No Silent Night
The Christmas Battle For Bastogne
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4.3 • 15 Ratings
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
On Christmas morning, 1944, there was little reason to celebrate.…
As the Battle of the Bulge raged, a small force of American solders—including the famed 101st Airborne division, tank destroyer crews, engineers, and artillerymen—was completely surrounded by Hitler’s armies in the Belgian town of Bastogne. Taking the town was imperative to Hitler’s desperate plan to drive back the Allies and turn the tide of the war. The attack would come just before dawn.
As the outnumbered, undersupplied Americans gathered in church for services or shivered in their snow-covered foxholes on the fringes of the front lines, freshly reinforced German forces of men and tanks attacked. The battle was up close and personal, with the cold, exhausted soldiers of both armies fighting for every square foot of frozen earth.
In the end, the Allied forces would hold the town of Bastogne, with the hard-won victory boosting morale and sounding the death-knell for Hitler’s Third Reich. After this battle, the Nazis would never go on the offensive again.
Featuring interviews with the soldiers who were there, as well as never-before-seen or translated documents, No Silent Night is a compelling chronicle of one day that changed the course of the war—and the world.
INCLUDES NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PHOTOS AND MAPS
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In a thoroughly researched, densely packed WWII study, historian/military instructor Barron and history teacher/ex-journalist Cygan explore the battle of Bastogne, a key point in the decisive Battle of the Bulge. Utilizing first-hand reports and participant interviews alongside extensive work in secondary sources they recreate the days leading up to Germany's doomed, last-ditch Wacht am Rhein offensive, as well as the battle itself, from the perspective of a vast array of participants from both sides. Part textbook study, part military narrative, the book achieves an almost literary quality in dramatized scenes that draws from both recorded conversations and the language of official orders. At some points, the authors try too hard to be comprehensive, causing the narrative to bog down in the sheer wealth of information. In general, though, the in-depth coverage of this historic battle succeeds in painting a colorful, realistic picture of how an all-or-nothing gamble by Hitler turned into a "climactic showdown" for both sides. This may very well be an authoritative work on the subject, yet one that reads more like an action-packed adventure than a scholarly tome.
Customer Reviews
No Silent Night
An excellent read, my compliments to the authors. Highly recommended.
Excellent gift for Veterans
If you are still looking for a great gift to a Veteran of World War II, this would be an excellent choice. Well researched and competently written.