The Battle of The Bulge [Paperback]

Stephen W. Sears (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

In the middle of December 1944, at a time when most people thought Germany was finished, the German army launched a surprise attack against the American army in Belgium. Thousands of crack troops and large numbers of tanks breached the thin American lines and drove deep into Belgium. The Battle of the Bulge would be a brutal, bloody struggle in a dismal winter landscape against an enemy imbued with Adolf Hitler's fanatic conviction that victory could be snatched from defeat. Before it ended, the Battle of the Bulge would involve over a million men and thousands of guns, tanks and other fighting vehicles. In that dark December, fighting both bitter winter storms and a grim and determined enemy, the American soldier faced his greatest challenge in the European war.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: I Books (February 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743493338
• ISBN-13: 978-0743493338
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,202,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent illustrated history of the Battle of the Bulge, January 8, 2004

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Battle of the Bulge (Hardcover)

When I was reading Stephen W. Sears' book on "The Battle of the Bulge" for the American Heritage Junior Library it suddenly dawned on me that if it was not for this last gasp counterattack by the German army in December of 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt might have lived to see the fall of Nazi Germany. Christrose, the first chapter of this volume, has Hitler making the case for his counteroffensive, explaining the twisted logic by which the Sixth Panzer Army would take Antwerp and the Fifth Panzer Army would move on Brussels during the worst weather in Europe in fifty years. Hitler was convinced that the Americans, fighting 3,000 miles from home, would accept a negotiated surrender and go home, especially once Hitler started using his rocket weapons. Laying out the entire scheme in all its psychotic glory certainly gives young readers insights into Hitler and his hold on the German people and military. Sears also makes it clear that this German offensive was in many ways as much of a surprise as the attack on Pearl Harbor, especially since the Allies were preparing a massive drive to the Rhine River to break the back of Nazi resistance on the Western Front.

The next chapters in the book are devoted to the initial breakthrough by the German army, the Allied fight for time, the celebrated siege of Bastogne, and the pivotal find at the Meuse. The final pair of chapters look at the long road back, as the Allied armies reclaimed the ground they had lost, and the legacy of the Battle of the Ardennes (its "real" name) as the final failure of the Nazi dream of world conquest. The narrative by Sears is reinforced by battlefield photographs, as well as sketches and paintings, telling the story of the greatest and fiercest battle of World War II for the U.S. Army. Sears characterizes this as the strongest challenge of the European war, although that seems a bit overstated given D-Day. But having grown up on the movie version of "The Battle of the Bulge," and about to watch "Band of Brothers" for the second time, I could really appreciate the way Sears gives a clear sense of structure to the battle so that young readers can appreciate what was happening from both sides, if they can just track down this volume. These American Heritage Junior Library volumes really stand the time and hard to beat just in terms of the illustrations.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A short interesting summary of an American victory., November 14, 2008

By 

Kevin M Quigg (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: BATTLE OF THE BULGE (Paperback)

I think this is a good beginning to a complex battle. Sears is a prominent historian who has detailed the planning, strategy, and actual battle. Due to its short length, I think Eisenhower or Toland's book better details the actual battle. However this a good book to start with and Sears gives the basic on what happened in this month long battle. Hitler gambled and lost, and his regime came to an early end due to this roll of the dice.

This is an OK read of a complex battle. However it is an easy read for those interested in World War II.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stirring account of a great victory for American GIs, August 8, 2005

By 

Lucius (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Battle of The Bulge (Paperback)

This is a short. easy read that never strays far from its title subject. I recommend The Battle.... for its clarity and concise description of personalities and events.