354pp. A detailed objective analysis of the US Armys tactical ability by 1944-45. This work offers a view of how the GI and his officers fought the war. The author sets out to demonstrate that the key to the US success was the flexibility and ingenuity of its soldiers. He points out that the most important element in overcoming the Germans was the intelligence of Americas front-line officers and troops, and their ability to make sound decisions on the spot. The author also shows the GI as an amateur who learned quickly and well and who, by the end of the war, had turned himself into a formidable enemy.
WINNER OF THE FORREST C. POGUE PRIZE AND THE NEW YORK MILITARY AFFAIRS SYMPOSIUM BEST BOOK AWARD
Closing with the Enemy picks up where D-Day leaves off. From Normandy through the breakout in France to the German armys last gasp in the Battle of the Bulge, Doubler deals with the deadly business of war- closing with the enemy, fighting and winning battles, taking and holding territory. His study provides a provocative reassessment of how American GIs accomplished these dangerous and costly tasks.
Doubler portrays a far more capable and successful American fighting force than previous historians- notably Russell Weigley, Martin Van Creveld, and S.L.A. Marshall- have depicted. True, the GIs werent fully prepared or organized for a war in Europe and have often been viewed as inferior to their German opponent. But, Doubler argues, they more than compensated for this by their ability to learn quickly from mistakes, to adapt in the face of unforseen obstacles, and to innovate new tactics on the battlefield. This adaptability, Doubler contends, was far more crucial to the American effort than weve been led to believe.
Fueled by a fiercely democratic and entrepreneurial spirit, GI innovations emerged from every level within the ranks- from the novel employment of conventional weapons and small units to the rapid retraining of troops on the battlefield. Their most dramatic success, however, was with combined arms warfare- the coordinated use of infantry, tanks, artillery, air power, and engineers- in which they perfected the use of air support for ground operations and tank-infantry teams for breaking through enemy strongholds.
Doubler argues that, without such ingenuity and imaginative leadership, it would have been impossible to defeat an enemy as well trained and heavily fortified as the German army the GIs confronted in the tortuous hedgerow country of northern France, the narrow cobblestoned streets of Aachen and Brest, the dark recesses of the Huertgen Forest, and the frigid snow-covered hills of the Ardennes.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the American victory in the Battle of the Bulge, Doubler offers a timely reminder that the tremendous effects of firepower and technology will still not relieve ground troops of the burden of closing with the enemy. As even Desert Storm suggests, that will likely prove true for future high-tech battlefields, where an armys adaptability will continue to be prized.
The best single book I have ever read on the GI and his officers. Destined to become a military classic.
-Stephen E. Ambrose, author of D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II
Doubler demands persuasively that we show renewed respect for the prowess of the American Army of 1944 1945. All students of the war should read this book.
-Russell F. Weigley, author of Eisenhowers Lieutenants
A unique analysis of how American combat troops improvised battle techniques in unexpected and extremely difficult battlefield situations. Doublers operational coverage is excellent, his writing flows, and his argument is significant not only for the 1944-45 campaigns in northwest Europe, but also for the entire war and even for warfare in general.
-Martin Blumenson, author of The Patton Papers
An important contribution to our understanding of innovation in the US Army under the deadly pressure of combat. It provides new and important insights about the importance of having talented, creative soldiers who can solve problems and adjust to unexpected demands in battle.
-Robert A. Doughty, author of The Breaking Point: Sedan and the Fall of France, 1940
MICHAEL D. DOUBLER served for twenty-three years as a Regular Army and full-time Army National Guard officer and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Guard Education Foundation. He is the author of Civilian in Peace, Soldier in War: The Army National Guard, 1636 2000 and is a frequent commentator on The History Channel.
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