Battle of the Bulge
15 Jun 05

The Battle of the Bulge was one of the most important and savage battles of World War Two. It was certainly America's largest and most crucial land battle, involving half a million men. Battle of the Bulge: Hitler's Final Gamble tells the story of the people and armies, plans and strategies, furious fighting and heavy losses (300,000 casualties), and how close Hitler came to being successful.

In the late autumn of 1944, despite the relative failure of the Arnhem operation, the Allied armies were poised to smash the Siegfried Line and invade the Third Reich. The vital port of Antwerp was at last disgorging supplies. The ULTRA (Bletchley Park) code-breakers were producing many clues about renewed German troop movements, but a feeling of complacency persuaded Eisenhower and Montgomery to relax.

Out of the blue, Hitler's superbly well concealed Panzer armies struck in the Ardennes in mid-December. Thick fog and low cloud prevented air reconnaissance. English-speaking German commandos in captured jeeps created immense panic. American divisions were surrounded and captured. It was, with Pearl Harbour, one of the most dramatic moments of World War Two. It was touch and go whether Hitler's plan to recapture Antwerp and divide and cut off half the Allied armies in Belgium and Holland would succeed.

Published to mark the 60th anniversary of this titanic struggle in the harsh winter of 1944/5, this fascinating book contains many new and unusual features including: scores of individual stories by American, British and German combatants in the Ardennes battle, photographs, battle plans and 20 battlefield sketches by American war artists. Patrick Delaforce's new book is a valuable contribution to any World War Two bookshelf.

	Battle of the Bulge: Hitler’s Final Gamble
	Author	Patrick Delaforce
	Pub Date	1 November 2004
	Price	£19.99
	Publisher	Longman
	ISBN	058278493X
		Click here for further information or to purchase Battle of the Bulge: Hitler’s Final Gamble.

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