Lost Battalions [Paperback]

Franz Steidl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 2001

The story of two World War II battalions--one German, one American--each cut off behind enemy lines in the same forest at the same time, and the heroic efforts to save them--Infantry Magazine

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA. Many books discuss the internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II. Few, however, detail the bravery of the thousands of Nisei who volunteered for service in the U.S. Army. Although this book is not specifically about the Nisei, it covers their participation in the campaign that would make their regiment the most decorated unit in American history. In the fall of 1944, the Allies were driving hard and the Germans were falling back on all fronts. A stand was made by the Germans in the rugged terrain of the Vosges Mountains, where fighting was bitter and intense. The Nisei are not examined in a vacuum, but in conjunction with the actions of other units, both American and German. Much of the book is based on official reports and thus confusing to follow, yet it has numerous personal letters, citations for valor, and interviews that bring the participants to life. A title that will be useful for both students researching the war and those who wish to explore how people can rise above adversity to achieve lasting fame and glory.?Robert Burnham, R. E. Lee High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Franz Steidl served as an infantry platoon leader during the Vietnam War and is an expert on militaryoperations from the small-unit perspective.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Presidio Press (January 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891417273
• ISBN-13: 978-0891417279
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1.5 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,066,042 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The research invloved in this book is fantastic., September 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lost Battalions: Going for Broke in the Vosges, Autumn 1944 (Hardcover)

Having been one of the men rescued, there is no way we can thank the men of 442 for their heroic efforts. The American press ignored the fact that they were Japanese- Americans. Unfortunately, it is only of late we became aware of the casualties, killed and wounded, suffered in releasing us. It is my beleif they were one of the finest combat units that fought in Europe. The book is extremely well written.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good history of a neglected campaign., June 9, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Lost Battalions: Going for Broke in the Vosges, Autumn 1944 (Hardcover)

Mesmerized by the breakout from Normandy and the race to the Rhine, the world hardly seemed to notice the U.S. Seventh and French First Armies' sweep up the Rhone Valley, miscalled by some a "cakewalk". If that term seemed to apply to their rapid advance during the first weeks after the Riviera landings, it quickly lost meaning when the German Nineteenth fortified the Vosges Mountains for one of the hardest-fought battles of the European Theater.
This well told history recounts that largely unknown struggle, concentrating on two "lost battalions", one German, the other the 141st "Alamo Regiment" of the 36th (Texas) Division, which was rescued by the heroic 442nd RCT, which was composed of Japanese-Americans and was the most-decorated unit of the U.S. Army.
Based on many interviews, and with photos, maps, and appendices, this is a worthwhile addition to the scarce literature of the Vosges Campaign.
(The numerical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What They Never Told You In History Class, November 30, 1999

By 

Dean T. Ochi (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lost Battalions: Going for Broke in the Vosges, Autumn 1944 (Hardcover)

Throughout the last fifty years since the end of World War II there have been many accounts of the many battles fought and the people who fought them. There is one group which is almost always left out. The 442nd RCT. This group of Americans fought some of the bloodiest battles in the war. This book truly places the stellar record of the men of the 442nd in the history books. I gives me a new found respect for these men and the job that they did through what must have been tremendous pressure to succeed. Some of these men I know personally and have the utmost respect for the job that they did. It makes me proud to be an American. This book really does them justice in a time of great injustice. This is one to pass down to the next generation.