Author Description

A US Army historian chronicles a vital zone of conflict within The Battle of the Bulge in this authoritative and detailed account of WWII combat. With Allied forces encroaching on all fronts, Hitler made one final, desperate offensive in the Ardennes. While The Battle of the Bulge is extensively written about in histories of the Second World War, this book focuses on a critical but seldom explored aspect of the conflict: the five-day critical battle for the North shoulder of the Bulge at Rochearth-Krinkelt. The Bulge was fought was fought in many areas, but for the soldiers of the First Army—six of whom were awarded Congressional Medals of Honor for their brave acts during the engagement—it was won on this shoulder. Military historian William Cavanagh has studied official after-action reports, histories and unit reports of organizations involved in the battle. In addition, he has conducted an extensive program of individual contacts, not only with the US Army participants, local villages and resistance fighters, but also with German commanders at various levels in the three divisions involved. Having lived in the Ardennes for many years and served as a principle researcher for the Deputy Chief Historian for the United States Army, Cavanagh brings a rare insight and expertise to his subject.