Hitler's Final Push

The Battle of the Bulge from the German Point of View

By: Danny S. Parker - editor

Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Notes on one of the most infamous and bloody battles of World War II - from the German perspective.

As the Allied armies swept toward the Reich in late 1944, the German high command embarked on an ambitious plan to gain the initiative on the western front and deal a crippling blow to the Allied war effort. As early as August 1944, when the Germans were being crushed in the east and hammered in Normandy, Hitler was talking of an offensive aimed at destroying as many American and British divisions as possible in a massive surprise assault. By December 1944, Hitler was telling his generals, "the final decisions have been made, everything points to victory."

This volume consists of primary source material, including translations of German documentation and debriefs of German generals, edited by a foremost expert on this decisive campaign. The Battle of the Bulge presents the assessments by leading figures in the German high command, of the preparations for the offensive, the progress of the operation, and the performance of the Wehrmacht. There are accounts of Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, head of the high command of the armed forces; Schramm, the keeper of the Wehrmacht's war diary, transcripts of two of Hitler's key speeches to his generals; and much more.

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers/listeners interested in history - books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times best seller or a national best seller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

©2016 Danny S. Parker (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Fascinating

I’ve read quite a few books about WWII, but few as fascinating as this one. Hearing about the famed Battle of the Bulge from different German army perspective brings new dimensions to this pivotal battle.

A bit scholarly!

As I once saw on a restaurant menu describing a sea cucumber dish: “For connoisseurs only”. A scholarly, dry history…good for the syllabus of the Army War College of advanced studies at West Point. Read very well though!

Well researched by too dry for Audible listening

Well researched account of the German plans and perspectives of the Battle of the Bulge. Draws on extensive German documents and post war interviews with German officers. However I found it a challenge to follow as an Audible book as the detail and dry content made it difficult to follow the places and names. German pronunciation by the reader could have done with some help. Best to listen with a map of the Bulge and a good drink.

A social and material overview

Does not touch on actions of combat as much as policies of Hitlers generals. Contains rare materials and interviews with senior Nazi staff, but mostly omits tactical details usually expected in such books.

Horrendous

In all my years, more than a thousand…this was absolutely a run away worst.

academic

this book was much more academic than narrative. I imagine it would be better to read on paper with maps, but to listen to it--dang boring

Mostly boring rhetoric

A jumble of philosophical blusters, mostly from Hitler. No actual battlefield accounts that the title alludes to.

If you like boring stats this book is for you!

the entire book was nothing but statistics and preparation prior to the battle awful! I

Not what was expected

This may be a good book to read, but it does not lend itself to an audiobook. It is fraught with enumerated lists, which challenge the listener's ability to follow. There are also exhaustive lists of the order of battle that might work when reading, but not here. A thorough treatise on the preparation for Unternehmen Herbst Nebel, but little about the battle itself. I suppose that is covered elsewhere. Finally, the narrator's pronunciation was terrible. Manteufel pronounced Man-too-fell and Guderian pronounced Goo-doo-rhine. Nails on a chalkboard for me. You have one job...to pronounce words correctly. if you are the slightest bit unsure, look the damned pronunciation up!!!