16th December 1944, Western Europe.
Hitler launches his last great gamble in the west. Fanatical Nazi soldiers were unleashed on unsuspecting American forces resting far away from where they thought the fighting would take place.
American commanders earlier that fateful morning had thought the Germans were as good as beaten. British commander Bernard Law Montgomery knew otherwise. The famous Field Marshal had raised the alarm months before, telling the Supreme Allied Commander, General Eisenhower, of the threat. Monty's warnings were not heeded, and tens of thousands of American soldiers paid the ultimate price.
Shocked and nearly overawed US troops were caught off guard as Hitler's panzers raced towards Montgomery's forces in Belgium. Despite the many Allied disagreements, Monty halted and then drove back what was a ferocious assault. Yet, because of this success, his reputation was besmirched by those who could not accept his leading role in the fight.
This is the story of Field Marshal Montgomery and his British led victory over Hitler's ruthless counteroffensive. This bloody confrontation that we know today as the Battle of the Bulge.
Recommended for fans of Saul David, James Holland and Patrick Bishop.
Robert Oulds writes on military and international security affairs and as a broadcaster he regularly appears on the media explaining geopolitical defence issues.
Praise for Robert Oulds:
'The Battle of the Bulge was a pivotal event towards the end of World War Two. The Germans threw their remaining military might into a last offensive against the steadily progressing Allies. Robert Oulds, a keen and thorough biographer of Field Marshal Montgomery, has produced a compelling account of how Britain's military hero turned the tide.' Dr Niall McCrae.
"Irascible and infuriating though Monty could be, he was often the General that the high command turned to when facing a crisis. Robert Oulds's incisive account of Montgomery's crucial role in the final stages of the Battle of the Bulge offers a highly stimulating, and vividly written, corrective to some of the more negative portrayals that have surrounded this most controversial of military figures in World War II." Professor M.L.R. Smith.