The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon FROM THE PUBLISHER
"It was a cold December morning in 1944, deep in the Ardennes forest of Belgium. Eighteen men of a small intelligence platoon commanded by twenty-year-old lieutenant Lyle Bouck were huddled in their foxholes, desperately trying to keep warm. Suddenly the early morning silence was broken by the roar of a huge artillery bombardment. Hitler had launched his bold and risky offensive against the Allies - his "last gamble" - and the American platoon was facing the main thrust of the entire German assault." "Vastly outnumbered, the platoon repulsed three German assaults in a fierce day-long battle to defend a strategically vital hill. Only when Bouck's men had run out of ammunition did they surrender." "But their long winter was just beginning." As POWs, Bouck's platoon experienced an ordeal far worse than combat - surviving in captivity with trigger-happy German guards, Allied bombing raids, and a starvation diet. While hundreds of other captured Americans in German POW camps were either killed or died of disease, the men of Bouck's platoon miraculously survived - all of them - and returned home after the war. More than thirty years later, when President Carter recognized the unit's "extraordinary heroism" and the U.S. Army approved combat medals for all eighteen men, they became America's most decorated platoon of World War II.
FROM THE CRITICS
Wall Street Journal
America's enemies would do well not to underestimate this
platoon's sense of courage and duty.
Roanoke Times
This book is a must-read for anyone who wants a renewed sense
of patriotism.
Army Magazine
Kershaw is a fantastic storyteller.... Anyone who enjoyed [his
earlier book The Bedford Boys would like this too.
New York Sun
Gripping and unsentimental....shows that valor comes in many
forms.
Library Journal
Though this book's subtitle is plainly overstated, there's no doubting the extraordinary heroism and pivotal contribution of the 394th Infantry Regiment's scout platoon in blunting the German advance during the opening hours of the Battle of the Bulge. The platoon's gallant stand has been chronicled in works like Charles MacDonald's A Time for Trumpets, but Kershaw (The Bedford Boys) relates the story of the platoon from its inception at Camp Maxey, TX, to its desperate fight at Lanzerath, Belgium, on December 16, 1944, as well as platoon members' subsequent experiences in captivity. Though the story itself is remarkable, the narrative is somewhat meandering and not entirely satisfying. A casual reader might well overlook the grammatically incorrect German phrases that the author liberally sprinkles throughout. However, this poor attention to detail surfaces elsewhere, as when the author incorrectly places Hammelburg, the site of the platoon's POW camp, 70 miles west of Frankfurt in the Rhone valley; misidentifies Generals Bradley, Montgomery, and Devers as army commanders; and credits the 2nd Division with originally preparing the scout platoon's fighting positions at Lanzerath. An optional purchase for public libraries.-Edward Metz, Combined Arms Research Lib., Ft. Leavenworth, KS Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Hitler's last desperate gamble - the Battle of the Bulge - might have changed history if not for the do-or-die heroism of eighteen brave American boys. General Eisenhower called their actions 'the most outstanding tactical maneuver in World War II.' The Longest Winter is their incredible tale. I highly recommend this moving story of uncommon valor. — (James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers and Flyboys)
The Longest Winter is a gripping saga about raw courage and superhuman endurance. Alex Kershaw recounts what it was like to fight against Nazi aggression at the Battle of the Bulge. A truly heroic book. — (Douglas Brinkley, Director of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at the University of New Orleans, and author of Tour of Duty)
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