Wm. Morrow, & Co., 1985, ISBN 0-688-03923-5, $19.95, 712 pages

This classic retelling of the Battle of the Bulge at the platoon and squad level gives you a foxhole-eye view of the desperate attacks and defense in the Ardennes. MacDonald recounts the confusion, despair, and elation of success and failure of every unit--and the story is not a pretty one.

Indeed, the detail is sometimes overwhelming, and trying to keep everything straight can be a struggle. But when you delve down to these depths in an organization chart, you have no choice.

Anecdote after anecdote about the soldiers and civilians roll across the pages. Tanks and assault guns storm positions, infantry attacks flounder in the crossfire of machine guns, artillery crashes down upon formations, soldiers execute prisoners, and the road system alternately speeds up or baffles units. Heroic last stands by small groups of US troops buy time. German engineers can't erect bridges fast enough, and armored spearheads can't capture intact ones. Ammo runs out. Gas runs out. Time runs out.

A Time for Trumpets moves along quickly enough for such exquisite detail. If there's a nit to pick, it's that the book needs more and larger maps. Every town, village, and hamlet takes its turn in the narrative, and the small maps included are difficult to reference.

Other than that, this is a must-read for those wanting to understand the Bulge at an extremely small-scale tactical level.