Hitler's Ardennes Offensive: The German View of the Battle of the Bulge - Hardcover

Danny Parker

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1853672726 ISBN 13: 9781853672729

Publisher: Greenhill Books, 1997

Synopsis

An account of how Hitler and his generals perceived the progress and failure of their assault on the Ardennes in December 1944, the offensive which they hoped would turn the course of the war in Germany's favor.

About this title

About the Author

Former consultant to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Danny S. Parker is a military historian whose other books include Battle of the Bulge and To Win the Winter Sky.

Review

"The book also casts interesting light on the German Commanders' attitudes to the capabilities of their own colleagues and the deficiences of their forces' personnel and equipment, as well as upon issues such as the impact of Allied air operations."– Dr Simon Trew, The Journal of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

"Danny S. Parker has sought out and transcribed a number of key documents, each of which he introduces but only light edits, giving the reader both a context for, and an insight into, the authentic voice of the general involved . . . a good read, well worth the money.'"– John Pimlott, Military Illustrated

"At a time when works based on secondary sources are becoming increasingly prevalent, it is refreshing to return to primary source material, written shortly after the war, by men who played key roles in what was to be the largest land battle ever fought between the US Army and Hitler's Wehrmacht . . . most of these accounts have not been readily available to the general public before in their entirety, and Parker admirably succeeds in this regard . . . the reader gets an unvarnished view into the thoughts and recollections of these men shortly after the war's end, and, in the case of Jodl and Keitel, shortly before their execution for war crimes . . . Brandenburger's account is the most detailed and insightful. A general-staff trained military historian, Brandenburger has written an account that could stand as a model of battle analysis, illustrating his masterful grasp of operational concepts, tactical insight, and, above all, a sense of reality in visualising what he believed was attainable in contrast to Hitler's grandiose scheme that envisioned marching on Antwerp and splitting the Anglo-American coalition . . . Parker has succeeded admirably in making available the thoughts and recollections of the battle of the Bulge's key German leaders. This is a useful work. By placing primary source material into the hands of historians who can then reach their own conclusions about one of history's greatest battles, Parker has performed a service which will hopefully be imitated by others."

– Army History: The Professional Bulletin of Army History

--The Journal of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

"At a time when works based on secondary sources are becoming increasingly prevalent, it is refreshing to return to primary source material, written shortly after the war, by men who played key roles in what was to be the largest land battle ever fought between the US Army and Hitler's Wehrmacht . . . most of these accounts have not been readily available to the general public before in their entirety, and Parker admirably succeeds in this regard . . . the reader gets an unvarnished view into the thoughts and recollections of these men shortly after the war's end, and, in the case of Jodl and Keitel, shortly before their execution for war crimes . . . Brandenburger's account is the most detailed and insightful. A general-staff trained military historian, Brandenburger has written an account that could stand as a model of battle analysis, illustrating his masterful grasp of operational concepts, tactical insight, and, above all, a sense of reality in visualising what he believed was attainable in contrast to Hitler's grandiose scheme that envisioned marching on Antwerp and splitting the Anglo-American coalition . . . Parker has succeeded admirably in making available the thoughts and recollections of the battle of the Bulge's key German leaders. This is a useful work. By placing primary source material into the hands of historians who can then reach their own conclusions about one of history's greatest battles, Parker has performed a service which will hopefully be imitated by others." --Army History: The Professional Bulletin of Army History

Adolph Hitler's last desperate gamble, i.e the Ardennes Offensive, is an interesting topic to read about. It shows the Fuhrer's undying hope that he will triumph. Although the Allies suffered more than 12,000 dead and machinery destroyed, they triumphed over the Germans after one of the most desperate and mighty German offensives of the last portion of the war. --A Customer

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenhill Books
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 1853672726
• ISBN 13: 9781853672729
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 296