From Booklist
The author of
The Bedford Boys [BKL My 1 03] limns another group portrait of a band of similar World War II soldiers, this time the intelligence and reconnaissance platoon of the 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. That green division came squarely in the path of the
Wehrmacht during the Battle of the Bulge, and that platoon was one of many small units that fought tenaciously to the bitter end. The whole platoon was captured, but only after they had held a crucial road junction long enough to seriously delay Joachim Pieper's SS battle group. More miraculously, all those captured, even the grievously wounded, survived the war; indeed, most were alive to receive decorations in 1980. The narrative moves from the GIs' combat experience at the Bulge to their POW experience until the closing days of the war, and Kershaw handles both combat and internment skillfully and respectfully. A good read for observing the sixtieth anniversary of the Bulge.
Roland GreenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"A concise and winning account...Those interested in military history will find much here that is pleasing and heretofore uncelebrated." --
San Francisco Chronicle 1/3/05"A heroic, inspiring story that deserves to be told." --
Washington Post Book World6/5/05"A riveting read." --
USA Today 1/19/05"A well-written book detailing the individual exploits of both American and German combatants." --
Curled Up With a Good Book 12/14/04"America's enemies would do well not to underestimate this [platoon's] sense of courage and duty." --
Wall Street Journal 12/7/04"Gripping and unsentimental....shows that valor comes in many forms." --
New York Sun 12/14/04
"Kershaw is a fantastic storyteller.... Anyone who enjoyed [his earlier book] The Bedford Boys would like this [too]" -- Army Magazine 12/04
"Kershaw recounts the story of the I&R Platoon in dramatic fashion...[and] puts a personal face on the action." -- Military.com February 2005
"The most intimate and detailed account yet published of eighteen men who stopped Hitler's last major offensive of the war." -- Manchester Journal 12/17/05
"This book is a must-read for anyone who wants a renewed sense of patriotism." -- Roanoke Times 12/05/04
See all Editorial Reviews