Alamo in the Ardennes

"Alamo in the Ardennes" has recently earned the prestigious 2008 Missouri Conference on History book award. This honor is given by the State Historical Society of Missouri to the best book on a historical topic, authored by a Missouri resident.

Synopsis

At last, the full story of the turning point in the Battle of the Bulge.

In December 1944, the Belgian town of Bastogne was a key objective of the Germans’ surprise offensive in the Ardennes–and they had to take it quickly. For five crucial days, small groups of American soldiers from the 28th, 9th Armored, 10th Armored, and 101st Airborne Divisions, some outnumbered ten to one, slowed the German advance and allowed Bastogne to be reinforced. Theirs is a tale of last-ditch efforts, incredible courage, and impossible odds with, ultimately, the Battle of the Bulge hanging in the balance.

Publishers Weekly

The 101st Airborne's legendary defense of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge hinged on small groups of outnumbered American soldiers slowing the German advance, argues McManus in this spirited account of December 16–20, 1944, before the 101st arrived. By that time, Hitler knew that stopping the Russians was hopeless, but gambled that a crushing blow to the Allies might win a negotiated peace. His plan pivoted on the capture of Bastogne in two days, with German forces moving in fast before their advantage of surprise and local superiority in forces evaporated. Hitler believed American forces would crumble at the massive onslaught—and many units did flee or surrender. But McManus (The Americans at D-Day) makes an excellent case that victory came down to a dozen units battling against overwhelming odds until, after four days of brutal attrition, the remnants straggled into Bastogne to join the newly arrived 101st. Like all good niche military history, the book describes small unit actions in detail. Soldiers who ran away left few records, so almost everyone here fights bravely. By focusing on a less familiar period, McManus makes a modest but original contribution to the vast WWII literature. 20 b&w photos. (Mar.)