Fighting Forces Series (Infantry Journal) BASTOGNE The First Eight Days (Association Copy) by Colonel S. L. A. Marshall, Captain John G. Westover & Lieutenant A. Joseph Webber (First Edition) (1946)

Bastogne: The First Eight Days is one of S. L. A. Marshall's most tightly focused battlefield studies - a concise, ground-level reconstruction of the opening phase of the siege of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. It was produced for the Fighting Forces Series to give officers and enlisted men a clear, practical understanding of how American units fought under extreme pressure. The narrative follows the 101st Airborne Division, attached artillery, tank destroyer units, engineers, and scattered elements of other formations as they rushed into Bastogne to block the German breakthrough. Marshall traces the action from 18-26 December 1944, when the town was encircled and subjected to continuous attack, artillery fire, and psychological strain. A few core themes define the study: The defense succeeded not because of perfect planning but because small groups of soldiers repeatedly made quick, disciplined decisions under chaos. Coordination between infantry and artillery, especially the ability to mass fires rapidly, proved decisive in stopping German armor. Leadership at the platoon and company level mattered as much as high-level strategy; Marshall highlights how junior officers and NCOs stabilized collapsing lines and improvised defenses. The German assault forces, though powerful, were slowed by terrain, weather, and their own logistical limits, giving the Americans just enough time to hold. The arrival of clear weather and the opening of supply drops helped sustain the defenders until relief forces broke through. The book is not a sweeping history; it's a tactical autopsy, built from interviews conducted immediately after the battle. Marshall's goal was to show how real soldiers behaved in the first, most uncertain days of the siege - before Bastogne became legend. The book is loaded with charts, maps, photos, illustrations and paintings. THIS copy belonged to Richard F. Connell, in Quantico, VA in 1954, possibly a student or faculty member. Paperback edition. 217 pages. Dimensions: 4.25" by 6.5". Published by The Infantry Journal, Washington, D.C. 1st printing, 1946. B&W illustrations. B&W photographs. Orange binding. Cover defect(s): Some fading. Some creasing/wrinkling. Slight corner/edge damage. Page defect(s): Some writing. Some page yellowing. 0.5 Pound Media Shipping Rate with Multiple Product Orders. (Min Shipping Rate 1 Pound per Order). Order More and SAVE! Genre(s): Fighting Forces Series / World War 2 / Association Copies / Eng. (B091).…