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the Last Offensive: European Theater of Operations
High regard for Mr MacDonald and the accomplishments he's made. As an officer in WWII, his bravery won him a Purple Heart and a Sliver Star. For his legacy he has written by himself and in conjunction with other historians some of the best books on WWII and Viet Nam that will be read for generations to come.
532 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
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About the author
Charles B. MacDonald
51 books31 followersCharles B. MacDonald was a former Deputy Chief Historian for the United States Army. He wrote several of the Army's official histories of World War II.
After graduating from Presbyterian College, MacDonald was commissioned as a US Army officer through the Army ROTC and deployed to Europe. By September 1944, as a 21 year old Captain , he commanded a rifle company in the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. MacDonald received the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
His first book, ''Company Commander'', was published in 1947, while his wartime experiences were fresh in his mind.
MacDonald wrote the final volume of the Green Series on the European Theatre, ''The Last Offensive''. He retired as Deputy Chief Historian, United States Army Center of Military History in 1979.
After his retirement, MacDonald wrote ''A Time for Trumpets'', his last book, a personal history of the Ardennes Offensive which concentrates on the first two weeks of the battle, which he spent five years researching. MacDonald also wrote or co-wrote two other books of the Green Series, ''The Siegfried Line Campaign'' and ''Three Battles: Arnaville, Altuzzo, and Schmidt''. He also contributed to ''Command Decisions''.
MacDonald suffered from cancer and lung disease and he died on December 4, 1990 at his home in Arlington, Virginia.
After graduating from Presbyterian College, MacDonald was commissioned as a US Army officer through the Army ROTC and deployed to Europe. By September 1944, as a 21 year old Captain , he commanded a rifle company in the 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. MacDonald received the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
His first book, ''Company Commander'', was published in 1947, while his wartime experiences were fresh in his mind.
MacDonald wrote the final volume of the Green Series on the European Theatre, ''The Last Offensive''. He retired as Deputy Chief Historian, United States Army Center of Military History in 1979.
After his retirement, MacDonald wrote ''A Time for Trumpets'', his last book, a personal history of the Ardennes Offensive which concentrates on the first two weeks of the battle, which he spent five years researching. MacDonald also wrote or co-wrote two other books of the Green Series, ''The Siegfried Line Campaign'' and ''Three Battles: Arnaville, Altuzzo, and Schmidt''. He also contributed to ''Command Decisions''.
MacDonald suffered from cancer and lung disease and he died on December 4, 1990 at his home in Arlington, Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 8, 2023
Informative and exhaustive in some areas, this book is best used as a reference to overall units and armies from November 1944 to May 1945 in western Europe.
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February 1, 2017Superb summary of the last stage of WW2 in Europe from the Battle of the Bulge to VE Day. MacDonald was an officer in the American Army in Europe and wrote one the most popular autobiographical accounts of the Battle of the Bulge, "Company Commander".
His post war career included a long stint as one of the US Army's official historians. I read his book, Company Commander 30 years ago, and only recently discovered how many books he had authored. Kindle has allowed me to indulge myself without going broke in the process.
His post war career included a long stint as one of the US Army's official historians. I read his book, Company Commander 30 years ago, and only recently discovered how many books he had authored. Kindle has allowed me to indulge myself without going broke in the process.
June 27, 2016
This final volume of the US Defense Department's World War II history of the European discusses operations inside Germany itself. There are excellent maps and photographs. This easy to read history is a good read for the World War II buff.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews