Ardennes 1944

The Battle of the Bulge

By: Antony Beevor

Narrated by: Sean Barrett

The prizewinning historian and bestselling author of D-Day, Stalingrad, and The Battle of Arnhem reconstructs the Battle of the Bulge in this riveting new account

On December 16, 1944, Hitler launched his ‘last gamble’ in the snow-covered forests and gorges of the Ardennes in Belgium, believing he could split the Allies by driving all the way to Antwerp and forcing the Canadians and the British out of the war. Although his generals were doubtful of success, younger officers and NCOs were desperate to believe that their homes and families could be saved from the vengeful Red Army approaching from the east. Many were exultant at the prospect of striking back.

The allies, taken by surprise, found themselves fighting two panzer armies. Belgian civilians abandoned their homes, justifiably afraid of German revenge. Panic spread even to Paris. While some American soldiers, overwhelmed by the German onslaught, fled or surrendered, others held on heroically, creating breakwaters which slowed the German advance.

The harsh winter conditions and the savagery of the battle became comparable to the Eastern Front. In fact the Ardennes became the Western Front’s counterpart to Stalingrad. There was terrible ferocity on both sides, driven by desperation and revenge, in which the normal rules of combat were breached. The Ardennes—involving more than a million men—would prove to be the battle which finally broke the back of the Wehrmacht.

In this deeply researched work, with striking insights into the major players on both sides, Antony Beevor gives us the definitive account of the Ardennes offensive which was to become the greatest battle of World War II.

good review of the battle

a good review of the 1000s of different horror stories of a vicious battle ... well worth listening to...

The details

The details of the battle between the allies and the Germans, the details of Patton and Montgomery, Eisenhower and Bradley

Excellent book and masterfully narrated

Very well written and easy to listen to. I liked the information detailing the lead up to the offensive itself, specifically the parts detailing the battle in the Hurtgen forest. I also enjoyed the narrators authentic pronunciations of unit names and his "American voice ".

Wacht am Rhein

Overall the book was very, the performance was ok, however as read, punctuation was not inflected well. The story was very detailed, with use of story from actual soldiers from each, along with names of individuals and units involved.

Another great one from Beevor

Fantastic overview of one of the most bitter struggles on the Western Front. Of particular interest to this reader was the presentation of the impacts the offensive had on the civilian population. Well done.