It was the greatest single battle the U.S. Army ever fought. More than a million GIs were involved and nearly 80;000 became casualties. The Allied generals had to rally beaten; dispirited troops in the face of an attack they had never dreamed possible.A study in command; from generals to squad leaders; The Bitter Woods follows von Runstedt; Dietrich; and of course Hitler; as closely as the Americans. As son of the supreme commander Dwight D. Eisenhower; a West Point graduate; a retired Army brigadier general; and a military historian; John Eisenhower is uniquely qualified to tell how the Allied generals (nearly all of whom he knew personally) met Hitler's challenge; how the two armies fought fiercely in the Ardennes from December 1944 to January 1945; and how the Allied victory broke the back of Nazi aggression.
#1319361 in Books 2001-06-30Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 1.54 x 6.38 x 9.53l; #File Name: 0304352829384 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A giant among heroesBy Julian CribbWhat an astonishing man was Cochrane - head and shoulders above most of the other heroes of his age; but not as lionised as; say Nelson or Wellington; because he was a radical and a reformer and made the establishment feel uncomfortable. Victor of a hundred naval fights; hound of the corrupt; liberator of Chile; Peru; Brazil and Greece - not many can put that on their CV. In then end; of course; the bad guys got him by smearing him (undeservedly) with rigging the stock exchange; gaoling him; throwing him out of the Navy and setting him on his career as liberator of oppressed and exploited colonial nations; where he is remembered far more kindly than in Britain. He was a man who thought large; whether about scientific innovation or the issues of nationhood. He was relentless in his pursuit of justice; for others as well as himself. He was also; at times; magnificently crazy: having spent most of his life fighting Napoleon he plots at the end to make the exiled emperor head of a 'united states of south america'. How different would world history have been had Napoleon; inconveniently; not died. There are several good biogs of Cochrane; but in my view this one is the best for enjoyable readability and bringing this exceptional man to vivid life in an age that has all but forgotten him.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The exploits of Thomas Cochrane are very nearly unbelievable and ...By Suzanne PaulsenThe exploits of Thomas Cochrane are very nearly unbelievable and for avid readers of OBrien's Master and Commander series; this true life inspiration for those stories is an intense pleasure to read. In fact; it makes you wonder why O'Brien didn't include ALL of the adventures. He did; after all; have twenty volumes drawn from Cochrane.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Amazing story of an English Naval Hero nobody knows.By DonThe book came from a reference made in a Sharpe's novel by Bernard Cornwell. The book as well written; truly interesting reading for history buffs. It is an eye opening review of the political environment of the very early 1800 hundreds; the adventures of a daring and fearless English sea captain; and a story of the political cronyism and theft in the Admiralty at the time.
