Alamo in the Ardennes: The Untold Story of the American Soldiers Who Made the Defense of Bastogne Possible

by John C. McManus

Overview

At last, here is a book that tells the full story of the turning point in World War II’s Battle of the Bulge—the story of five crucial days in which small groups of American soldiers, some outnumbered ten to one, slowed the German advance and allowed the Belgian town of Bastogne to be reinforced. Alamo in the Ardennes provides a compelling, day-by-day account of this pivotal moment in America's greatest war.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681620527
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	02/01/2007
Pages:	330
Sales rank:	532,175
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

John C. McManus is an award-winning professor, author, and military historian. His many books include The Deadly Brotherhood, Deadly Sky, September Hope, and Grunts. Visit him at johncmcmanus.com.

John Glouchevitch began honing his craft as a voice artist at age three, when to the dismay of his parents, he began to imitate the accents of their British family friends. Over the ensuing years he trained as an actor, improviser, and writer, eventually graduating with a BA in theater and English from Middlebury College.

Table of Contents

Preface xi Acknowledgments xiv Staff Positions in the U.S. Army xix Typical Unit Structure in the World War II U.S. Army xx Cast of Characters xxi Maps xxix Introduction 1
1 Before the Fury 7
2 Friday, December 15 29
3 Saturday, December 16 40
4 Sunday, December 17 84
5 Monday, December 18 133
6 Tuesday, December 19 171
7 Wednesday, December 20 233 Postscript 254 Notes 257 Photo Credits 281 Index 283

What People are Saying About This

Thomas Fleming

Will become one of the classics of the literature of World War II combat. (Thomas Fleming, author of The New Dealers' War)

Rick Atkinson

Comprehensive and vivid...John C. McManus has taken a great old story and made it new again. (Rick Atkinson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of An Army at Dawn)

Editorial Reviews

* The 101st Airborne's legendary defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge hinged on small groups of outnumbered American soldiers slowing the German advance, argues McManus in this spirited account of December 16–20, 1944, before the 101st arrived. By that time, Hitler knew that stopping the Russians was hopeless, but gambled that a crushing blow to the Allies might win a negotiated peace. His plan pivoted on the capture of Bastogne in two days, with German forces moving in fast before their advantage of surprise and local superiority in forces evaporated. Hitler believed American forces would crumble at the massive onslaught—and many units did flee or surrender. But McManus (The Americans at D-Day) makes an excellent case that victory came down to a dozen units battling against overwhelming odds until, after four days of brutal attrition, the remnants straggled into Bastogne to join the newly arrived 101st. Like all good niche military history, the book describes small unit actions in detail. Soldiers who ran away left few records, so almost everyone here fights bravely. By focusing on a less familiar period, McManus makes a modest but original contribution to the vast WWII literature. 20 b&w photos. (Mar.) (Publishers Weekly, January 1, 2007)

From the Publisher