This book was originally published in 2007, but I only read it just recently, in preparation of my latest battlefield tour of the Ardennes. I can highly recommend that you read this if you are interested in the Battle of the Bulge. And since you’re on this website, I am assuming you are very interested in this important battle.

I have learned quite a bit from it that I didn’t know yet. In Band of Brothers, you just see those poor infantrymen walking up to the Easy Company guys, dropping all their kit. They are almost written off as inexperienced troops who were expecting some peace and quiet on R&R in the Ardennes, but instead got run over by the Germans.

For sure, the German counter offensive came as a surprise, and indeed these men weren’t considered to be on the front line, but at least in the Bastogne area, the soldiers that were relieved by the 101st had fought long and bravely in bitter conditions. The men of the 28th Infantry Division, whom this book centers on, had first seen hell in the Hürtgen forest, only to be hit again in Luxembourg and Belgium. These brave men held off the Germans long enough for the Allies to get reorganized.

Mc Manus doesn’t focus on the paratroopers in this book, but of course they do play a big part in it. The one surprise for me was that McAuliffe, whose jeep rode well ahead of the column only arrived in Bastogne by chance. And an even bigger surprise is that his unit found him there. Because MPs directing the traffic were not aware of the change of plans. The 101st had originally been assigned to Werbomont, on the North Western side of the Bulge. That is were the 82nd would end up.

So, go ahead and read it for yourself! And stay tuned for more book reviews.