description: “This is undoubtedly the greatest American battle of the war, and will, I believe, be regarded as an ever famous American victory.” Winston ChurchillOn 16 December 1944, the German army launched their last of their attacks against the Allied forces.With the American forces off guard the German offensive surged through the Ardennes for a last-ditch attempt to win the war on the Western Front.Robert E. Merriam, a soldier who witnessed the battle, pieces together a step by step account of what occurred from the planning undertaken by the German High Command, to the initial engagement and encirclement of the Allied troops through to the counter-offensive that devastated the German forces.Merriam spent much time wandering from the front-lines to the corps headquarters, listening, noting, and talking with men who were attempting to stem this sudden German tide. These first-hand accounts, along with numerous battle records, form the basis of Merriam’s fascinating work Dark December .“Dark December occupies a distinguished place among war books. Every paragraph is based upon evidence, not flimsy wartime rumors. Technical enough for the professional, accurate enough for the historian (in fact, it is history of the best), it is lucid and understandable for the general reader.” New York Herald Tribune“If other veterans of the Army’s historical division can maintain Mr. Merriam’s high standard of stimulating, critical and painstaking work, we will be fortunate. Dark December can be heartily recommended to anyone faintly interested in the war.” New York Times“The book explodes a number of myths which have been winning their improper way into general belief.” Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., BooklistDark The Full Account of the Battle of the Bulge is essential reading for anyone interested in World War Two and the most famous battle of the Western Front.Robert E. Merriam was a captain in the United States Army from 1942 to 1964. Dark The Full Account of the Battle of the Bulge was first published in 1947. He spent a number of years in politics, including three years as deputy assistant to the president under Dwight D. Eisenhower. He passed away in 1988.
language: English
title: The Battle Of The Ardennes
titlecomplete: The Battle Of The Ardennes (Fortunes of War)
genres: War, Nonfiction, Military History, Military Fiction, History, World War II
ratings_count: 721
publisher: Cerberus Pub