In this adaptation of his best-selling adult title The Guns at Last Light (2013), Atkinson focuses on WWII's Battle of the Bulge. Many in the German command questioned Hitler's bold, if desperate, plan to defeat the advancing Allies in late 1944, but he demanded it be carried out without changes. At first, the offensive was successful, driving back U.S. forces with overwhelming casualties. However, starting on December 16, the Allies dug in and mounted a defense that resulted in a bloody but important victory, the "last great grapple of the Western Front." It's a gripping story, hampered somewhat by a disjointed narrative and problems in presentation: some editorial comments lack attribution, and quotes from German participants in the planning are broken out of the text for no apparent reason. Those with a deep dedication to WWII and its essential battles will still find this book interesting. However, casual readers may be better served reading other nonfiction texts, including DK's Eyewitness series book World War II (2014) or even historical fiction, such as Harry Mazer's A Boy at War (2001).

An adaptation (like D-Day) from Atkinson's bestselling adult book The Guns at Last Light recounts the deadliest battle of World War II, depicting battle sites, decisive conflicts, principal players, and casualty statistics. Supplemented with archival photographs and strategy maps, WWII aficionados will welcome this finely detailed account of the last major battle. Back matter provides additional information and insights. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.