Europe's "winter of the century" (1944-1945) occurred during the conflict of the century--World War II. On December 16, bitter weather and brutal warfare tragically met in Southeastern Belgium's rolling hills of the Ardennes where the 106th Division had arrived only five days earlier. The well-trained, but inexperienced, soldiers were soon overwhelmed by Hitler's tanks and troops surging into Belgium. HELL FROZEN OVER describes the personal experiences of sixteen men--most of them in the 81st Engineers--who were caught in Hitler's final grasp to strangle the continent. More than half of the men interviewed were among the 7,001 in the Division who were taken as prisoners of war. Scattered in camps throughout Germany, the POWs willed themselves to survive as deprivation and even slave labor threatened their lives and sanity. Their comrades-in-arms who escaped capture and remained to fight in foxholes had other hells to endure, as did the civilians of every town in the area. That winter war permanently stamped its cold, dark memories on the souls of America's young men who found themselves in the Battle of the Bulge. Their stories, many of them told after many decades of silence, will inspire Americans to realize that the human spirit can survive even the worst circumstances. The torturous experiences of that dedicated generation will remind both present and future generations that freedom from tyranny has come at a horrible price. Harold A. Cross, Major General (ret.) USAF: "Most renditions of the major campaigns of World War II inundate us with generalship and strategy. However, Marilyn Quigley has masterfully drilled down into the depths of war and captured the unique emotions of American families and soldiers in her book Hell Frozen Over . Marilyn's combination of history and biography of the men who personally bore the battle has produced a remarkable work...and has brought the warriors and their emotions into keen focus without which the Battle of the Bulge or any battle...cannot be fully understood." HELL FROZEN OVER focuses more on personal stories than on troop movement and battle strategies, though those are included. The reader will discover many human-interest details of the war experience along with quotations, philosophical discussions, and details not found in many military books. At the 106th Division's reunion for the 60th anniversary of the Battle, one veteran who had read only a few chapters asked me, "Were you in our foxholes with us?" Another told me, "This is the most accurate account of what we really went through of anything I have ever read." I knew then that my goal for the book had been achieved. Marilyn Quigley, professor emerita of English at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, taught composition, literature, and creative writing for 32 years. The current Evangel campus was O'Reilly General Hospital, a medical facility for soldiers during WWII. Quigley's office for most of her tenure was in an original barracks, formerly an operating room. She has published fiction, a children's musical, poetry, and articles. Her husband Ed designed and painted the cover of HELL FROZEN OVER. The couple have two grown sons and three grandchildren. Used Book in Good Condition