With firsthand accounts and dramatic action photographs, Battle of the Bulge provides a comprehensive examination of the beginning of Hitler's final offensive in the West. Although disappointed that they had not won the war by Christmas, the last thing the Allies expected in December 1944 was a full-blown German offensive through the Ardennes. Battle of the Bulge tells the story of the first day of the offensive, explaining how the Germans took the Allies by surprise as they attempted to break through Allied lines. It begins with an overview of the situation in the west in late 1944, describing the German plans and their successful efforts to mask their military buildup, and then relates in detail the start of the battle at 5:30 on December 16 with a heavy artillery bombardment, swiftly followed by the German armor and infantry advancing through the early morning mist. Specially commissioned full-color maps and timelines capture every precious hour when the fate of the whole Western front seemed to hang in the balance.