Battle of the Bulge (Adapted for Young Readers from The Guns at Last Light)

by Rick Atkinson

Overview

December 16, 1944. In the frozen forests of the Ardennes, a surprise attack by the German army on American Allied forces launched the long, hard slog that was the Battle of the Bulge. Sir Winston Churchill called it "the greatest American battle of the war and . . . an ever-famous American victory."

In clear and accessible prose, World War II historian, Pulitzer Prize winner, and New York Times-bestselling author Rick Atkinson skillfully navigates the attacks, counterattacks, advances, and retreats of this terrible bloodbath. Whether history buffs or newcomers to the topic, young readers will appreciate the many fascinating facts, photographs, and statistics included in this book, and thrill in this real-life account of victory against all odds.

This thoroughly-researched and documented book can be worked into multiple aspects of the common core curriculum.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250079916
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	06/28/2016
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	NC1270L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Rick Atkinson is the bestselling author of the Liberation Trilogy—An Army at Dawn (winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History), The Day of Battle, and The Guns at Last Light—as well as The Long Gray Line and other books. His many additional awards include a Pulitzer Prize in journalism, a George Polk Award, and the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award. A former staff writer and senior editor at The Washington Post, he lives in Washington, D.C.

Table of Contents

List of Maps

The Siegfried Line Campaign, Sept. 11-Dec. 15, 1944 18

Battle of the Bulge, Dec. 16-25, 1944 40

Bastogne, Dec. 21-26, 1944 121

Map Legend vii

Allied and Axis Commands and Armies Engaged in the Battle of the Bulge viii

World War II Timeline x

Key Players xiv

A Note to Readers xvii

The European Theater: September 1939-November 1944 1

Hitler's Plan 6

Zero Day: December 16, 1944 46

War in the Raw 106

Epilogue 196

The End of the War 201

Charles De Gaulle 203

Changing the U.S. Draft Laws to Supply Reinforcements 204

U.S. Winter Battle Clothing 206

Radio Communications on the Battlefield 206

Tracks, Tanks, and Planes at the Battle of the Bulge 209

Napalm and Poison Gas 212

Winter Takes its Toll 213

"Kilroy was Here" 215

Horses, Mules, and Dogs of War 216

Signal Corps 217

Weapons Used by Infantry 219

Numbers Tell Part of the Story 221

Battle of the Bulge Timeline 223

Glossary 224

Places to Visit 227

For More Information 230

An Interview with Rick Atkinson 231

Discussion Questions 235

Excerpt from D-Day 239

Bibliography 247

Image Credits 247

Index 248

Editorial Reviews

You can't just tell kids that history is cool; you have to prove it, and Atkinson does.” —Steve Sheinkin, The New York Times Book Review on D-Day

“Atkinson seats readers at the secret meetings of the Allied commanders, ejects them with paratroopers over the foggy French countryside, puts them into landing craft to hear soldiers barf and exclaim, and sends them out to die bloodily on the beaches wracked with enemy fire . . . a grand and historically significant tale told with dash and authority.” —Kirkus Reviews on D-Day

From the Publisher