Siegfried Line 1944-45: Battles on the German frontier

Description

The campaign on the German frontier in late 1944 was one of the most frustrating and costly efforts by the US Army in the ETO. The Allies first encountered the Siegfried Line (Westwall) fortifications in September 1944, having pursued the retreating Wehrmacht through Belgium and the Netherlands. The border area around Aachen had been fortified with a double line of bunkers, and both the terrain and the weather made things difficult for the Allies. This book focuses on the involvement of the US First and Ninth armies in the six-month fighting, including the hellish fighting for the Hurtgen forest.

Steven J. Zaloga received his BA in history from Union College and his MA from Columbia University. He has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for over two decades covering missile systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think-tank. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and military history, with an accent on the US Army in World War II as well as Russia and the former Soviet Union. Steve Noon was born in Kent, UK, and attended art college in Cornwall. He has had a life-long passion for illustration, and since 1985 has worked as a professional artist. Steve has provided award-winning illustrations for renowned publishers Dorling Kindersley, where his interest in historical illustration began.

"Steven J. Zaloga is well known by both historians and modelers alike for his well-researched books and articles. This is one of his better books; his writing style well-honed and quite readable. The book is further enhanced by quality period photos and the superb illustrations and maps of Steve Noon. His portrayals of action events really shows what it was like to be fighting in this portion of the conflict. It is another superb Osprey title of an important WWII campaign. Like all Osprey titles, it is one that you can buy with confidence that you are getting the best." --Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com "A specific, important title military collections will relish." --California Bookwatch (July 2007) "...is well written and quite thought-provoking for those interested in the potential of a fortified line." --Coastal Defense Journal