Customer Reviews

Raid!: The Untold Story of Patton's Secret Mission

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My father was a member of the reconn platoon on this raid. He received the Silver Star for action taken at the railroad yards at Gemunden. To read the book and picture my father there is beyond words. When Capt. Baum shouted, "Every man for himself," my father hid with three other men and were able to evade the Germans and travel back the 60 miles to allied lines, on foot, without maps, stealing whatever they could eat from farmer's barns. It took them 7 days to do that. A picture should be made of one of Patton's biggest mistakes of WWII. What all those men went through was unbelievable and they should be honored.

Raid! Is a super good true story about the "hair-brained" mission to sent a special task force consisting of 50 vehicles and 280-300 men, with no air support and no additional ground support, 60 miles behind enemy lines to liberate 300 American officers at a German POW camp, inwhich one of the officers is General Patton's son-in-law. Without giving away the story, this book is full of action that will keep you at the edge of yor seat. Once started, it will be hard to put down. This book is right in line with George Wilson's book "If You Survive". Both books are really good and have alot of action at a small price.

As some of the previous reviewers have noted, this book reads like a novel. However it is true and 297 GIs were either killed, wounded, or captured due to Patton wanting to free his son in law John Waters from a POW camp behind enemy lines. Patton was a controversial general, and this action was very controversial. Patton basically risked the lives of 297 men in order to save one man who was not in danger of death anyway.
The commander who conducted the raid wrote most of this book, along with two other participants. The writing is good in places, especially where Baum is describing the action. It seems to me the other two authors also wrote sections of this book, and perhaps their writing was not as good as Baum's. The action is a thrill and reads like a novel. Baron's description of the POWs is less interesting and wanders at time.
Altogether a great read about an unbelievable battle of World War II. Highly recommended just for the content.

An engaging true story that made you feel like you were along with them...deep behind enemy lines in Germany during WWII. I didn't even know this book was written until very recently, and it captivated me. My father was one of a group of four who made it back safely without being captured. Three others made it back too, but the authors do not detail this. Read this book...before someone makes a movie from it.

This book is very insightful, and interseting. It keeps you wandering throughout the whole book what is going to happen next. It is extremely well written, and very fun to read. An overall great book! ( <>..<> )

Very interesting story, couldn't put the book down till I finished. I will recommend that everyone who likes Patton to read this book. Thank you.

Karen Kay Ullom

The book does read like a novel as many have already commented. My primary gripe is the book bogs down quite a bit at the start as it provides the biography of each of the main characters. So the reader is really grinding away on the bios before the story begins. Once the story begins, however, this is a very gripping true tale. Abe Baum and his team are definitely heroes for what they did and attempted to do. These mass-market paperbacks tend to be excellent values. The price is right and the publishers have usually separated the wheat from the chaff when selecting what to publish.

This is one of the great unknown stories of WW 2. A courageous strike behind German lines to try and rescue Patton's son in law, lead by an intrepid task force commander, Capt Abe Baum. Resulted in freeing a number of POW'S, but not Patton's son in law, who was wounded and could not be moved. Baum was severely wounded as were a number of his very brave men.
The book would make a wonderful motion picture!

This is a very well written book about a true hero of WWII. Could not put this book down. This would make a great movie!!!

what a story about a great american hero. A must read for all Military Historians.