Ardennes 1944: Hitler's Last Gamble

By Antony Beevor

Book Overview

The prizewinning historian and bestselling author of D-Day , Stalingrad , and The Battle of Arnhem reconstructs the Battle of the Bulge in this riveting new account On December 16, 1944, Hitler launched his 'last gamble' in the snow-covered forests and gorges of the Ardennes in Belgium, believing he could split the Allies by driving all the way to Antwerp and forcing the Canadians and the British out of the war. Although his 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. Many were exultant at the prospect of striking back. The allies, taken by surprise, found themselves fighting two panzer armies. Belgian civilians abandoned their homes, justifiably afraid of German revenge. Panic spread even to Paris. While some American soldiers, overwhelmed by the German onslaught, fled or surrendered, others held on heroically, creating breakwaters which slowed the German advance. The harsh winter conditions and the savagery of the battle became comparable to the Eastern Front. In fact the Ardennes became the Western Front's counterpart to Stalingrad. There was terrible ferocity on both sides, driven by desperation and revenge, in which the normal rules of combat were breached. The Ardennes--involving more than a million men--would prove to be the battle which finally broke the back of the Wehrmacht. In this deeply researched work, with striking insights into the major players on both sides, Antony Beevor gives us the definitive account of the Ardennes offensive which was to become the greatest battle of World War II.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670025313
• ISBN13: 9780670025312
• Release Date: November 2015
• Publisher: Viking
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 1.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.2" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Fair minded and balanced

An excellent account of the Ardennes Offensive. I've read many a book about this campaign (the United States Army gives it campaign status; Alsace-Ardennes) so I'm always looking for a different approach. Mr. Beevor has a style that looks at the military situation in depth, but not to the point of overwhelming the reader with platoon and battalion movements. He mixes the unit histories with personal accounts, from both sides, and the civilians caught in the middle. All in all, a well written and refreshingly biased free account of one of the most famous battles/campaigns of the Second World War.