Customer Reviews

The Battle of the Bulge: The Losheim Gap / Holding the Line (Stackpole Military History Series)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This volume combines two books that Hans Wijers self-published around 1999. They can now be had much more cheaply in this compact, easy to find, combined format. Both parts deal with the crucial fighting during the first days on the north sector of the December 1944 German offensive in the Ardennes.

They are based on accounts from veterans, after-action reports, and rare secondary sources. This makes the volume valuable to those who know something of the course of the campaign, and can thus benefit from the color and detail provided. However, this would be a poor introduction to the subject of the Battle of the Bulge, since the bigger picture is never shown or explained. Still, someone who enjoys action-filled accounts could read this volume, and then consult the listed sources in order to learn an overview of the battle.

While this volume and the companion Volume 2 are not essential reading, they are valuable supplements to the body of literature on the Battle of the Bulge.

i,ve just finished reading the battle of the bulge book, found it a superb read, also the photo,s are fantastic. iv,e got extensive knowledge in this particular field, been to the ardennes five times and have visited most of the sites mentionded in the book.

Normally Stackpole books are of good quality. But in this case, the writing is poor...the author obviously has relied very heavy on Herbert Cole's book for sourcing...the use of maps very poorly done... and the writing dull and uninteresting.

A better choice is "The Key to the Bulge" ... much better written and has reasonable map support.