Overview

*A brutally honest depiction of day-to-day combat in World War II . . . A rarely frank account of the U.S. infantry experience in northern Europe, A Foot Soldier for Patton takes the reader from the beaches of Normandy through the giddy drive across France, to the brutal battles on the Westwall, in the Ardennes, and finally to the conquest of Germany itself. Patton's army is best known for dashing armored attacks, its commander combining the firepower of tanks with their historic lineage as cavalry. But when the Germans stood firm the greatest fighting was done by Patton's long undersung infantry-the foot sloggers who were called upon to reduce enemy strong points, and who took the brunt of German counterattacks. Michael Bilder, a member of the 5th Infantry (“Red Diamond” division), played a unique role in the Third Army's onslaught. A rifleman foremost, he was also a German-speaker, called upon for interrogations and special duties. Also a combat lifeguard, he played a key role in successive river crossings. An astute observer, he relates dozens of fascinating insights into the campaign, from dealing with German snipers to intoxicated Frenchwomen, as well as relaying the often morbid humor of combat. Laughter, for example, erupts among Bilder's unit when a hated Graves Registration officer, known for robbing the pockets of the dead, gets his hand blown off by a German booby trap. When the 5th Infantry comes up against the fortress of Metz, the battle is detailed in all its horror, as is the sudden drive into the flank of the Bulge, where the Americans face their first winter battle against enemy veterans of Russia. Incidents common to the ordinary GI, but which seldom see the light of day in histories, are routinely related in this book, enriching the reader's sense of the true reality of World War II combat. ILLUSTRATONS 16 pages

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9781612000909

Table of Contents

Reviews

Altogether, this is a fascinating insight into a rifleman's everyday life during the later stages of the War in Europe. Classic Military Vehicle ...a damn good read...a roller coaster of a story filled with the highs and lows of war. Raider ...a fine book that I would recommend to anyone who has anything to do with the infantryman's war. It should be compulsory reading for snout-in-trough politicians who thoughtlessly commit better men than themselves to that very experience. Tank One of the best memoirs I have ever read about WWII service. Military Magazine

REVIEWS Altogether, this is a fascinating insight into a rifleman's everyday life during the later stages of the War in Europe. Classic Military Vehicle, 03/2009 ...a damn good read...a roller coaster of a story filled with the highs and lows of war. Raider, 03/2009 ...a fine book that I would recommend to anyone who has anything to do with the infantryman's war. It should be compulsory reading for snout-in-trough politicians who thoughtlessly commit better men than themselves to that very experience. Tank. 03/2009 One of the best memoirs I have ever read about WWII service. - Military Magazine, June 2011

Altogether, this is a fascinating insight into a rifleman’s everyday life during the later stages of the War in Europe. * Classic Military Vehicle * One of the best memoirs I have ever read about WWII service. * Military Magazine * ...a fine book that I would recommend to anyone who has anything to do with the infantryman’s war. It should be compulsory reading for snout-in-trough politicians who thoughtlessly commit better men than themselves to that very experience. * Tank * ...a damn good read...a roller coaster of a story filled with the highs and lows of war. * Raider *

Altogether, this is a fascinating insight into a rifleman's everyday life during the later stages of the War in Europe. * Classic Military Vehicle * ...a damn good read...a roller coaster of a story filled with the highs and lows of war. * Raider * ...a fine book that I would recommend to anyone who has anything to do with the infantryman's war. It should be compulsory reading for snout-in-trough politicians who thoughtlessly commit better men than themselves to that very experience. * Tank * One of the best memoirs I have ever read about WWII service. * Military Magazine *

Altogether, this is a fascinating insight into a rifleman's everyday life during the later stages of the War in Europe. * Classic Military Vehicle * One of the best memoirs I have ever read about WWII service. * Military Magazine * ...a fine book that I would recommend to anyone who has anything to do with the infantryman's war. It should be compulsory reading for snout-in-trough politicians who thoughtlessly commit better men than themselves to that very experience. * Tank * ...a damn good read...a roller coaster of a story filled with the highs and lows of war. * Raider *

Author Information

James Bilder has a B.A. in Journalism from Lewis University in Romeoville, IL and a Masters of Science from Loyola University in Chicago. He served as the Mayor of Worth, IL from 1993-2001. He is the co-author of A Foot Soldier for Patton and has been a freelance contributor to WWII Quarterly Magazine.

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