Customer Reviews

A Teen's War: Training, Combat, Capture

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This is a highly readable account of one man's experiences of the Battle of the Bulge and his imprisonment at the hands of the Germans. Nothing beats a firsthand account when wanting to learn more about great events. This is no exception.
Not only does the author do a great job of describing his training, and baptism of fire in the first few days of the `Bulge,' but also paints a picture of the confusion, fear and the bravery of he and his fellow G.I.s.
The 106th was not a ragtag mob but a well-trained outfit that fought hard and fought well even when faced with an overwhelming force and poor intelligence. One particular point that I found fascinating was the defiance of the surrendered men. So many tried to buck their officers' order to give up. They wanted to fight. Especially poignant was Mr. Taylor's description of the final attempt to retake Schoenberg by his fellow Golden Lions. As he described it, "My unit had a grandstand seat watching a scene of pure hell."
His details of POW life provided a real insight into the human condition and what men have to do to survive.
I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to know more about the real story of the Battle of the Bulge and its aftermath.