Decision at St Vith: (6 West Wall Series)

Decision at St Vith tells the devastating story of how a quarter of a million of Hitler's men, 200,000 pieces of artillery and 980 tanks launched themselves at the inexperienced and unprepared US troops who were resting in the forests of the Ardennes. The young soldiers of the US 106th (Golden Lion) Division were huddled in their foxholes trying to sleep. They had never been in battle and were told they occupied a "rest sector" on the front. We read of men who fought until they died and others who quickly surrendered, of officers relieved of command and orders that bore no relation to reality. For this was the night when the full might of Hitler's armies attacked in the first shattering blow of the Battle of the Bulge. This excellent account brings home in vivid detail the brutalities of this last desperate attack by the Germans.

About the Author :
Born in the Bootham area of York, England, he was a pupil at the prestigious Nunthorpe Grammar School, leaving at the age of 16 to join the British Army by lying about his age. Keen to be in on the wartime action, Whiting was attached to the 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment and by the age of 18 saw duty as a sergeant in France, Holland, Belgium and Germany in the latter stages of World War II. While still a soldier, he observed conflicts between the highest-ranking British and American generals which he would write about extensively in later years. After the war, he stayed on in Germany completing his A-levels via correspondence course and teaching English before being enrolled at Leeds University reading History and German Language. As an undergraduate he was afforded opportunities for study at several European universities and, after gaining his degree, would go on to become an assistant professor of history. Elsewhere, Whiting held a variety of jobs which included working as a translator for a German chemical factory and spells as a publicist, a correspondent for The Times and feature writer for such diverse magazines as International Review of Linguistics, Soldier and Playboy. His first novel was written while still an undergraduate, was published in 1954 and by 1958 had been followed by three wartime thrillers. Between 1960 and 2007 Charles went on to write over 350 titles, including 70 non-fiction titles covering varied topics from the Nazi intelligence service to British Regiments during World War II. Charles Henry Whiting, author and military historian died on July 24 2007, leaving his wife and son.