Y1806 On December 22, 1944, at 1700 hours, a radio operator crossed the frozen command room at German Army Group B headquarters. He handed Field Marshal Walter Model a decoded intercept. Model read it once, then again. American armor, Third Army markings, was engaging German positions at Martellange, 20 kilometers south of Bastogne. His eyes moved … Read more
In August 1944, the village of Saint-Clair-sur-Elle in Normandy had just been liberated. By evening, French civilians opened everything they had saved — wine, food, and music. Lieutenant David Pierce was dancing. He did not dance awkwardly or out of obligation. He actually danced. He had grown up in Charleston, South Carolina, in a house … Read more
In August 1944, the village of Saint-Clair-sur-Elle in Normandy had been liberated that morning. By evening, French civilians had opened everything they had saved. There was wine, food, and music. Lieutenant David Pierce was dancing. He did not dance awkwardly or out of obligation. He actually danced. Pierce had grown up in Charleston, South Carolina, … Read more
Dlouho po půlnoci jsem držel v náruči opilou Soňu Bílkovou, když její otec otevřel bránu a při pohledu na mě zbledl. Ne kvůli tomu, v jakém stavu jsem mu přivezl dceru. Kvůli mně. Nejdřív zkontroloval Soňu, podíval se, jestli stojí na nohou, jestli jí nic nechybí. Pak se zadíval přímo do mé tváře a zůstal … Read more
Vždycky jsem si myslela, že rodina je místo, kam se člověk vrací, i když všechno ostatní selže. Že když uděláte všechno správně, když budete hodní, pracovití a oddaní, vesmír vám to vrátí v podobě úcty a lásky. Seděla jsem v tom autě před domem mých rodičů, ruce pevně sevřené na volantu, a tiše jsem se … Read more
In January 1945, as the Battle of the Bulge was finally dying down, Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery sat in a dimly lit command trailer in Zonhoven, Belgium. Outside, the snow was stained black with powder burns. Inside, Montgomery was not studying maps or casualty reports. He was typing a secret telegram intended only for … Read more
On the morning of June 6, 1944, dawn broke over the Normandy coast while Adolf Hitler slept deep inside the Wolf's Lair, his headquarters hidden in the forests of East Prussia. His generals hesitated. Reports were pouring in. Allied paratroopers had landed behind the lines, naval bombardment was striking five beaches, and thousands of ships … Read more
Po pięciu latach małżeństwa wciąż pamiętałam, jak to wszystko miało wyglądać. Miałam być cierpliwa, dyskretna, wdzięczna. Taką rolę wyznaczyła mi moja teściowa, a mój mąż Michał nigdy nie zadał sobie trudu, żeby zaprzeczyć jej słowom. Byłam żoną prezesa, ale w tym domu znaczyłam mniej niż służba. Oni mieli swoje życie, swoje rytuały, swoje sekrety. Ja … Read more
In April 1945, in Bavaria, Germany, General George S. Patton walked into an interrogation room. He had been briefed on the prisoner waiting inside: Major General Heinrich Kessler, commander of the 19th Panzer Division, captured three days earlier outside Nuremberg. What the briefing had not mentioned was what Kessler was doing at the moment Patton … Read more
In August 1944, in northern France, General George S. Patton stood at a forward observation point on a ridge above a valley. He had his binoculars, his maps, and his officers around him, conducting a standard forward assessment. Below, a company of the 4th Infantry Division was pinned down in an open field. A German … Read more