The story of the last few months of World War II in the European Theater as told from the perspective of a single U.S. Army unit, the 29th Infantry Division. This book describes the humanitarian crisis that erupted in central Europe as Nazi Germany collapsed, and relates the story of the repatriation of American war dead from western European cemeteries back home to the United States.
Joseph Balkoski is a historian specializing in the history of D-Day and the Normandy campaign. He is the author of the widely acclaimed book Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy. He resided in Normandy during the summer of 2001 to study the D-Day beaches and Normandy battlefields, and he has conducted several "battlefield staff rides" there for current U.S. Army soldiers as part of their military training.
""The Last Roll Call" completes Joseph Balkoski's magnificent five-volume history of the 29th U.S. Infantry Division in World War II as it fought its way from Omaha Beach on D-Day to the Elbe River and Germany's defeat. This final volume, describing the division's actions during the war's last five months, is as meticulously researched and masterfully written as each of Balkoski's previous volumes. "The Last Roll Call" is a 'must read' for anyone interested in how U.S. Army leaders and soldiers fought the real war to defeat Hitler's war machine."--Col. Jerry D. Morelock, USA (Ret), PhD."HISTORYNET editor at large and author of "Generals of the Bulge: Leadership in the U.S. Army's Greatest Battle"" (05/30/2015) "Endlessly absorbing. Joe Balkoski shows us again that he is the master of that rare and rich combination of narrative skill which allows readers to get inside the heads of commanders and at the same time feel the bullets the lowest ranking 29er took during combat."--Robert Baumer"author of "Aachen: The U.S. Army's Battle for Charlemagne's City"" (06/03/2015) "Joe Balkoski is one of America's premier military historians; no one on earth knows the 29th division like he does. "The Last Roll Call" brilliantly documents an area of World War II that hasn't received enough attention--the closing months of the war in Europe. With his sterling prose and deft research, Balkoski puts the reader in the boots of the men of the 29th Division, capturing the final battles against the Third Reich. It fills a void and provides a priceless piece of World War II historiography."--Patrick K. O'Donnell"best-selling author of "First Seals: The Untold Story of the Forging of America's Most Elite Unit"" (06/05/2015) "Joe Balkoski has done it again. Through primary research, veteran interviews, and excellent writing, he puts the reader into the combat boots of the front-line soldier, completing the story of the 29th Infantry Division's campaign across Europe. As with his other books, he tells the story from top to bottom: from the generals directing armies into the heart of Germany, to the soldiers--muddy, bloodied, and cold, yet determined--whose job it was to pry the enemy out of their final defenses. A triumph of military history writing. I wish every World War II Army division had a Joe Balkoski."--Kevin M. Hymel"author of "Patton's Photographs: War as He Saw It"" (06/02/2015)
