Charles B. MacDonald

As a newly commisioned Captain of a veteran Army regiment, MacDonald's first combat was war at its most hellish--the Battle of the Bulge. In this plain-spoken but eloquent narrative, we live each minute at MacDonald's side, sharing in all of combat's misery, terror, and drama. How this green commander gains his men's loyalty in the snows of war-torn Europe is one of the great, true, unforgettable war stories of all time.

On December 16, 1944, the vanguard of three German armies, totaling half a million men, attacked U.S. forces in the Ardennes region of Belgium and Luxembourg, achieveing what had been considered impossible -- total surprise. In the most abysmal failure of battlefield intelligence in the history of the U.S. Army, 600,000 American soldiers found themselves facing Hitler's last desperate effort of the war.The brutal confrontation that ensued became known as the Battle of the Bulge, the greatest battle ever fought by the U.S. Army -- a triumph of American ingenuity and dedication over an egregious failure in strategic intelligence. A Time for Trumpets is the definitive account of this dramatic victory, told by one of America's most respected military historians, who was also an eyewitness: MacDonald commanded a rifle company in the Battle of the Bulge. His account of this unique battle is exhaustively researched, honestly recounted, and movingly authentic in its depiction of hand-to-hand combat.Mingling firsthand experience with the insights of a distinguished historian, MacDonald places this profound human drama unforgettably on the landscape of history.

On 19 September 1944 the Battle of the Huertgen Forest began.This series of ferocious encounters on the Belgian-German border would not end until three months later, making it the longest single battle the U.S. Army has ever fought.Over this contested fifty square mile area 120,000 American soldiers advanced against 80,000 battle-hardened German troops.Rugged terrain and atrocious weather slowed down the U.S. advance which was forced to combat heavily dug-in German positions, overcoming minefields, barbed wire, and booby-traps, hidden by the snow, as they attempted to move forward.Through the course of this bloody engagement the Allied forces suffered 24,000 battle causalities, plus a further 9,000 victims of weather.This carnage was closely equaled by massive Nazi casualties.It is little wonder that this battle has gone down in history as one of the bitterest and most fruitless battles of World War II.Charles MacDonald’s vivid account of the battle is a remarkable book that uncovers how the conflict developed and progressed over its three month duration.“An extraordinarily lucid account of battle.” — The Baltimore SunIn 1944 Charles MacDonald was a twenty-one year old captain, who commanded a rifle company in the 23rd Infantry Regiment. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart for his service through the course of the Second World War. After the war he became Deputy Chief Historian for the United States Army and wrote a number of books on the history of World War Two. The Battle of the Huertgen Forest was first published in 1963 and MacDonald passed away in 1990.

In this extraordinary book, Charles B. MacDonald recounts his personal, authentic story of the front-line during World War Two.As a newly commissioned captain of a veteran Army regiment, MacDonald’s first experience of combat was war at its most hellish — the Battle of the Bulge.In this eloquent narrative we live each minute at MacDonald’s side, sharing in combat’s misery, terror and drama. His stories are not pretty and his characters are not heroes. In his own words “they are cold, dirty, rough, miserable characters . . . but they win wars.”Company Commander is a stark but very human view of war. It speaks to younger generations with almost the same immediacy as it did to the Greatest Generation.How this green commander gains his men’s loyalty in the snows of war-torn Europe is one of the great, true, unforgettable war stories of all time.PRAISE FOR CHARLES ‘Nowhere is there a more honest, unassuming portrayal of the hopes and dreams and fears of a young infantry captain.’ Saturday Review‘Impressive.’ New York Times⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A truly excellent read . . . I think this is the best description of the foot soldier’s war, nasty, brutish, and often short.’ Local Flyer 56.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Gripping and atmospheric account of one of the toughest battles in the Western European campaign.’ Jim T.Charles B. MacDonald was a Deputy Chief Historian for the United States Army. During the war, he rose to the rank of Captain of the 23rd Infantry of the 2nd Division and was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. He also wrote A Time for Trumpets among other books. He died in 1990.

From the first landings at Casablanca straight through to the crossing of the Elbe River and VE-Day, this book tells the gripping story of all the battles of World War II that American soldiers, sailors, and airmen took part in, and of the strategy behind them. The book’s core is its account of such famous and dramatic episodes as the landing in North Africa, Kasserine Pass, Salerno and Anzio, D-Day, the liberation of Paris, the Battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine, and the race across Germany. It also tells the story of the conflicts between American and other Allied leaders over how to pursue the war, and of convoys, U-boat wolf-packs, the aerial war over Germany, the bombing of Dresden, and the final surrender of the Nazis. MacDonald takes the reader back to the build-up to war, looking at the circumstances of the American decision during the early ’thirties to concentrate, if war should come, on victory in Europe first; and he describes in detail the ways in which America forged a disciplined fighting force when war broke out. His portrayal of major military figures — George S. Patton, Jr., Mark W. Clark, J. Lawton Collins, among others — is both fair and penetrating, and he pays particular attention to other leaders whose accomplishments are not so well known. His sources include official U.S. Army records and direct interviews with non-commissioned officers and privates and top-level participants such as Generals Eisenhower and Bradley. His account also reflects intensive work with original documents and with many newly available sources, as well as his own experiences in the war as the commander of an infantry rifle company. ‘The Might Endeavor’ is a well-researched history of the American forces in World War Two. ‘No other military historian of World War II has Charles MacDonald’s insight into the inner workings of the American military establishment. No other book covers the entire European theater so well. The Mighty Endeavor is an objective account, impeccably accurate, eminently fair and, just as important, always readable.’ – John Toland. ‘Mr. MacDonald’s knowledge, perception, and insight, together, with his narrative power and grace, are impressive. The best and most readable account to date, The Mighty Endeavor will be unsurpassed for many years to come.’ – Martin Blumenson Charles B. MacDonald rose to the rank of Captain of the 23rd Infantry of the 2nd Division. After the war, in which he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star, he became an official Army Historian, retiring as Deputy Chief Historian in 1979. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.

THE ESSENTIAL HISTORY OF US INVOLVEMENT IN WORLD WAR II.Exploring the friction between American and European leaders, this riveting book also delves into the aerial war over Germany, the bombing of Dresden and the final surrender of the Nazis.Charles B. MacDonald fought in the Battle of the Bulge as a captain at just twenty-one years of age, and gained the Purple Heart and Silver Star. His sources for The Mighty Endeavor include U.S. Army records, extensive original documents and interviews with non-commissioned officers, privates and other participants including General Eisenhower and General Bradley.The result is a comprehensive, fascinating and thought-provoking book that is essential reading for anyone with an interest in modern and military history.The Mighty Endeavor tells the gripping story of American participation in World War II, covering dramatic episodes such as the landing in North Africa, D-Day, the liberation of Paris and the Battle of the Bulge.PRAISE FOR THE MIGHTY ENDEAVOR:‘A highly readable look at the struggle to liberate Europe from Nazi oppression.’ Miami Examiner‘Mr. MacDonald’s knowledge, perception, and insight, together, with his narrative power and grace, are impressive.’ Martin Blumenson, historian‘No other military historian of World War II has Charles MacDonald’s insight . . . The Mighty Endeavor is an objective account, impeccably accurate, eminently fair and, just as important, always readable.’ John Toland, historian and author of The Rising Sun⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This author knows what it is like to face death and can translate how soldiers in the same situation feel.’ HSJ J.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An absorbing examination of the American involvement both before and during WW2.’ Brian F.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Written almost 40 years ago, it still reigns supreme as the best single book yet written on the overall American involvement in the ETO during World War II.’ DinsdaleCharles B. MacDonald was a Deputy Chief Historian for the United States Army. During the war, he rose to the rank of Captain of the 23rd Infantry of the 2nd Division and was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. He also wrote A Time for Trumpets among other books. He died in 1990.

THE DEFINITIVE STORY OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE — WRITTEN BY A MAN WHO FOUGHT IN IT.On 16 December 1944, half a million German soldiers attacked U.S. forces in the Ardennes, achieving what had been considered impossible — total surprise.In the most abysmal failure of battlefield intelligence in the history of the U.S. Army, 600,000 American soldiers found themselves facing Hitler’s last desperate efforts without warning. The brutal confrontation that ensued became known as the Battle of the Bulge, the greatest battle ever fought by the U.S. Army — a grand triumph of American ingenuity and dedication over an egregious failure in strategic intelligence.A Time for Trumpets is the definitive account of this dramatic victory, told by one of America’s most respected military historians, who commanded a rifle company in the conflict at the age of twenty-two.Exhaustively researched, detailed and movingly authentic, MacDonald’s book is a thorough account of an immensely influential battle. It is required reading for anyone with an interest in modern military history.PRAISE FOR CHARLES ‘Combines a historian’s detachment and precision with the personal feeling of a man who was there . . . Moving beyond expectations.’ The New York Times‘The trumpets of the title peal throughout these pages . . . in a book that will appeal to specialists and general readers alike.’ Publishers Weekly‘Charles B. MacDonald writes not just military history but history of people caught up in momentous events. His is an epic account of one of history’s most dramatic battles.’ John Toland, historian and author of The Rising Sun⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is an outstanding account of the Ardennes offensive.’ H.A.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘If you want truly to understand the Battle of the Bulge, then this is the book to start with.’ OFFM⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A story of heroism and sacrifice . . . from someone who was there.’ Herc.Charles B. MacDonald was a Deputy Chief Historian for the United States Army. During the war, he rose to the rank of Captain of the 23rd Infantry of the 2nd Division and was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. He also wrote Company Commander among other books. He died in 1990.

Recovering rapidly from the shock of German counteroffensives in the Ardennes and Alsace, Allied armies early in January 1945 began an offensive that gradually spread all along the line from the North Sea to Switzerland and continued until the German armies and the German nation were prostrate in defeat. This volume tells the story of that offensive, one which eventually involved more than four and a half million troops, including ninety-one divisions, sixty-one of which were American. The focus of the volume is on the role of the American armies -First, Third, Seventh, Ninth, and, to a lesser extent, Fifteenth- which comprised the largest and most powerful military force the United States has ever put in the field. The role of Allied armies -First Canadian, First French, and Second British- is recounted in sufficient detail to put the role of American armies in perspective, as is the story of tactical air forces in support of the ground troops.

Center of Military History United States Army Washington, D.C. WWII 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition

They sat in aircraft over hostile territory waiting to jump through the flak to the enemy below and carry out a special mission; the highly trained, courageous men of an elite force - the Airborne.

United States Army in World War 2. CMH Pub. 11-7. On Special Studies. Describes battles on three fronts within the European Arnaville, France; Monte Altuzzo, Italy; and Schmidt, Germany from September through November of 1944. Pictures the difficulties of small unit commanders and soldiers in executing missions assigned by higher headquarters.

After major setbacks in the Ardennes, the Allies launched a massive offensive in January 1945 that involved the largest American force ever assembled. This official history re-creates the "beginning of the end"of World War II. Dramatic accounts include the capture of the bridge at Remagen and the crossing of the Rhine, the liberation of the concentration camps, the battle for Berlin, and other hard-fought landmarks on the road to the triumph of the Allies.Written by an eminent army historian who served on the Western front, this authoritative report was prepared under the auspices of the U. S. Army Center of Military History. Its crisp, coherent narratives of complex operations will captivate both readers familiar with the events of World War II and those new to military history. Battles, personalities, and scenes from the conflict and its aftermath are depicted by 26 maps and 92 illustrations.

[Includes 51 maps and 71 illustrations]This volume deals with the campaign waged by the Third Army in Lorraine during the period 1 September-18 December 1944.The present volume is concerned with the tactical operations of the Third Army and its subordinate units. The story of command and decision in higher headquarters is told only when it has a direct bearing on the campaign in Lorraine. The logistics of this campaign likewise have been subordinated to the tactical narrative. The basic unit in the present narrative is the infantry or armored division. The story of the division has been told in terms of its regiments and battalions, but swerves on occasion to the company or the platoon, just as the operations themselves turned on the exploits of these smaller units. Attention has been focused throughout the volume on the combat formations actually in the line. It is hoped, however, that the reader will gain some impression of the vital combination of arms and services which in the long run bring the infantry and the tanks to victory.

Illustrated with photos

Hardcover. Jacket plastic-protected, a little sunned; page block faintly marked; very good condition, with clean, sound pages. TS

Drogi czytelniku. Masz przed soba prace kapitana Charlesa MacDonalda, tom slawnej ,,zielonej serii", United States Army in World War II, dotyczacy koncowego etapu walk na Europejskim Teatrze Dzialan Wojennych. Ksiazka, opisujaca dzialania amerykanskich wojsk ladowych w ostatnich miesiacach kampanii na froncie zachodnim, mimo ponad czterdziestu lat od jej wydania, wciaz stanowi swego rodzaju podstawe, zarówno dla badaczy, jak i pozostalych osób zainteresowanych tematem. Autor pisze bowiem rzetelnie, powolujac sie nie tylko na zródla amerykanskie. Korzysta takze z dokumentów i wspomnien strony przeciwnej, oraz sojusznikó Brytyjczyków, Kanadyjczyków i Francuzów. Dzialania prowadzone przez sprzymierzenców Stanów Zjednoczonych nie sa wprawdzie glównym tematem niniejszej publikacji, ale nie oznacza to, ze zostaly pominiete. Tworza bowiem tlo calej opowiesci. Kapitan MacDonald, choc bral osobisty udzial w opisywanych tu wydarzeniach, odznacza sie równiez duzym obiektywizmem. Widac, ze w ogólnym rozrachunku jest pod duzym wrazeniem sukcesów odnoszonych przez sily amerykanskie, jednak nie wzbrania sie takze przed wykazywaniem ich slabosci. To samo dotyczy takze stojacego na krawedzi zaglady przeciwnika, III Rzesze.

During WW II the Command and General Staff Colleges primary mission was to train large numbers of captains and majors to be staff officers in battalions, brigades, divisions, and corps. To that end, the Army provided copies of documents produced by field units to the College. Operations orders, after action reports, intelligence analyses, logistics appraisals, and similar documents are in the Combined Arms Research Library documents collection. The primary focus was documenting operations at the tactical and operational levels of warfare. This is one of those documents.

The Siegfried Line Campaign parallels the effort in Lorraine, following the U.S. First and Ninth Armies during the fall of 1944, through similar costly fighting. The narrative takes the reader from the first crossings of the German border on September 11, 1944, to the enemy's counteroffensive, which ended the campaign abruptly inside Germany along the Roer River on December 16. Highlighted are the piercing of the West Wall, the reduction of Aachen, the bitter fighting in the Huertgen Forest, and the operation of the First Allied Airborne Army in Operation Markey-Garden in the Netherlands . American participation in opening Antwerp and clearing the Peel Marshes is also included. The Siegfried Line Campaign is primarily a history of tactical operations in northwestern Europe from early September to mid-December 1944. In addition to the detailed coverage of the campaigns of the U.S. First and Ninth Armies and the First Allied Airborne Army, it sketches the concurrent operations of the Second British and First Canadian Armies. Organized into chapters at the corps level, the story is told primarily at division level with numerous descents to regiment and battalion and even at times to lover units. Logistics and high-level planning (for example, the controversy over single-thrust versus broad-front strategy) are treated where they affected the campaign. Staff operations at army or corps level are discussed when relevant to the development of tactical plans and operations.