Discover new selections
$16.17 with 64 percent savings
Digital List Price: $44.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Robert W. Baumer
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Aachen: The U.S. Army's Battle for Charlemagne's City in World War II Kindle Edition

by Robert W Baumer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 86 ratings
“Outstanding. . . . details all of the horrific . . . 1944 battle fought by GIs to capture the first major German city in World War II's European Theater.” —Jerry D. Morelock, Armchair General magazine
 
By September 1944, the Allied advance across France and Belgium had turned into attrition along the German frontier. Standing between the Allies and the Third Reich's industrial heartland was the city of Aachen, once the ancient seat of Charlemagne's empire and now firmly entrenched within Germany's Siegfried Line fortifications. The city was on the verge of capitulating until Hitler forbade surrender.

·       Dramatic story of the American battle for Aachen, the first city on German soil to fall to the Allies in World War II.
·       Chronicles the six weeks of hard combat for the city, culminating in eight days of fighting in the streets
·       Details the involvement of some of the U.S. Army's finest units, including the 1st Infantry Division (“Big Red One”), the 30th Infantry Division (“Roosevelt’s SS”), and the 2nd Armored Division (“Hell on Wheels”)
 
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    562 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
  4. Publication date
    June 14, 2023
  5. File size
    28.6 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details
Due to its large file size, this book may take longer to download
Amazon Book Sale.
Hundreds of audiobooks under $8. Shop now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Baumer's outstanding new examination of 'Bloody Aachen' details all of the horrific October 2-21, 1944 battle fought by GIs to capture the first major German city in World War II's European Theater....The author describes how GIs endured, then triumphed, in the 'brutal fields of death' created by the street-to-street, building-to-building urban combat."--Jerry D. Morelock""Armchair General"" (05/15/2015)

About the Author

Robert W. Baumer, a graduate of the University of Illinois, has been writing about World War II for twenty years. He is a former columnist for Armchair General, author of Aachen: The U.S. Army's Battle for Charlemagne's City in World War II (978-0-8117-1482-2), and coauthor with Mark Reardon of American Iliad: The 18th Infantry Regiment in World War II (978-0-9717650-5-4).

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00SZ8Z95U
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rowman & Littlefield Publishers; Illustrated edition (June 14, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 14, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 28.6 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 562 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 86 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Robert W. Baumer

Robert W. Baumer

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

ROBERT W. BAUMER HAS BEEN WRITING about World War II for over twenty years. He is the coauthor with Mark Reardon of American Iliad: The 18th Infantry Regiment in World War II, author of Aachen: The U.S. Army’s Battle for Charlemagne’s City in World War II, Old Hickory: The 30th Division—The Top-Rated American Infantry Division in Europe in World War II, and The Journey of the Purple Heart, A First Infantry Division Soldier’s Story from Stateside to North Africa, Sicily and Normandy during World War II.

The Journey of the Purple Heart is a leap in genre for Robert. Based on accurate military history, it is a book with narrative composition that puts readers in the thick of combat with its main characters, from General George Patton down the ranks to his late Uncle’s Big Red One commanding general, the colorful Terry Allen. First hand accounts of his Uncle’s best friend, his company captain, his mortar platoon leader, as well as his battalion commander add rich texture to the prose. Readers will also appreciate how the author weaves events on the home front into the book, and the anxious waiting his Uncle’s family endured waiting for word that he made it after landing in North Africa, Sicily and on Omaha Beach on D-Day.

Robert is a graduate of the University of Illinois in Champaign- Urbana, and is a former columnist who wrote “The Tip of the Spear” for Armchair General magazine when it began circulation in 2004.

Robert’s advocacy for veterans was first recognized in 2005 by an order of the Secretary of the Army, wherein he was made an honorary member of the 18th Infantry Regiment First Infantry Division of World War II; in 2017 he was inducted for life into the Order of the Old Hickory Society for actions that “forever enhanced the reputation, honor, and legacy of the famous combat unit known as Old Hickory.”

Today Robert lives in Florida, and when not writing he’s riding motorcycles.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
86 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book detailed and well-researched, with one review highlighting its extensive descriptions of the hard-fought battle. Moreover, the historical content receives positive feedback, with one customer noting its thorough treatment of the battle. However, the book lacks adequate maps, and several customers find it unreadable.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

17 customers mention "Detail"13 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the book's detailed and well-researched content, with one customer noting its extensive descriptions of the hard-fought battle.

"...From my standpoint the book was very detailed and helped me understand the overall battle...." Read more

"...That said, the author clearly evidenced his commitment to excellent research and presented the only book exclusively about the Battle of Aachen..." Read more

"The author uses excellent organization and extensive details to describe this hard fought, month long campaign - from both US and enemy points of..." Read more

"...Good rundown of the units engaged in the battle on both sides,...." Read more

14 customers mention "Scholarly content"10 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the scholarly content of the book, describing it as an interesting historical read that provides detailed insights into the battle for Aachen.

"...Also, it was very refreshing to read a war history of the area which uses the local names for rivers and creeks instead of the names shown only on..." Read more

"...This is not a quick read, but a true detailed history of the battle for Aachen. For the serious WWII reader this is a great book." Read more

"...Better than any other WW2 book, the reader can get an excellent insight into the fighting that occurred at key points and how each side pursued its..." Read more

"...They are confusing, lack legends, overly detailed when they should be simpler, and town names are mostly unreadable or missing...." Read more

6 customers mention "Map quality"0 positive6 negative

Customers find the map quality of the book unsatisfactory, with multiple reviews noting the lack of adequate maps.

"...That said, I thought the book lacked adequate maps to understand the full scale of the battle...." Read more

"...I do join with other reviewers, however, in commenting about the book’s lack of maps; there were many smaller unit actions detailed in the writing..." Read more

"...The one great failing of this book is the maps or lack thereof. There are about 5 of them, one of which is included twice (?)..." Read more

"I enjoyed the book and I'd have rated this 5 star but lack of decent maps hurts it tremendously...." Read more

6 customers mention "Readability"0 positive6 negative

Customers find the book difficult to read, with some describing it as unreadable. One customer mentions it's not a quick read, while another stopped reading after about 30 pages.

"...I found only few mistakes in spelling or naming and I attribute them to the source materials as they telegraph throughout other (US-published)..." Read more

"...Google Earth helped me a lot understanding the book. This is not a quick read, but a true detailed history of the battle for Aachen...." Read more

"...he has very few maps and they are mostly of poor quality and also unreadable...." Read more

"...A bit difficult to read, requires ones attention." Read more

A Very Good Read!
5 out of 5 stars
A Very Good Read!
This book is a very good read for anyone interested in this epic battle of the first German city to fall to the allies in World War II. It also warms my heart to see mention of my late father, Capt. Gilbert H. Fuller, CO H Company, 26th Infantry Regiment in this historcial account of the Battle of Aachen..
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed, blow by blow account of 3 weeks often ignored.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Having grown up hard on the Dutch/German border, I played during most of my childhood in what used to be bloody battle fields. As kids we frequently brought spent and unspent munitions to light which had laid undisturbed since the fall of 1944. I often heard family members talk about what it was like the days the "Amis" advanced thru our area in order to take Aachen and ultimately end the war. Few books mention, let alone describe in detail, the events that took place north of the Huertgen Forest. Also, it was very refreshing to read a war history of the area which uses the local names for rivers and creeks instead of the names shown only on American maps. I found only few mistakes in spelling or naming and I attribute them to the source materials as they telegraph throughout other (US-published) books about the subject. While the maps could be better / larger / clearer, I still give full marks since it is rare to find topographic maps of the area surrounding Aachen dating back to 1944. And any map printed post 1949 would have quite a few road names changed and therefore add to the confusion. Thank You Mr. Baumer, I owe you a beer!
    7 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • zipper
    4.0 out of 5 stars War is "Hell"
    Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I had a special interest in this book as we had a family member serving with the 30ID. He received his second purple heart in the battle for Aachen on 10/11/1944. From my standpoint the book was very detailed and helped me understand the overall battle. That said, I thought the book lacked adequate maps to understand the full scale of the battle. Several of the maps in the book were reduced in size to the point it was difficult to even read them. There were several other maps that were very readable and printed on a better scale. I ended up using Google Earth maps to better understand the scale of the battle. By the way there are remains of numerous bunkers in the area, particularly around the city of Brand. Northeast of Brand there are three panzers that remain today. Google Earth helped me a lot understanding the book. This is not a quick read, but a true detailed history of the battle for Aachen. For the serious WWII reader this is a great book.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • lisak
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great WWII Read
    Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Aachen is a great read, especially for World War II buffs looking for a detailed narrative about the long five weeks it took American forces to force the city’s surrender. I was impressed with the way the author seamlessly weaved much of the historical record with first-hand accounts of the commanders and combatants who fought the battles. I do join with other reviewers, however, in commenting about the book’s lack of maps; there were many smaller unit actions detailed in the writing that were hard to follow absent illustrations, but the engaging writing overcame this in most cases. That said, the author clearly evidenced his commitment to excellent research and presented the only book exclusively about the Battle of Aachen during World War II in a clear, concise manner deserving of five stars.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Bill Poole
    5.0 out of 5 stars Climactic battle of Aachen, breaking through into Germany
    Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The author uses excellent organization and extensive details to describe this hard fought, month long campaign - from both US and enemy points of view. Better than any other WW2 book, the reader can get an excellent insight into the fighting that occurred at key points and how each side pursued its strategy day-by-day. No WW2 study is complete without knowledge of the crucial Aachen battle, which was the initial breakthrough of Hitler's West Wall.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • KM Baker
    3.0 out of 5 stars A very gritty story about the US Army breaking through ...
    Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A very gritty story about the US Army breaking through the fortified line protecting the German frontier west of the Rhine called by the Germans the "West Wall" and by the Americans the "Seigfried Line". It shows the courage and determination of our soldiers in the face of heavy losses. It also shows the mindless resistance that let the city of Aachen be destroyed.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • John A. Getty
    4.0 out of 5 stars Have your own maps
    Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This book covers the battle for Aachen in unbelievable detail. It reads almost as you would expect the Army's official history (green books) would read if they had done a volume on just this subject. The one great failing of this book is the maps or lack thereof. There are about 5 of them, one of which is included twice (?) and they are copies of maps from other sources. The best one, as it pertains to the text, is the one covering the northern pincer of the encirclement covering the 30th Inf. Div and the 2nd Armored Div., however, even it is almost too large a scale and many areas that are referred to on a continuing basis are not clearly noted on the map. The first 113 pages are devoted to the southern pincer by the 1st Inf. Div. and the 3rd Armored Div. and the one map that deals with those areas is, again, too large a scale. At least half of the villages mentioned in the text are not to be found and following the action is frustrating. This is really a good book, but it could have been a great book with about 4 more custom maps covering specific engagements.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Sgt G
    5.0 out of 5 stars Now this was a very good read of an epic battle
    Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Now this was a very good read of an epic battle. The coverage of fighting through the bunkers and dragons teeth was well covered, as well as the house to house. Good rundown of the units engaged in the battle on both sides,. If you have been to Aachen you will find plenty of reminders of the battle on the buildings, bullitt holes, damage from artillery and bombs. If you are a history buff this book is well worth the time spent reading it.
    5 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Hugh w. Dunn
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a great book
    Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This book shows how the German Army fought for their homeland for they had years to prepare defenses for an invasion and how hard it was for the American Army to over come them, both sides were very clever, The Germans in defenses and Americans in attack tactics, very costly in human lives on both sides. if a person likes World War 2 history, this is a must read book.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Thomas A. Regelski
    3.0 out of 5 stars Turgid
    Reviewed in Germany on October 29, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    A thorough account. But it suffers from the usual problems of war histories: page after page of descriptions of troop movements, engagements, etc. that, in copious use of military terminology for descriptions, ends up numbing my brain. Maps, too, fail to help locate action. It seems that most military historians, save Beever, write as though they are writing for other military historians who know the names of weapons, etc.
    Report
  • Moss Trooper
    3.0 out of 5 stars but a little more critical analysis would have easily uncovered these issues
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This book was well written and had a detailed, comprehensive narrative of both the September and October battles. Why the three stars? First, the maps - or lack thereof. There are a couple (one was incomprehensible due to scale distortion) but I couldn't follow the narrative with what was provided, let alone get a feel for how the topography influenced commanders' decisions. Dropped a star here. Second, is the often weak analysis of the axis side of the battle. The most notable issue is the apparently interchangeable designation of the 3rd Panzer Grenadier division as the 3rd Panzer division; the author even refers to the division as the "Armoured Bear" division recruited from Berlin - this was true of the 3rd Panzer, but 3rd Panzer wasn't at Aachen, 3rd Panzer Grenadier was. What can be inferred as Panzerschrecks are routinely labelled "Panzerfausts" (one of the illustrations even clearly shows the former but is labelled as the latter), and the convention for contemporary reports and immediate post war unit histories to label every German AFV as a "Mark VI" is uncritically followed. Admittedly the book is pitched as an account from the US side, but a little more critical analysis would have easily uncovered these issues. Dropped the second star here.
    This is still a good book, but it could so easily have been a great one with a little more attention to the issues above. Still a welcome narrative of a battle that seems overlooked in favour of Market Garden and Bulge books.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report