THE BATTLE OF AACHEN

Mr. Werstein's thrilling account of the first big battle of World War II on German soil for the city of Aachen in September and October of 1944 is well documented, easy to follow and gripping in narration. The city, a strongpoint in Hitler's Siegfried Line because of its position on the German border, was finally won after tremendous losses on both sides. The VII Corps of the U. S. Army encircled and laid siege to the city, but only after bitterly fought battles, supply problems, sabotage by civilians and incredibly fanatic counter attacks by members of the SS, was the stronghold finally leveled and taken. Quotations by participating members of the battle and detailed maps heighten the reality and make more plausible and frightening the list of German and American troops that appears at the end. Recommended to the mature reader with an appreciation for recent history.