No Less Than Victory is the crowning achievement in master storyteller Jeff Shaara’s soaring World War II trilogy, revealing the Europ...
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Nov 07, 2011
John
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Shaara abandoned his nautical theme for the title of the last book in his trilogy but didn’t forsake his ability to weave a compelling story entwined around historical fact. The centerpiece of this work is the Battle of the Bulge where Americans initially suffered the greatest military defeat in their history before eventually throwing the Germans back across the Rhine River.
Shaara details Hitler’s strategy, which he executed against the advice of his most experienced generals. H More...
Shaara details Hitler’s strategy, which he executed against the advice of his most experienced generals. H More...
Jun 13, 2010
Steven
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From the Battle of the Bulge to the end of the war against Germany. . . . Jeff Shaara here completes his World War II trilogy. His method is by now familiar. He takes a series of people and uses their view of the action as his narrative device. The strength? A personal view of the war. The weakness? We can only see the war through the eyes of those characters.
And who are the major characters? On the American side, Generals Eisenhower and Patton, for instance, whereas we see German co More...
And who are the major characters? On the American side, Generals Eisenhower and Patton, for instance, whereas we see German co More...
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May 25, 2010
Zohar - ManOfLaBook.com
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I think this book was the best of the series.
In his usual style of "historical fiction" Mr. Shaara takes us through the European theatre in WWII as seen through the eyes of its generals, politicians and, the parts I found most interesting, the soldiers themselves.
This is solid storytelling, primarily focusing on the Battle of the Bulge, as seen through the eyes of the grunts, and as managed by the generals on both sides of the fence. Unlike the authors other b More...
In his usual style of "historical fiction" Mr. Shaara takes us through the European theatre in WWII as seen through the eyes of its generals, politicians and, the parts I found most interesting, the soldiers themselves.
This is solid storytelling, primarily focusing on the Battle of the Bulge, as seen through the eyes of the grunts, and as managed by the generals on both sides of the fence. Unlike the authors other b More...
Jun 15, 2011
Bonnie
rated it:
I found this book fascinating and was really a bit sorry to have it done. Especially interesting was the part about the Battle of the Bulge, which I hadn't known that much about. Mr. Shaara tells most of the story of this battle through the experiences of three soldiers, a sergeant Higgins and two privates Benson and Mitchell, who were green troops stationed in the Ardennes. Since no one expected the Germans to attack, especially in that area of very rough terrain, this line was held with most
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Jun 22, 2010
Braden
rated it: 
Another amazing book by Shaara. What a writer. He does a masterful job of making me care about the wide cast of characters. I felt like I was there. And, when I finished the last page, I felt a sense of lost. I hope he'll continue and write about the Pacific phases of WWII. Really a masterful book. He doesn't flinch from the ugly horrors of war. This seems honest in that it doesn't glorify what is a supremely ugly thing. At the same time, he does celebrate the incredible courage and hero
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Jul 30, 2011
Stacy
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I jumped into the third book of this trilogy, without having read the first two books, because it was available for download from our library. I don't believe this resulted in a disadvantage for experiencing this book (except I missed out on learning some history about the start and middle of WWII). I'd read Jeff Shaara's Revolutionary War trilogy and really enjoyed that, so it was time to learn a little bit more about WWII. Reading Jeff Shaara's books are a great way to learn war history as
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Jun 22, 2011
Joe
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This is another great book, along the same lines of all of the others written by this author and his father. The parallels between considerations in American foreign policy (both good and bad) from WWII and now are presented in a very interesting manner, as almost a sub-plot to the rest of the book. It was exceptionally interesting to me.
While there was very little in the book that was new, the subject has certainly been written about in great detail, in both fiction and non-fiction, t More...
While there was very little in the book that was new, the subject has certainly been written about in great detail, in both fiction and non-fiction, t More...
Sep 04, 2011
Jay
rated it:
No Less Than Victory provided a painless look at the end of WWII in Western Europe. The construct of historical fiction with imagined reconstructed dialogs between historical players, officers on the American and German side and infantry and bombers on the American side, worked relatively well. I did feel at times that the dialog was a bit too contemporary on the American side, or a bit to stereotypical on the German side -- it felt like a movie script at times. I did listen to this on audio, an
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Nov 25, 2011
James
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This is book three of a trilogy on World War II in the European Theater of Operations. Chronologically, this book starts with the Battle of the Bulge (Bastogne)and concludes with the surrender of Germany. Told from the viewpoints of individuals (Field Marshall von Rundstedt, General Eisenhower, General Patton, Private Benson, Private Mitchell, and others), it is a firsthand account of the last major battle in the European Theater of Operations, the discovery of the first concentration camps, an
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Dec 02, 2009
Tom
rated it:
This is an interesting way to write a novel. The author says that everything that happens in the book has happened in real life, but he fleshes out detail and reveals what he thinks the actual characters internal dialogue may have been.
This story follows the action in WWII from the Battle of the Bulge to the May surrender in the ETO. It is a gritty and sometimes frightening recounting of the fear and misery that the average GI experienced in those last six months of the war. The first More...
This story follows the action in WWII from the Battle of the Bulge to the May surrender in the ETO. It is a gritty and sometimes frightening recounting of the fear and misery that the average GI experienced in those last six months of the war. The first More...
Aug 21, 2010
Powerock
rated it:
This is the third of the Shaara books that I have read -- the first, Killer Angels, was written by his father and is the about the Battle of Gettysburg. There must have been, by now, a new genre to describe their books. This book is about the last phase of WWII and is probably largely accurate. However, dialogue between the principals is a creation of the author, though he attempts to reflect the reality from primary sources. So, they cannot be exactly categorized as historical fiction. The
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Jun 17, 2011
Terry
rated it:
I have read all the books in this series, and the single book om WW I was one of the best military fiction books I have ever read. This one misses the mark by a bit. I don't think the author has quite the feel for the Pacific war as he did for the Eurpoean theater. While not as popular a subject, the Pacific campaign is big and complex, and the ramifications of that part of WW II, for the U.S. and other Pacific nations, are still being felt today. I wish the author had not approached this part o
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Dec 16, 2009
Ben
rated it:
As per usual, Shaara has written a very enjoyable, very readable novel about an American war or American's involvement in larger wars. Even though I enjoyed it, though, I felt there was something missing that has been in most of his novels-- especially the earlier ones-- but I couldn't tell you what that is. It may simply be that, while he writes well and obviously researches these novels extensively, the books end up being too similar. I was also disappointed with how the book begins with an ex
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Apr 08, 2011
Erik
rated it: 
A good historical account of the period after the the completion of the Normandy Invasion to the German surrender in WWII. Although the book is fictional it provides som muc historical context that it almost reads as a non-fiction piece.
I have the same complaint with this book as I did with "The Steel Wave". The infantry characters he uses are not likeable. Obviously not all men in the infantry are likeable, but if you are going to write one into a book on WWII you would More...
I have the same complaint with this book as I did with "The Steel Wave". The infantry characters he uses are not likeable. Obviously not all men in the infantry are likeable, but if you are going to write one into a book on WWII you would More...
Dec 30, 2009
Chris
rated it:
This book is a must read for the WWII buff. It is the third in a trilogy about the war by Jeff Sharra, and it centers around the Battle of the Bulge to the end of the war. It is not about the battle of Bastogne, but, rather, the men in the units that were overrun by the Germans on December 16. While these men were new to the battlefield, they were not the yellow cowards that history has made them out to be. They were units that were overwhelmed by the weather and surprise nature of the attac
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May 16, 2010
Lynnette
rated it:
Hi Chris--you're my only hope for having an interest in this book...
It is the 3rd in a trilogy on WW II. The stories are told by regular
soldiers (paratroopers, infantryman) as well as Eisenhower and major
German commanders to get both sides. If you have an interest in history,these are great. I have read ALL of the authors books which
cover the Civil War, Spanish Amer War, Rev War and WWI. You have to
balance out Romance novels w/ a few war novels here and there. (p More...
It is the 3rd in a trilogy on WW II. The stories are told by regular
soldiers (paratroopers, infantryman) as well as Eisenhower and major
German commanders to get both sides. If you have an interest in history,these are great. I have read ALL of the authors books which
cover the Civil War, Spanish Amer War, Rev War and WWI. You have to
balance out Romance novels w/ a few war novels here and there. (p More...
Jan 07, 2010
Maya
rated it:
I kept waiting and waiting for reference to the concentration camps (which, for a trilogy about WW II, had been surprisingly absent) and for some discussion beyond military strategy and history to ideology. How, after all, do you have an epic trilogy on Hitler without discussing ideology? But, when it came, it was powerful and moving and chilling and horrifying, and all of the things it should be. As an aside, I now fear that I resemble Patton in some ways (behaviorally/attitude-wise, that is)..
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Jun 12, 2011
Christine
rated it:
This book details World War II from the Battle of the Bulge to the victory in Europe the following year. Like other Shaara books, it is told from several perspectives that provide a comprehensive view and context for the events. I picked this up and had not read the prior two books in this series, but had no problem getting in to this book. Even though I (obviously) knew the outcome, I thought Shaara made the subject really interesting and gripping: a couple of times I found myself wondering
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May 24, 2011
Suzanne
rated it:
“With longevity came even greater superstition, especially for the ground crew. There was a desperate awareness of the odds, of fate. Thirty-one successful missions was an unnerving statistic by now, rarer by the week. It the reason for all the rituals, the most religious among them believing that God must somehow be paying particular attention.”
The third novel in Jeff Shaara’s trilogy of World War II in the European theater is, in my opinion, the best of the three. The book be More...
The third novel in Jeff Shaara’s trilogy of World War II in the European theater is, in my opinion, the best of the three. The book be More...
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Aug 22, 2010
Craig
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The third work by Jeff Shaara in his trilogy of the history of the European Theater during WWII. This book picks up after D-Day just after the Allies have established themselves in France. General Patton is given command of the American Third Army and races across central France to the borders of Germany. When the Germans break out through the Ardennes Forest in December, 1944, (the incursion became known as the Battle of the Bulge), Patton disengages 100 miles to the south, reroutes part of
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May 31, 2010
Timothy
rated it:
This book is the third volume of a planned trilogy, all by the historian and author, Jeff Shaara. The book is called No Less Than Victory. In this novel, a strong powerful voice tells the story of the end of the Second World War in Europe. This book was made not to be a comprehensive historical account of the war. As Jeff Shaara said, “there are lengthy shelves in every library and every bookstore packed with volumes that have tackled the subject in far more detail.” His goal is to take you bac
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Sep 22, 2011
Linda
rated it:
Although my father spent four years in the Pacific Theater, I am eager to learn as much as possible about those who fought in WWII, even if it is via fiction, which in the case of this book appears only mildly ficticious. Although I have the habit of researching events that appear as fact in such books, I must say that Shaara has his research down pat. Being that he has not picked up where his father left off, this series is much better, leaving no room fr disappointment.
Aug 31, 2011
Izmael
rated it:
This book is without a doubt my favorite in the series. Shaara is able to convey the emotions and experiences of the american and german sides of this war with perfection. I constantly felt like I was in the midst of the war. Shaara is able to communicate a quiet humility that provides respect to all individuals involved with the war while at the same time remaining true and honest with the facts. One of my favorite historical fiction books I have read.
May 10, 2011
Gordy
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book, probably the most out of the three. The book just like the other two has a lot of profanity, so be warned. The end of each of this book was very interesting to me because of the politics that went in to ending the war. Mostly problems with the Russians. Anyone who is interested in WWII I would highly recomment this series.
Sep 22, 2010
Barbara
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What a great book. My heart goes out to my VA patients I met doing a clinical trial several years ago. Oh my gosh, they were in this. One elderly pt. was in the Bulge. When I thanked hime he started crying, saying, "It wasn't so bad for me because I was older, 28. It was the young kids, 18, 19...they were so scared" The auther brought it so to life!
Jan 15, 2011
Jeff
rated it:
I have read all of Shaara's book and while I still respect him as a writer, maybe I'm getting a bit tired of these stories. Or maybe it was the trilogy of WWII. In any event, I think someone unfamiliar with his style or with the end of WWII in Germany would enjoy this. Just didn't do it for me the way his previous works have.
Apr 19, 2010
James
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One of my MOST favorite authors. ALL his books should be required reading for all Americans. He takes you right into the middle of all the armed conflicts our country has endured. This book is the third of a trilogy about WWII. He writes historical novels rather than the typical dry history book. He truly is an amazing writer.
Nov 12, 2009
Brett
rated it:
Not quite up to par for him. I am use to being overwhelmed by research with his insight into little known facts. In this book he does a good job of giving his insight from a soldiers perspective, but overall provide little new information that has not been covered in a multitude of WW2 books.
Dec 01, 2010
Mormonhermitmom
rated it:
Historical novel that isn't so much concerned about military tactics as the experience of the common soldier. Many characters based on real people and their experiences. There were some horrific events mentioned but not so graphically detailed as a horror genre might be. Some swearing.
Jul 08, 2011
Adela
rated it:
I never thought I'd like reading about WW2, but this book, after reading The Rising Tide a few years ago, was engaging. I like how Shaara brings characters to life and how he describes Europe during the winter. This was an interesting read. I'm going for the next in the series.
