994 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.14 (7 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Recognizes the Polish Success in Cracking the German Code
Comment: Although this book is about the Battle of the Bulge, it also presents other war-related factual information that few readers are likely to know about. Specifically, (pp. 372-373) it calls attention to the fact that it was Polish mathematicians who cracked the German "Enigma" code. Dupuy also correctly points out that no other Allied nation had come close to cracking it.
Rating: 2
Summary: It takes a labor of love to finish reading this book.
Comment: I love to read nearly anything and everything I can find about WW2 history. This was one of those rare instances, however, where I picked up a book, read about half of it, then put it back down never to finish it. I just couldn't force myself to read any more.
Although the Battle of the Bulge is without a doubt one of the more interesting episodes of the war, and Dupuy provides a detailed account, in my opinion he's just a little too detailed. This book is written for someone who has a little more serious interest in mind than just an amateur historian such as myself. It is dry and choppy in its presentation. The thing that I found most distracting was the frequent digressions into mini-biographies every time a new general or other major figure was introduced to the narrative.
For example, a division commander is mentioned for the first time, and immediately the author cuts to a two page synopsis of the man's life and military career. He then abruptly shifts back to the main narrative after having led the reader on a merry rabbit chase. And he does this over and over and over again. Very hard to read unless you're a person who likes that sort of thing. I'm not one of those, and would not recommend this to anyone who is not a bit more serious student of WW2.
Rating: 3
Summary: A meticulous and detailed account of the famous battle.
Comment: In their preface, the authors recount how this book initially came about from a research project for the US Army. Seeking a way to validate a computer combat simulation model, the authors focused on the Battle of the Bulge (which they go on to point out was really more a campaign than a single battle), as it was the only modern combined arms engagement on which they had sufficient detailed statistical and historical data available.
As a result the book reads as just that, a research project. The various movements, dispositions, strengths, weaknesses and so on of each unit are painstakingly recorded. Blow by blow accounts of every engagement, action and battle during the campaign are presented, almost down to platoon and squad level in some cases. The odd combat anecdote or portrait of a commanding general are thrown in here and there. The latter are interesting enough to make you wish the authors had spent more time on the personalities involved in the battle. SS General Sepp Dietrich's misgivings beforehand (which only appear as a footnote here) certainly hint at unexplored possibilities.
In spite of all that, the wealth of detail somehow weaves together and at the end you'll come away with a far greater understanding of the battle than when you started. As it stays away from cliche or from spending inordinate attention on the more well known events of the battle (i.e. the "Nuts" incident) the sober, impartial and objective narrative is certainly effective in dispelling any "illusions" or misconceptions you may have had. At the same time, possibly the most obvious preconception is reinforced, i.e. that the Germans had almost no hope of succeeding.
3 stars I think is justified, in that the book succeeds in what it sets out to do in presenting a scholarly, academic analysis of the Battle of the Bulge. For that reason, it will appeal to those with a serious interest in military history and the Second World War and is a worthy addition to the existing body of work on the Battle of the Bulge. However, a little more detail on the background of the campaign and, as mentioned above, on those involved could have only improved this book. Those seeking a page-turner should approach with caution.
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Title: Battle of the Bulge : Saint Vith (Battleground Europe) by Michael Tolhurst ISBN: 1580970168 Publisher: Combined Publishing Pub. Date: 01 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Miracle at Midway by Gordon William Prange ISBN: 0140068147 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1983 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Battle: The Story of the Bulge by John Toland ISBN: 0803294379 Publisher: University of Nebraska Press Pub. Date: 01 March, 1999 List Price(USD): $17.84 |
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