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57th out of 555 books
—
644 voters
The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon
by
Alex Kershaw (Goodreads Author)
On a cold morning in December, 1944, deep in the Ardennes forest, a platoon of eighteen men under the command of twenty-year-old lieutenant Lyle Bouck were huddled in their foxholes trying desperately to keep warm. Suddenly, the early morning silence was broken by the roar of a huge artillery bombardment and the dreadful sound of approaching tanks. Hitler had launched his...more
Hardcover, 344 pages
Published
November 23rd 2004
by Da Capo Press
(first published January 1st 2004)
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A well written, very readable book about the extraordinary heroism of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance platoon of the 394th Infantry Regiment of the 99th Division at Lanzareth, Belgium. A book that should be read by anyone interested in the events of the the Battle of the Bulge and the sacrifices of young men at war.
Probably my favorite book so far this year.
The Longest Winter tells the story of an intelligence & reconnaissance platoon. Although they weren’t trained for defending fixed positions, they got stuck with that duty, and happened to be manning foxholes when the big German offensive came December 16, 1944. Twenty-two men held off hundreds of attacking German troops before running out of ammunition and being captured. They managed to stall part of the German advance for roughly a day, giving vi...more
The Longest Winter tells the story of an intelligence & reconnaissance platoon. Although they weren’t trained for defending fixed positions, they got stuck with that duty, and happened to be manning foxholes when the big German offensive came December 16, 1944. Twenty-two men held off hundreds of attacking German troops before running out of ammunition and being captured. They managed to stall part of the German advance for roughly a day, giving vi...more
A fascinating tale of heroism both on the largest front line of WWII and in the harrowing POW camps of Europe. I read Kershaw's "The Envoy" last year and it still stands as one of my favorite non-fiction books ever. That is a hard act to follow. "The Longest Winter" does get bogged down a bit in the sheer number of stories that it sets out to tell. Whenever you want to tell the story of an entire platoon, as well as the story of its German captors, I imagine it is an unavoidable problem. Even th...more
I was afraid this reading would be dry & riddled w/ a lot of military facts, dates, map coordinates, etc. It turned out to be anything but. It was informative w/o dragging & gave a lot of first hand perspective that didn't come off, in the least, as "Yay me!". I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It really highlights the superhuman effort of this military unit to stand their ground, carry out orders &, in hindsight, thwart the German objective to annihilate American forces in Belgium. It also sho...more
It really highlights the superhuman effort of this military unit to stand their ground, carry out orders &, in hindsight, thwart the German objective to annihilate American forces in Belgium. It also sho...more
A story of valor, excellent in the telling.
The accounts from WWII fill me with an admiration for the soldiers of my father's and uncles' generation. I have read quite a few stories dealing with the Bataan Death March (my father's story), D Day, the Holocaust, and others, but never specifically the Battle of the Bulge. The name was familiar from history classes ages ago, the story was not. To me the grunts, the nameless men out there fighting the battles of the generals and political leaders are...more
The accounts from WWII fill me with an admiration for the soldiers of my father's and uncles' generation. I have read quite a few stories dealing with the Bataan Death March (my father's story), D Day, the Holocaust, and others, but never specifically the Battle of the Bulge. The name was familiar from history classes ages ago, the story was not. To me the grunts, the nameless men out there fighting the battles of the generals and political leaders are...more
Having avoided being a participant in the Battle of the Bulge by only a few days, I found this book provides insights that active participants have long kept buried in their past. So this story of
an I&R Platoon at the Bulge, the capture and POW life of those boys next door who populated the
GIs of World War II.
Along the way, that knotty question of life, "Why Me?" gets the echoing answer discovered by many a guy in war, "Why Not Me?" If, somehow, the answer isn't clear, you might check the ne...more
an I&R Platoon at the Bulge, the capture and POW life of those boys next door who populated the
GIs of World War II.
Along the way, that knotty question of life, "Why Me?" gets the echoing answer discovered by many a guy in war, "Why Not Me?" If, somehow, the answer isn't clear, you might check the ne...more
For some reason, I just could not put this book down. I really liked it a lot. It is the story of one platoon's battle to hold off one arm of Germany's push into Allied territory during the Battle of the Bulge, and of what happened to the members of that platoon after most of them were captured by the enemy.
I would have enjoyed a little more information about what happened to these courageous men later in life, but otherwise the book was great. Mr. Kershaw is a very engaging author who created a...more
I would have enjoyed a little more information about what happened to these courageous men later in life, but otherwise the book was great. Mr. Kershaw is a very engaging author who created a...more
They were so young, these American soldiers just trying to keep warm and prepare for the push into Germany. They paid the price for the intelligence failures of the overconfident generals safe and cozy in Versailles and other chateaus. Those at HHQ were certain the Germans could only slow the inevitable defeat. Au contraire! The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon tells the story of a small platoon caught on the northern spearhead o...more
394th freaking kicked butt. Put this baby on your list for must read WW2 books. Literally at one point 18 Americans vs. 400 Germans--or so the propaganda tells us! Either way, you have to love our guys' courage and valor on the field of battle. My favorite part is the time out called by the germans, then later followed up with "game on" and the killing continued.
I needed this book after my concentration camp period. I can't put these books down. This is a time in history that must not EVER be fo...more
I needed this book after my concentration camp period. I can't put these books down. This is a time in history that must not EVER be fo...more
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It's easy to be a good friend in great circumstances. It's difficult but also necessary to be a good friend in trying circumstances. For the men of the 394 regiment in the Battle of the Bulge, the circumstances were like no other.
The Longest Winter is about the men of 394 that fought a great battle in the Battle of the Bulge, only to be captured and held without food and water in freezing temperatures for about four months. This book not only describes the heroric (athough the men would not want...more
The Longest Winter is about the men of 394 that fought a great battle in the Battle of the Bulge, only to be captured and held without food and water in freezing temperatures for about four months. This book not only describes the heroric (athough the men would not want...more
World War 2 was the greatest war mankind has ever known. Near the end of the was, all of the reserves of the German Army were coordinated to make one last bold attempt through the American lines. "The Longest Winter" is a story based off of many personal accounts of the platoon of the 394th's regiment last stand on the front lines on the German advance. It was here that the 394th was stationed, at a place known to have almost no contact with the enemy. At this place, a small platoon of about 20...more
Jul 25, 2008
Cordell
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
All Americans
Recommended to Cordell by:
Dannielle
Always the history buff I loved this book. I have great respect for all the men and women who have served their country. But there are those who were place in extraordinarily difficult positions who rise to the occasion and this book covers some of them.
Killing is ugly. War is ugly. When people think of war they think of movies and even the great movies like Platoon and Saving Private Ryan can't begin to tell show the suffering that goes even by those who come back "unhurt." The battle of the b...more
Killing is ugly. War is ugly. When people think of war they think of movies and even the great movies like Platoon and Saving Private Ryan can't begin to tell show the suffering that goes even by those who come back "unhurt." The battle of the b...more
This book, like every account of WWII I have read makes me wonder if I ever could have been as brave or survived such unimaginable conditions. My grandfather served in The European Theatre and was killed in action in a forest in Germany on a cold winter day. Alex Kershaw's tale of the friendships the men developed makes me feel better for knowing he was surrounded by men who would have loved him an tried to save him like the heroic people in Winter's Tale. We were the good guys.
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I love history, especially WWII books. This book was well researched and I enjoyed learning more about this particular part of The Battle of the Bulge. The reading didn't flow as well as I would have liked,but that's usually what you get with a factual account based on interviews with multiple people so I'll not complain too much. I really liked that the author included both the German and the American perspectives and was equally fair to both sides.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a great window into that episode of WWII.
My grandfather was captured by the Germans in this battle and this gave me some idea of what he also went through during the battle and as a POW (something he never talked about until the end of his life).
Read this book to learn of the outstanding heroism of the men who fought in this terrible battle and war.
My grandfather was captured by the Germans in this battle and this gave me some idea of what he also went through during the battle and as a POW (something he never talked about until the end of his life).
Read this book to learn of the outstanding heroism of the men who fought in this terrible battle and war.
Here's what the real title should have been - The Longest Book: The Battle to Stay Awake Reading This. I love WW2 history and books, but I just could not get into this one. The history is amazing and what these men did and endured is incredible - their story needs to be told. Bottom line - a very interesting story told in a way that made me want to close the book and go to bed.
Another entry in my current fascination about WWII. I was particularly interested in this book because my father fought in this battle. I found the book to be very moving and emotional. But like the vets themselves, the writer doesn't write very emotionally, but the experiences he describes brings out emotion in the reader. The battle scenes and the POW experiences were unbelievable. This story is also a fine example of how WWII vets were (are) so reticent to talk about their experiences. The fa...more
Overall a very good book. I enjoyed the way it provides a perspective from both the American and the German side (albeit the German side is a much smaller part of the book and I would have liked to see more research being done on the German soldier's viewpoint). It doesn't drag out on details and definitely tries to keep tabs of the various members of the 394th I&R platoon of the 99th division.
This was a good book that gives a first hand account of the heroics of one platoon in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. The hardships they endured in battle and in the German prisoner of war camp were horrible. The book really gave a good sense of each person's experience and life before and after the war.
I did not know about this small band of men under the command of lt Boulk that detained the Nazis (Peiper) though heavily outmanned until they ran out of ammunition and were captured. This group might have single handedley turned the war into our favor. As a result Peiper was delayed in meeting up with the rest of the Nazi army. This is a must read for any WWII buff.
One of the best military history books I have read. While I majored in History and have a great deal of interest in military history, few books on the subject are able to hold my attention and... oh look a butterfly... anyway, this one did. Excellent job by Kershaw.
What a great read. A generation of incredible people and I don't think we will ever hear all of the stories of bravery and heroism from WWII. This was a wonderfully researched book and I admire these men so much more every time I read something about them.
Books like this pretty much make me embarrassed to complain about anything. Once you've spent a winter in a Nazi POW camp everything else is probably easy, right?
Kershaw's writing is much more McCullough than McTextbook, which was nice.
Kershaw's writing is much more McCullough than McTextbook, which was nice.
I would probably rate it differently, but I think my opinion is swayed by other Battle of the Bulge things I have read and enjoyed. I'll give this book credit, I liked how it presented both sides of the battle, and it was detailed without becoming a textbook. However, I just kept thinking about the Band of Brothers description of Bastogne (both the book and the mini-series) as I read the book, so I may be biased. I did love Escape from the Deep!
The Battle of the Bulge is personally interesting to me because my Grandfather was there with his truck. The book, like his earlier one "The Bedford Boys," reads like a novel. Patton looks like an ass for trying to rescue his son-in-law......I'll probably finish this tonight. Fast read.
Another good book specifically detailing the Intelligence & Reconnaissance platoon of the 394th Infantry Regiment/99th Infantry Division, WW2's most decorated platoon, and their harrowing experiences during the Battle of the Bulge.
Well researched but the author inserted personal info on the soldiers in places where it distracted rather than added to the history being told of the battle, the preparation and mainly,the story of the young men who fought the battle.
Interesting story of perhaps the greatest battle in American history. It intertwined the story of one specific platoon and the overall battle. As I read the story, I could not help but think about my own father, who I know fought in WWII in the European Theater. I really have no idea of any of the details of exactly where he was or what he did. I wish I knew more about it.
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An extensively researched and very well written account of the actions of a small platoon in the Battle of the Bulge and after. I did get a little lost in a haze of names at one point and the maps could have been more helpful but the story was fascinating and one I didn't know. The author had obviously lengthy interviews with many of the members of the platoon and gives a very first hand account of the training, fighting, and most vividly, the life in the...more
An extensively researched and very well written account of the actions of a small platoon in the Battle of the Bulge and after. I did get a little lost in a haze of names at one point and the maps could have been more helpful but the story was fascinating and one I didn't know. The author had obviously lengthy interviews with many of the members of the platoon and gives a very first hand account of the training, fighting, and most vividly, the life in the...more
The Longest Winter was on my list of favorite WWII books particularly concerning the Eurpoean Theatre. The book was formatted in a way that allowed you to become familiar with the characters, giving the reader insight as to their life before, during and after the war.
Kershaw also does an excellent job of demonstrating how the battle affected the outcome of the war, taking the reader step by step from the 99th's stand at Lazerath, all the way through tp Hitler's eventual suicide and the surrende...more
Kershaw also does an excellent job of demonstrating how the battle affected the outcome of the war, taking the reader step by step from the 99th's stand at Lazerath, all the way through tp Hitler's eventual suicide and the surrende...more
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Alex Kershaw is the author of the widely acclaimed best sellers The Bedford Boys, The Longest Winter, The Few, and Escape from the Deep, as well as biographies of Jack London, Raoul Wallenberg and Robert Capa. His latest book is The Liberator. He lives in Massachusetts.
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