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The Longest Winter The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon
The Longest Winter The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon
Author: Alex Kershaw
Condition: Like New
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On the morning of December 16, 1944, eighteen men of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance platoon attached to the 99th Infantry Division found themselves directly in the path of the main thrust of Hitler's massive Ardennes offensive. Despite being vastly outnumbered, they were told to hold their position "at all costs." Throughout the day, the platoon repulsed three large German assaults in a fierce day-long battle, killing hundreds of German soldiers. Only when they had run out of ammunition did they surrender to the enemy. But their long winter was just beginning.
As POWs, the platoon experienced an ordeal far worse than combat-surviving in wretched German POW camps. Yet miraculously the men of the platoon survived--all of them--and returned home after the war. More than thirty years later, when President Carter recognized the platoon's "extraordinary heroism" and the U.S. Army approved combat medals for all eighteen men, they became America's most decorated platoon of World War II.
With the same vivid and dramatic prose that made The Bedford Boys a national bestseller, Alex Kershaw brings to life the story of these little-known heroes--an epic tale of courage, duty, and survival in World War II and one of the most inspiring episodes in American history. The Longest Winter is an intensely human story about young men who find themselves in frightening wartime situations, who fight back instinctively, survive stoically, and live heroically.
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Keywords, content and topics in this Book
Keywords, content and topics in this Book
Bibliographic
World War II
“The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II’s Most Decorated Platoon”
Alex Kershaw
Hachette Books / Da Capo Press
Nonfiction
Military history
Narrative history
Campaign history
Unit history
Theater and Geography
European Theater
Western Front
Ardennes
Battle of the Bulge
Belgium
Lanzerath Ridge
Operations and Campaigns
Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes Offensive)
Nations and Sides Involved
United States Army
Germany (Wehrmacht)
Allies
Type and Focus of Book
World War II campaign narrative
Platoon-level combat history
Small-unit action
Infantry platoon
Intelligence and reconnaissance platoon (I&R platoon)
Units and Formations
99th Infantry Division (U.S. Army)
394th Infantry Regiment (U.S. Army)
394th I&R Platoon
People and Decorations
Most decorated American platoon of World War II
U.S. Army combat decorations
Medal of Honor (awarded postwar to platoon leader Lt. Lyle J. Bouck Jr.)
Themes and Subjects
Platoon-level defensive action
Outnumbered defense
Delay of enemy advance
Combat on the north shoulder of the Bulge
Front-line intelligence and reconnaissance duties
Leadership under fire
Camaraderie and morale
American soldiers’ experience in the Ardennes
Branch, Weapons, and Tactics
U.S. Army infantry tactics
Reconnaissance and observation
Use of small-arms fire and defensive positions
Genre / Audience Tags
World War II popular history
Battle of the Bulge studies
Small-unit combat narrative
Heroism and valor in combat
Book Condition: Like New
Book Condition: Like New
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Before you enlist a new title into your personal library, check the Condition Report below to see how much action these volumes have seen:
New: Fresh Out of Bootcamp
Flawless and untested. This book is in pristine, new condition and ready for its first assignment.
Like New: Light Combat Experience
Almost new and in great shape. It has clearly been read before and is ready to fight again, but it shows very little wear from its time in the field.
Good: A Few Scars or Shell Shock
A reliable veteran. The book might have some bent corners or a dust cover with a few scratches, but it’s still sturdy and standing tall.
Fair: Battle-Hardened
Visible signs of a long campaign. Expect some stains, bent pages, and perhaps some minor tears on the cover. It’s seen the trenches, but the intel inside is still solid.
Poor: Survived Iwo Jima
This one has been through the meat grinder. It carries noticeable damage, heavy staining, or significant wear—but like any old soldier, it would love to be read one last time before it retires.
