The Winter Army: The World War II Odyssey of the 10th Mountain Division, America's Elite Alpine Warriors - Paperback

by Maurice Isserman (Author)

WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL SKIING HISTORY ASSOCIATION'S ULLR AWARD, the epic true story of the US Army's 10th Mountain Division, whose elite soldiers broke the last line of German defenses in Italy's mountains in 1945, spearheading the Allied advance to the Alps and final victory.

At the start of World War II, the US Army had two cavalry divisions--and no mountain troops. The German Wehrmacht, in contrast, had many well-trained and battle-hardened mountain divisions, some of whom by 1943 blocked the Allied advance in the Italian campaign. In a unique chapter of WWII history, the US Army started from scratch to develop a unique military fighting force, the 10th Mountain Division, drawn from the ranks of civilian skiers, mountaineers, and others with outdoor experience. The resulting mix of Ivy League students, park rangers, Olympic skiers, and European refugees formed the first specialized alpine fighting force in US history. By the time it deployed to Italy at the beginning of 1945, this ragtag group had coalesced into a tight-knit unit. In the months that followed, at a terrible cost, they spearheaded the Allied drive in Italy to final victory.

Ranging from the ski slopes of Colorado to the towering cliffs of the Italian Alps, The Winter Army is a saga of an unlikely band of soldiers forged in the heat of combat into a brotherhood whose legacy lives on in US mountain fighters to this day.

This riveting work of military history details their incredible story:

• A Unique Unit History: Discover how a ragtag group of civilian skiers, mountaineers, and Ivy League students was forged into the first specialized alpine fighting force in the US Army.
• The Italian Campaign: Follow the division as they deploy to Italy to confront the Wehrmacht's battle-hardened mountain troops and break the last, most stubborn line of German defenses.
• A True Band of Brothers: Witness the formation of a tight-knit brotherhood in the heat of combat, whose legacy of courage and resilience lives on in today's mountain fighters.
• Military Innovation From Scratch: Learn how the US Army built an elite mountain division from the ground up to counter a major strategic threat and spearhead the final Allied advance.

Author Biography

MAURICE ISSERMAN, PhD, is the Publius Virgilius Rogers Professor of American History at Hamilton College. His prize-winning books include Fallen Giants, which won the prestigious Banff Mountain Book Festival prize for best mountaineering history.