11 Days in December: Christmas at the Bulge, 1944

Author:
ISBN-10: 0786166843
ISBN-13: 9780786166848
Contributor:
Review Date:

The German Ardennes offensive in Dec 1944, better known in the west as the Battle of the Bulge, was Germany's last gamble to prevent the Allies from crossing into Germany. The offensive would ultimately fizzle despite early successes, thus only achieving to delay the inevitable. The offensive was launched amidst the Christmas holiday, thus setting us for dramatic and surreal events, such as German loudspeakers broadcasting "How would you like to die for Christmas" toward Allied lines to undermine morale, and Americans and Germans singing Silent Night/Stille Nacht together. Stanley Weintraub's 11 Days in December made an effort to weave together the battle and the holiday, and the end result was an entertaining piece that told the story well. Although it was light on military analysis, and in fact brought forth little new facts, the book was easy to read and highly enjoyable. Slightly off-topic tangents such as the German-origin of the Christmas tree custom and Ernest Hemingway's experience through the battle added a bit more fun to the narrative.

I had reviewed this title in its audio book format. Patrick Cullen did a fine job reading.

Although I would guess that military buffs might find 11 Days in December a bit light on the history, I still found it to be a good read. A good choice for the casual history reader, perhaps.



Back to Main | Back to Book Reviews Index




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds


Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
14 Feb 2015 05:22:57 AM

LA BATAILLE DES ARDENNES A EU LIEU AU MOIS DE DECEMBRE 1944.

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Search WW2DB


More on 11 Days in December: Christmas at the Bulge, 1944
Related Events:
» Battle of the Bulge

Affiliated Link:
» 11 Days in December: Christmas at the Bulge, 1944
Famous WW2 Quote
"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, 16 Mar 1945


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!