Ardennes 1944: Hitler's Last Gamble

On 16 December 1944 Hitler launched his last gamble in the snow-covered forests and gorges of the Ardennes on the Belgian/German border. Although Hitlers generals were doubtful of success younger officers and NCOs were desperate to believe that their homes and families could be saved from the vengeful Red Army approaching from the east. The Ardennes offensive with more than a million men involved became the greatest battle of the war in western Europe.In January 1945 when the Red Army launched its onslaught towards Berlin the once-feared German war machine was revealed to be broken beyond repair. The Ardennes was the battle which finally broke the Wehrmacht. Review This isWorld War II as Tolstoy would have described it - the great and the small ―Washington Post (on The Second World War)Rightly deserves its place on the shelves of any serious historian of the Second World War. Powerful and authoritative . .. Beevor weaves a masterful narrative based on the viewpoints of a vast range of people. Marshalling a coherent narrative out of an unwieldy sequence of localised attacks counterattacks deceptions and feints demands the attention of a master military historian.In Antony Beevor the Ardennes offensive has found one ―Military History Monthly (Book of the Month)What leaves a lasting impression is the huge power the American army as a whole mustered to smash back the Germans.A superpower was being born ―Bookseller Interview with Antony BeevorIf youre a fan of Beevors workfind some space on your bookshelf for this one. If youve never read him before start here and work your way back - its history nerd heaven! ―History of War MagazineUnflinching. AsArdennes 1944 makes clear Hitler misjudged the strength and resilience of the US army. It was his last gamble and it failed ―ProspectWhat stands out most . . . is the effects of violent warfare. By the end of the counteroffensive the snowfields were littered with frozen corpses and the wreckage of hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles ―Literary ReviewA superb addition to the canon which has taken us from Stalingrad to Normandy in 1944 and the final gruesome battle for Berlin not forgetting the masterly single-volume history of the entire war. It is written with all of Beevors customary verve and elegance. His remarkable and trademark ability is to encompass the wide sweep of campaigns yet never forget the piquant details of what happened to the individual . . . He focuses brilliantly on the key moments that turned the battle ―Evening StandardAs impeccably researched insightfully observed and superbly written as its bestselling predecessors -- Charlotte Heathcote ―Sunday ExpressRich in detail and drama. Enthralling ―Mail on SundayIf theres one thing that sets Beevor apart from other historians - beyond his gifts as a storyteller - its that he is not afraid to look at the most uncomfortable even frightening subjects but does so in a way that doesnt threaten the reader. Its like having Virgil there to lead you through the underworld: he doesnt leave you stranded amid the horror but leads you back again a wiser person for having undergone the journey -- Keith Lowe ―Daily TelegraphAn indispensable book. It is a great strength of Beevors writing that he takes time to explain how small pieces of knowledge - the kind of thing passed on by battle-hardened soldiers themselves - could make the difference between survival and a futile death -- David Aaronovitch ―The TimesBeevor weaves a brilliant narrative out of all this drama. As in his previous books his gifts are strongest in focusing on telling details from different perspectives . . .A vital historical insight -- Mark Urban ―Sunday TimesA portrait of war . . . startling in its detail. Beevor has the art of preserving the individual perspective on the battlefield while placing it among the perspectives of platoon re