Ardennes 1944

Hitler's Last Gamble

By: Antony Beevor

Narrated by: Sean Barrett

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Ardennes 1944 by Antony Beever, read by Sean Barrett.

On 16 December 1944, Hitler launched his last gamble in the snow-covered forests and gorges of the Ardennes on the Belgian/German border.

Although Hitler's generals were doubtful of success, younger officers and NCOs were desperate to believe that their homes and families could be saved from the vengeful Red Army approaching from the east. The Ardennes offensive, with more than a million men involved, became the greatest battle of the war in Western Europe.

In January 1945, when the Red Army launched its onslaught towards Berlin, the once-feared German war machine was revealed to be broken beyond repair. The Ardennes was the battle which finally broke the Wehrmacht.

©2015 Anthony Beevor (P)2015 Penguin Audio

Well written and balanced

A well documented and written account of one of the most pivotal battles on the Western Front from WWII.

Beevor does well to capture the planning, thinking and political atmosphere of all parties to the conflict. His anecdotes from personal diaries and press at the time does much to convey a sense of personal perspective from Generals to the soldiers fighting.

Recommend reading for any historian, enthusiast or student of WWII.

Difficult to follow

While I enjoyed Beevor WWII account, I found this audiobook impossible to follow. It was all a succession of grim anecdotes, and I could not make sense of what was happening at the strategic level.