The Longest Winter - The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon
by Alex Kershaw

List Price: $25.00  Hardback: 288 Pages
Publish Date: November 30, 2004

Review by Brian Williams 

If you read The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw, then you will enjoy his newest book entitled The Long Winter.  As with The Bedford Boys, Kershaw focuses on the 'human' factor of war, by concentrating on a smaller band of soldiers.  This allows Kershaw to bring the soldiers' characters more to life by examining their past, family, upbringing, fears, passions, and what becomes of them after the conflict.

The book is divided into 4 parts: Watch on the Rhine, The Battle of Lanzerath, War Behind Wire, and Last Battles.  Watch on the Rhine gives the reader a good lead up to the events leading up to the Ardennes offensive.  The Battle of Lanzerath details the battle itself, War Behind Wire tells of the platoon's time as POW's, and Last Battles follows the aftermath effects of the platoon.  As the title suggests, the focus of the book deals with The Battle of the Bulge and WWII's "most decorated platoon" (the 99 Division 394th I&R platoon).  More specifically, the book details the heroic stand at Lanzerath where the platoon held off 3 German assaults and blunted at least one sector of the German Ardennes offensive.  But, this book is not Hollywood, and only after running out of ammunition, the platoon is forced to surrender ... and this is where the second 1/2 of the book takes over.  The men endure the living hell as POW's and this part alone is worth reading as a book in itself.  How the men survived German cruelty, disease, coldness, and starvation is a miracle.

This book is not a book to be missed.  Kershaw is one of the best at detailing the 'human' side of war.  As with The Bedford Boys, you, as the reader, are given an intimate glimpse into the platoon.  In my opinion, books like this offer us a true perspective into what it was like to actually be in combat and later in captivity.  Of particular note are the after effects of combat -- namely, meaning the wounded who had to return home with a permanent injury.  This book reminded me of the great sacrifice that many survivors who returned had to live with for the rest of their lives.

If you are interested in detailed small-unit actions or the Ardennes Offensive, then you should not miss this book.  It is a wonderfully written and as is true with The Bedford Boys, you will come away with a greater understanding of the sacrifice that these soldiers gave.

Review by Brian Williams (militaryhistoryonline@hotmail.com)