The Last Offensive

I freely admit of my high regard of Mr MacDonald and the accomplishments he's made. As an officier in WWII, his bravery won him a Purple Heart and a Sliver Star. For his legacy he has written by himself and in conjunction with other historians some of the best books on WWII and Viet Nam that will be read for generations to come. The book begins during the Ardennes Offensive which is used as background info for the main theme of the book which starts in the first week of January when the Americans begin to push the Germans back. The importance of St Vith and Bastogne is discussed as well. A comparison of armor and air power is covered, mentioning how the Sherman could not compete with the Panther or Tiger. This weakness on the ground was more than made up by the advantage in Allied air power over a battered Luftwaffe. Allied command structure is covered, explaining command differences between Army Commanders like Bradley, Hodges, Simpson, Patton, Patch and Devers. The Roer River Campaign plays a prominent part in this book, covering the assault on Schmidt and the attempted capture of the important Roer Dams. The engagements at Pruem, Bitberg and Viandin are also discussed. Moving south the fighting in the Saar Moselle Triangle is discussed. Orscholz, crossing the Saar and Ockfen are key areas. Jumping back to the north Operation Grenade and to a much lesser degree Operation Veritable is mentioned. Linnich, Julich and Dureen are key towns in the chapter. A major chapter is the crossing of the Rhine. The capture and the defense of the Ludendorf bridge at Remagen is a key area among the other crossings that is discussed. Moving further south, the crossing at Worms by 6th Army Group is discussed. Moving north again, Operation Plunder and Varsity is also prominent. This book is highly American-centric and the British and French play a small role in it. The Saar Palatinate Lower Moselle from Koblenz to Trier is also given good coverage. While speaking of Patton, the infamous rescue attempt at Hammelburg Prison is noteworthy. Once past the Rhine River, the last major chapter is the reduction of the Ruhr Pocket. The run to the Elbe, the meeting with the Russians and the surrender end the narrative. The Epilogue sums up the cost of the 11 month campaign since D-Day. The author also mentions that if anybody wondered if American participation was necessary, the proof would be seen in any one of the concentration camps that were liberated. These are just the highlights, there is so much more to learn in these 532 pages. There are nine black and white maps that are good and many excellent photos to peruse. A Bibliograpy follows. There is an extensive Appendix that includes a list of DSC Recipients, Codenames among other stuff. There is also a worthy Index. If anybody is looking to read about the operational events of the last four months of the war on the Western Front, this book should be given serious consideration; its highly recommended.