Neill, George W. Infantry soldier; holding the line at the Battle of the Bulge.Univ. of Oklahoma Press. 356p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. 0-8061-3380-5. $19.95. SA If memory is the essence of history, then battlefield memoirs will always be a staple of library holdings about WW II. Having said this, the difference between what one sees about the Battle of the Bulge Battle of the Bulge, popular name in World War II for the German counterattack in the Ardennes, Dec., 1944–Jan., 1945. It is also known as the Battle of the Ardennes. On Dec. on the History Channel, or in the memoirs of generals who directed this battle, differs greatly from the memoirs of ordinary infantrymen, such as the author of this book. Here the perspective is limited to specific engagements, to what one can see beyond one's foxhole, to brief and brutal encounters with the enemy. It is this kind of memory that students need to read more of. What such memoirs do is challenge the YA reader to rethink the stereotypical representations of war. They also create the possibility of deep reflection about a human activity that encompasses heroism and self-sacrifice, as well as utter barbarism bar·ba·rism n. 1. An act, trait, or custom characterized by ignorance or crudity. 2. a. The use of words, forms, or expressions considered incorrect or unacceptable. b. . The author was in the 99th Infantry Division, which fought its way across Belgium and France after the D-Day invasion, only to encounter Hitler's last great offensive against Allied troops at the Battle of the Bulge. Among the many stories in this book is that of an American medic medic: see alfalfa. who, having lost his comrades, suddenly found himself on the perimeter of German lines. A German sentry called "Halt!" He froze and said he was an unarmed Amerikanser medic. The voice in the darkness replied in broken English: "You are lost. Go back the way you came," which he did, saving him from capture, even death. A day or so earlier. German SS troops had murdered 86 captured Americans at Baugnez, near Belgium. One of the interesting facts that I learned reading this book, one that anyone serving in the European theatre in the winter of 1944 would have known, is how many American casualties were due to trench foot trench foot n. A condition of the foot resembling frostbite, caused by prolonged exposure to cold and dampness and often affecting soldiers in trenches. Also called immersion foot. . American soldiers were poorly attired for the unusually severe winter weather; this included a lack of overshoes. Particularly chilling is the author's account of the V-1 bombs and V-2 rockets that regularly passed overhead, and which hit London, where the author was evacuated e·vac·u·ate v. e·vac·u·at·ed, e·vac·u·at·ing, e·vac·u·ates v.tr. 1. a. To empty or remove the contents of. b. To create a vacuum in. 2. after being wounded. Prof. John Rosser, Boston College Boston College, main campus at Chestnut Hill, Mass.; coeducational; Jesuit; est. and opened 1863. Actually a university, the school's Chestnut Hill campus comprises colleges of arts and sciences and business administration, the graduate school, and schools of nursing , Chestnut Hill Chestnut Hill may refer to: In geography:
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