Book
The last hill : the epic story of a ranger battalion and the battle that defined WWII / Bob Drury and Tom Clavin.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781250247162 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: xi, 398 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : St. Martin's Press, 2022.
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Commandos -- Darby's recruits -- Torch -- Heat and dust -- "Big Jim" Rudder -- A new beginning -- Sea change -- Swim and swat -- The cliffs -- "The most dangerous mission of D-Day" -- Gin blossoms -- Charon's craft -- Charnel ground -- Thermite -- "No reinforcements available" -- 'All Rangers down!' -- Graves registration -- Hurry up and wait -- The "Fabulous Four" -- Brittany -- Festung Brest -- The "Fool Lieutenant" -- Credentials -- "End the war in '44" -- The Green Hell -- The queen's gambit -- The return of the Fabulous Four -- "How bad is it?" -- Bergstein -- Rudderless -- The sugarloaf -- "Let's go get the bastards!" -- The crest -- Fallschirmjägers -- A last stand -- Howls and whistles -- Trudging away. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | United States. Army. Ranger Battalion, 2nd. World War, 1939-1945 > Campaigns > France > Normandy. World War, 1939-1945 > Regimental histories > United States. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeshore Branch | 940.542142 Dru | 31681010300630 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
"Bob Drury and Tom Clavin's The Last Hill is the incredible untold story of one Ranger battalion's heroism and courage in World War II. They were known as "Rudder's Rangers," the most elite and experienced attack unit the Army had. In December 1944, theywould be the spearhead into Germany, taking the war into Hitler's homeland at last. Their colonel was given this objective: Take Hill 400. The second objective: Hold Hill 400. To the last man, if necessary. The battle-hardened battalion had no idea that the German Volks-Grenadiers, who greatly outnumbered the Rangers, had been given the exact same orders. The clash of the two determined forces was one of the bloodiest and costly ones of World War II. Castle Hill, the imposing 400-foot mini-mountain the grunts simply called Hill 400, was the gateway to still-powerful Nazi Germany. Even an entire division had been repulsed by the desperate defenders. The Allies had to have it to drive a dagger into Germany's heart. Hitler had to hold onto it because hiddenbehind it was the massive army of men and machines poised to smash their way through Allied lines in the Battle of the Bulge. The stalemate could not continue. For Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and his top brass, there was only one solution: Send in the Rangers. After two days, when they were finally relieved, only 16 Rangers remained to stagger down from the top of Hill 400. The Last Hill is filled with unforgettable action and characters-a gripping, finely detailed saga of what the survivors of the battalion would call "our longest day.""-- - Baker & Taylor
Filled with unforgettable action and characters, this incredible untold story of âRudderâs Rangers,â the most elite and experienced attack unit the Army had, recounts how their objective to take Hill 400 led to a clash with the German Volks-Grenadiers, resulting in one of the bloodiest and costly ones of WWII. 200,000 first printing. Illustrations. Maps. - McMillan Palgrave
Bob Drury and Tom Clavin's The Last Hill is the incredible untold story of one Ranger battalion's heroism and courage in World War II.
They were known as âRudderâs Rangers,â the most elite and experienced attack unit in the United States Army. In December 1944, Lt. Col. James Rudder's 2nd Battalion would form the spearhead into Germany, taking the war into Hitlerâs homeland at last. In the process, Rudder was given two objectives: Take Hill 400 . . . and hold the hill by any means possible. To the last man, if necessary. The battle-hardened battalion had no idea that several Wehrmacht regiments, who greatly outnumbered the Rangers, had been given the exact same orders. The clash of the two determined forces was one of the bloodiest and most costly encounters of World War II.
Castle Hill, the imposing 1320-foot mini-mountain the American Rangers simply called Hill 400, was the gateway to a desperate Nazi Germany. Several entire American divisions had already been repulsed by the last hill's dug-in defenders asâunknown to the Alliesâthe height was the key to Adolf Hitler's last-minute plans for a massive counterattack to smash through the American lines in what would become known to history as the Battle of the Bulge.
Thus the stalemate surrounding Hill 400 could not continue. For Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, there was only one solution: Call in Rudder's Rangers. Of the 130 special operators who stormed, captured, and held the hill that December day, only 16 remained to stagger back down its frozen slopes. The Last Hill is replete with unforgettable action and charactersâa rich and detailed saga of what the survivors of the 2nd Ranger Battalion would remember as âour longest day.â
