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Charles Whiting
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'44: In Combat from Normandy to the Ardennes (Battleground Europe: Soldier's Views of 1944 and 1945 Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Charles Whiting (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 112 ratings
A remarkable history of 1944, packed with eyewitness accounts from the beaches of D-Day to the Siegfried Line, captures what the Second World War was like from those who fought in it.

The perfect book for fans of Stephen E. Ambrose, Cornelius Ryan, and Rick Atkinson.

On June 6, 1944, the Allies pulled off the most audacious amphibious landing on the beaches of Normandy. The Germans had been taken by complete surprise, and it seemed like the tide had turned in the battle for Europe. Yet, just six months later, the Allies would be halted in the Ardennes, while the Germans launched a massive counter-offensive in what has become known as the Battle of the Bulge.

While the strategic decisions of generals that caused these events have been discussed in countless books, it is rare that you are able to understand them from the viewpoint of ordinary soldiers. In this book, Charles Whiting recreates the combat soldiers’ world down to the most intimate details: their weapons, the food they ate, how they learned to cope with the ever-present threat, how they lived in hope, and died in agony.

’44 is a gripping testament to the fighting men who fought from the beaches of Normandy to the snow-laden hills of the Ardennes.

Praise for the work of Charles Whiting:
‘’44 re-creates the combat soldiers’ world of more than fifty years ago. Whiting's depiction of the campaign makes this volume a seminal work of World War II history that is neither romantic nor glorious.’ Dominic J. Caraccilo, Author of The Ready Brigade of the 82nd Airborne in Desert Storm.

‘Rich in detail about the soldiers on both sides and studded with anecdotes of their experiences-heroic, tragic, ironic, and sometimes humorous―Whiting's book is a powerful reminder that war is neither romantic nor glorious.’ World War II History

‘provides … unique insights that most historians fail to capture’ Armor, Bryant Love
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  1. Book 1 of 2
    Battleground Europe: Soldier's Views of 1944 and 1945
  2. Print length
    243 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    August 25, 2024
  5. File size
    2.1 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

'44 re-creates the combat soldiers' world of more than fifty years ago. Whiting's depiction of the campaign makes this volume a seminal work of World War II history that is neither romantic nor glorious. -- Dominic J. Caraccilo, Author of The Ready Brigade of the 82nd Airborne in Desert Storm.

Rich in detail about the soldiers on both sides and studded with anecdotes of their experiences-heroic, tragic, ironic, and sometimes humorous―Whiting's book is a powerful reminder that war is neither romantic nor glorious. ― World War II History

About the Author

Charles Whiting served with a reconnaisance outfit in WWII and has since become one of the premier historians of the war. Among his many best-selling works are Patton, The Last Assault, and Death on a Distant Frontier. He currently lives in York, England.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D58VFB1Y
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books (August 25, 2024)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 25, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.1 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 243 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 112 ratings

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Charles Whiting

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4.4 out of 5 stars
112 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Lone Wolf
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book
    Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The author adds some interesting details about life behind the lines and combat, he should have mentioned Patton drive to link up the 101st. I loved the fact he mentioned the British Army and other Allies, too many books published in the states fail to mention the British contributions. His sources are from the most recent books about WW2, the other instances during the Ardennes where the SS had massacred American troops. A good book for WW2 readers. He needed a little more information for example General Cota fought with the 29th infantry, how did end up with the 28th infantry division. German point of view was well written but he does a disservice to American soldiers and American weapons for example M1 rifle was one of the best rifles in WW2. His discussion about African American soldiers was interesting and needed to be added and from now on their service should always be included in any books about WW2. Overall, a good book.
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  • G. Meek
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Thanks again for a fun book. Big time for all the people that was a very hard time to live. Every time I got up too look forward it was very sad time. We all had to do with out. Never again never again.
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  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Required
    Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I didn't realize that I had not reviewed this item. It was written in a way that kept my attention on this required reading book.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • PCH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Book.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Enjoyed the author.
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  • David W. Nicholas
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not sure why he wrote it
    Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2010
    This is a strange book. The narrative the author puts forward seems to be an attempt to provide the reader with a better understanding of combat in Western Europe from D-Day through the Battle of the Bulge. The difficulty is that this story has been written before, and the author doesn't present anything new. Almost all the information presented relates to the American and British forces involved in the fighting, with cameo appearances by the Canadians and the Poles. Until late in the book the Germans are only mentioned as antagonists, and then only briefly.

    I was more than a little bit taken aback by how cursory the narrative in this book is. So the author, as a for instance, relates the actions of Brigadier General Teddy Roosevelt at Utah Beach without telling you how the general was related to FDR or his wife, or for that matter the president of the same name. You're left to either know this or guess. It just felt sloppy and incomplete, and if you look in the footnotes you'll find that this whole passage references a very obscure work as its source: "The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan.

    When you read a book like this, you're looking for things that you haven't read elsewhere, or failing that interpretations of the facts that are somehow unique. Here, most of the information comes from other, published sources, and I'm not talking war diaries or official reports. Many, most, of the books cited are available currently. The author did do some interviews of some of the participants in the campaign, and that does add a little here and there, but nothing the author concludes really changes our view of the war or its impact in any significant way.

    So you're left asking why he wrote the book, and there isn't really a clear answer. It just doesn't add that much to what we already know about the war.
    8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Enquirer
    4.0 out of 5 stars better than you think
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 22, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    This book is not really worth 4 stars, but neither is it worth one - so I decided to average it up a bit! This is a solid 3 star effort. The interviews and reminiscences are secondary sourced. i.e he did not seek out the interviewees himself, but instead has collated the stories from other written sources. The result is that Whiting can tailor the tone and topics to suit himself a bit - something which he tends to do in all his military writing anyway. This is a bit subjective, but also gives real thematic substance.

    The result is partly satisfying and partly too lightweight. At least it goes beyond D-Day. At least it gives a wide range of perspectives. However, these are mainly from infantrymen of all the combatant nations. I like it because I am most interested in the infantry/combat story. As an insight into any other arm of service its really a failure. I kept on asking myself what the poor old Ukranians, 'ear & stomach' Germans, Norman peasants thought about it all. For that you will have to go elsewhere. (eg Paul Carel: 'Invasion - They're Coming!)
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  • paul j watkins
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Good purchase.
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