Closing With the Enemy: How Gis Fought the War in Europe, 1944-1945 By Michael D. Doubler

From Publishers Weekly
Countering the widely held belief that U.S. forces in Europe-often viewed as inferior to their German counterparts-prevailed in WWII because of a preponderance of material resources, Doubler's study reveals that Gen. Dwight Eisenhower's divisions had to overcome substantial shortages of personnel and material. Their success, he demonstrates, was due largely to their coordinated use of infantry, tanks, artillery, air power and military engineers. Tracing their advance from Normandy into Germany, Doubler's clear account shows how the Army's tactics validated then-current doctrines while at the same time the troops learned how to apply new principles of combined-arms warfare. His main argument-that U.S. Army forces in Europe were more effective than is generally recognized-is convincing. One chapter analyzes the publications of notable military writers Russell Weigley, Martin Van Creveld and S.L.A. Marshall, whose views differ from his. Doubler has taught at West Point and is currently stationed at Army headquarters in Washington, D.C. Illustrations.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
For years, the traditional view has been that U.S. ground forces defeated the veteran German Wehrmacht only because of enormous American resources and massive firepower. Doubler, a professional military scholar and West Point instructor, takes a contrary position: America's wartime army prevailed because it was innovative and supremely adaptable, able to learn from its mistakes and quickly revise its tactics. Doubler's view is persuasive; he presents example after example of units absorbing combat lessons in the midst of battle and changing their strategy while under fire. This important book is a watershed in critical thinking that will be cited for years to come. Fluently written and beautifully detailed, it is essential for a complete understanding of American operations in World War II. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Explains as advertised–How the GIs fought, March 27, 2002
By Charles Vekert "Chuck Vekert" (Highland, MD USA) - See all my reviews


This book fills a real need. Most histories can tell you where and why Bradley, Patton, and so forth did well or ill. Personal memoirs tell about events as one man saw them, but not much about how the guys were trying to act as a team in battle. This book explains how regiments, companies and platoons fought in a variety of conditions, hedgerows, forests, and mountains. It also shows the inititive displayed at all ranks down to private to solve problems. It can only increase your appreciation of "The Greatest Generation" and is a corrective to accounts depreciating the qualities of US infantry.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
Probably best Tactics lesson for general reader, January 6, 2001
By Bryan Gibby (West Point, NY United States) - See all my reviews


Doubler takes the evidence for American combat effectiveness and presents it in a clear, convincing style – the best that I've seen so far at showing how effective the GI was when fighting in Europe during WWII. There's no obvious axe to grind, but the author does make it a point to demonstrate the essential elements of training, leadership, and innovation that makes for tactical success. Sometimes they worked well together, sometimes not.
I especially liked how the author devoted a chapter to each "problem" encountered by the GI in Europe: hedgerows, towns, cities, forests, and bunkers all required different skills and approaches. Doubler shows how the Americans learned the hard lessons, then as they became more proficient, they managed to gain experience without having to pay so much in blood. The reader also gains an appreciation for the evolution of an army in combat.

Doubler's work will appeal both to specialist and general reader. You don't have to be a military type to understand and enjoy. He explained well his peculiar terms and working definitions.

The only weakness (what kept it from 5 stars in my rating) is that the view is limited to tactics. A chapter or some other kind of elaboration on operational level issues, which invariably influenced tactical actions would have made this a more complete study. Despite that, highly recommended.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
A superior book for military professionals, January 13, 2005
By Claymore6 (In the service of our country) - See all my reviews

This book is a superior work and is invaluable to the military professional interested in small unit tactics. COL Doubler has assembled exhaustive detail and provides a masterful analysis of the small unit tactics employed by the German Army and US Army in late WWII. He does so in a manner that is both easy to read and easy to extract: each chapter examines a specific tactical problem or environment. Read the whole thing and use it as a reference later. Military Historians will love it for the detail, but Military Professionals should read this book if they want to see a systematic discussion not only of WHAT the soldiers did, but why they did it that way and how it turned out. If you are an American Soldier add this book to your reading list: much of what you are taught is not tactics, but battle drills. Read this book and see how an earlier generation confronted seemingly insurmountable problems and solved them by thinking for themselves.