Infantry Soldier: Holding the Line at the Battle of the Bulge

The author, a journalist in later life, was a 23-year-old rifleman in the U.S. Army's 99th Division during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. The 99th had reached the European front the month before and distinguished itself in anchoring the vital northern flank during that last German counteroffensive. Casualty rates in the front-line infantry companies were extraordinarily high; the battlefield cemetery is a recurrent image. Neill's aim in this work is to preserve a sense of how it was for the front-line soldierAplacing reminiscences of his own and of colleagues on record in context with previous histories. His detailed, eyewitness perspective includes earthy explanations of hardships and remarks on leaders who were variously inspired, inept or uninformed, and usually invisible. Vignettes of heroic virtues, youthful innocence, formative experiences, fateful chance happenings and indiscriminate slaughter are credible and compelling. Neill cites statistics from the Department of Veterans Affairs showing that 36% of the 16.5 million American veterans of World War II are still alive, but that the youngest is 72 years old, and that as a group they are dying at an accelerating rate, above 1,000 per day. "Don't forget," Neill pleads, "vow you'll never forget." Illus. not seen by PW.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Seasoned journalist and veteran Neill has written a personal account of his experiences during World War II. Ranging from basic training in 1943 to V-E Day in 1945, he presents a detailed but readable account of his service in a rifle platoon with the 3rd Battalion, 395th Regiment, 99th Infantry Division, emphasizing the division's actions during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Neill aptly describes his book: "I draw the reader into the everyday lives of young soldiers and reveal how they lived...felt...what happened. I report only indirectly about the war itself." This is a story of brutality, cold, and human suffering. Neill has done extensive research but also relies on his own recollections and numerous interviews, letters, and other sources to convey in raw detail the soldiers' plight. He is not afraid to criticize those in command for everything from tactics to the lack of proper winter clothing and equipment. He speaks the truth directly from the heart. For all that has been written about this segment of the war, Neill has given us a welcome addition. Recommended for all general and special collections.DDavid Alperstein, Queens Borough P.L., NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.