Synopses & Reviews
On December 16, 1944, the vanguard of three German armies, totaling half a million men, attacked U.S. forces in the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg, achieveing what had been considered impossible -- total surprise. In the most abysmal failure of battlefield intelligence in the history of the U.S. Army, 600,000 American soldiers found themselves facing Hitler's last desperate effort of the war.
The brutal confrontation that ensued became known as the Battle of the Bulge, the greatest battle ever fought by the U.S. Army -- a triumph of American ingenuity and dedication over an egregious failure in strategic intelligence. A Time for Trumpets is the definitive account of this dramatic victory, told by one of America's most respected military historians, who was also an eyewitness: MacDonald commanded a rifle company in the Battle of the Bulge. His account of this unique battle is exhaustively researched, honestly recounted, and movingly authentic in its depiction of hand-to-hand combat.
Mingling firsthand experience with the insights of a distinguished historian, MacDonald places this profound human drama unforgettably on the landscape of history.
Synopsis
On December 16, 1944, German troops attacked U.S. forces in the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg. In the most abysmal failure of battlefield intelligence in the history of the Army, the Americans were taken completely by surprise by Hitler's last desperate attempt to win the war. The brutal confrontation that ensued became known as the Battle of the Bulge.
Historian Charles B. MacDonald fought in the Battle of the Bulge as an infantry commander. In A Time for Trumpets, he presents an exhaustively researched, honestly recounted, and movingly authentic account of this crucial moment in history. Mingling firsthand experience with the insights of a distinguished historian, MacDonald brings to life the greatest battle fought by the U.S. Army.
The late Charles B. MacDonald served in four European campaigns and received the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. After the war, he wrote the World War II classic Company Commander. After retiring in 1979 as Deputy Chief Historian, U.S. Army, he devoted the next five years to writing A Time for Trumpets.
"Combines an historian's detachment and precision with the personal feeling of a man who was there." -- New York Times Book Review
Synopsis
The Battle of the Bulge is significant in the annals of war not only because of how it ended, but also because of how it began disastrously for the Allied forces. In a final effort to change the course of the war, Hitler launched a surprise attack on Allied forces in the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg. But what began as a failure of inconceivable magnitude by U.S. Army intelligence ended in the most decisive European victory of World War II and the greatest American Army victory ever.
One of America's most respected historians, Charles B. MacDonald also fought in the Battle of the Bulge as an infantry commander. He tells the story of this remarkable battle with both the perspective of an eminent military historian and the immediacy of an eyewitness. His authority and experience make A Time for Trumpets an unmatched work of veracity and power.
About the Author
The late Charles B. MacDonald served in four European campaigns and received the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. After the war, he wrote Company Commander regarded as a World War II classic. After retiring in 1979 as Deputy Chief Historian, U.S. Army, he devoted the next five years to writing A Time for Trumpets.