*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a very interesting read! I've read many war books and learn something new every new book i read, this was no different! Learned a lot from this book, would recommend.

First id like thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the arc copy of the audiobook.

This is the second book by Tom Calvin and Bob Drury I’ve read. I like how they put so much research into their history books to give us every side of the story. This book details the fight for Castle Hill, a strategically essential location that leads into the core of Nazi Germany. Several entire American divisions had tried and failed to take it, and so General Eisenhower ordered the Rangers to go in. Rudder’s were the most elite, battle-hardened unit of the already elite group known as the Rangers. Led by Lieutenant Colonel James Rudder, they were ordered to fight to the last man, if necessary, and they very nearly did; 130 special operatives, as they were known, ascended the hill, and only 16 were left standing when it was over. Nobody there knew that Hitler’s Wehrmacht had been given nearly identical instructions, as it was through here that a massive number of German troops were slated to descend through the gateway and conclude the Battle of the Bulge for the Axis powers.

This is a great read for anyone looking to learn more about WWII battles I feel like we really only learn about a couple so things like this don’t get as much hype. Though this is only centered on part of Germany and just one hill. I really enjoyed seeing how the rangers were trained prior to going over seas.

This book might be better consumed as a physical book than an audiobook because it’s so detailed heavy and unless your like me and can listen to the 12 hours in one go you might forget who who is in the book and might want the book to go back and forth for the reminder of names. I ended up buying the physical copy because I enjoyed this book so much.

In 2021, Clavin and Drury published Blood and Treasure, an outstanding biography of Daniel Boone, several American Indian tribes, and their relationship to the American Revolution. When I saw a chance to hear their new audiobook titled The Last Hill, I jumped on it. And the early portion of it convinced me that I was missing too much by listening but not seeing, so then I went back and requested the digital version as well. My thanks go to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and Net Galley for the review copies. This book is for sale now.

This meaty yet readable book details the fight for Castle Hill, a strategically essential location that leads into the core of Nazi Germany. Several entire American divisions had tried and failed to take it, and so General Eisenhower ordered the Rangers to go in. Rudder’s were the most elite, battle-hardened unit of the already elite group known as the Rangers. Led by Lieutenant Colonel James Rudder, they were ordered to fight to the last man, if necessary, and they very nearly did; 130 special operatives, as they were known, ascended the hill, and only 16 were left standing when it was over. Nobody there knew that Hitler’s Wehrmacht had been given nearly identical instructions, as it was through here that a massive number of German troops were slated to descend through the gateway and conclude the Battle of the Bulge for the Axis powers.

The most interesting and enjoyable part of this book, for me, was in the first chapters, where we see the contrast between the misleadership early on, when the Rangers were being trained in rural Tennessee, and that which Rudder provided. The troops were sent on marathon marches without canteens, and their superior officer would be driven alongside them, where they could see him relaxing in his seat and drinking as much water (or whatever?) as he chose. Some men quit; others died. There were also war games, including “…the pit fighting competitions” that took place in a three foot deep, forty foot square hole in which “…entire platoons jumped in to attack each other like ancient Spear-Danes, screaming lusty war cries that echoed throughout the camp…by the ordeal’s conclusion, the sawdust looked as if it had been coated with red paint and the pit itself smelled like the inside of a leper. Afterward, the medical team—whose members were not spared the crucible—found themselves treating gashes, sprains, dislocations, and a no-inconsiderable number of broken bones, sometimes their own. At the end of these long days the Rangers returned to their tent city too exhausted to make the two-mile, round-trip walk to the barracks showers.” Angry servicemen, when they finally scored passes to the nearest town named Tullahoma, brawled with the locals and left the bars and taverns with splintered wood and broken glass. Lieutenant Colonel Saffarans had to go.

When “Big Jim” Rudder came in, the pit fights vanished and he marched alongside his own men, not for just a portion of the hike, but for the whole thing. When his feet became blistered, he waved away the medics and took care of himself. Soon morale improved, and so did the quality of the troops.

As we move from training to the European theater, I see less information that I didn’t already know. It’s not badly done, but I was so inspired by the earlier portion that I felt a little let down. I am also chagrined—though this is not the authors’ faults—at the casual way that the US Army threw its soldiers into the line of fire. Why could they not soften the area up before sending these poor men to the slaughterhouse? There were 260,000 grave markers in the hold of their transport ship. Whereas I have never been a proponent of nuclear war, it does seem to me that if someone was going to be hit with the bomb, Hitler’s minions were likely very strong candidates; the Japanese that were nuked at Nagasaki and Hiroshima were nearly beaten already, and the bomb was nearly superfluous. And I’ve said it in earlier reviews but I’ll say it again: it’s too bad that the U.S. Military treated white enemies gently, and its nonwhite ones ruthlessly.

Do I recommend this book to you? If you are looking for just one book about American forces in World War II, this is probably not the one you’re looking for. It’s specific to just one part of Germany and just one hill, so it’s better suited to those that already have the basics mastered.

I might not recommend it at all, as I personally was offended by some of the remarks intended as humorous in reference to local women, as well as women in the service. Whereas I have no doubt that the misogynistic jokes told here are legitimately jokes that were told back then, there are some things that don’t bear repeating, and surely not in detail. I also wasn’t crazy about the clipped bro-speech of the narrator in the audio version.
For this reason, I recommend the printed version over the audio, for those that are interested.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for accepting my request to audibly read and review The Last Hill.

Authors: Bob Drury; Tom Clavin
Narrator: George Newbern
Published; 11/01/22
Genre: History

Long, detailed and had to be well-researched documentary on Castle Hill. I say well-researched, I didn't fact check: dates, names, and specifics are given every step.

A lot of the authors intent was missed with the presentation. The narration was dry and mundane. The physical book would have given me the tools I needed to enjoy.

This is an audience-specific historical record in either audio or physical format. I prefer storytelling over a list of statistics. While a tough read for me, my father would have devoured the audio, physical and Kindle formats.

I recommend this book to any history buffs or those interested in learning more about the start of the rangers. It was interesting to learn so many men's stories of the war and to see the rough and rocky start to the rangers. Their training, the lack of respect and utter strength and determination was impressive to read about.
I was never a big social studies person in school so reading/listening to books like this have really helped me learn more about different aspects of the war that never stuck in school.

George Newbern did an amazing job on the narration and I certainly recommend giving this a listen if you are debating that route.

This was a good audio and very comprehensive non fiction. This reads like a non fiction with an abundance of details. A great option for those who enjoy the genre and want to learn more about the war.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

I've always loved books about military history and this one was no exception. It gives a detailed and well researched history of the Rudder's Rangers and their fight to take and hold Castle Hill, near the German border, from the Germans. They suffered devastating losses and only 16 out of 130 men survived. These young men, teenagers really, fought a courageous battle and this book tells their story. For lovers of military history this book is a a must read. The only issue I had with this audiobook was the narrator. I actually had some difficulty understanding they way he spoke and read this book. The book itself was so interesting that I pushed through it, otherwise I would have stopped listening.

A story of heroes unlike any other. The stories of the men, their lives, and their sacrifice that lead to victory. the narration was perfection and draws you into each moment of training, battle and ultimately the lives lost. A must listen for WWII historians.

A masterful telling of Rudder’s Rangers taking Hill 400 in the lead up to the Battle of the Bulge. This heroic group of young men encountered obstacle after obstacle and somehow managed to come out on top. These men were loyal to each other and fierce fighters in the face of overwhelming odds. After learning of this story I have to ask if they were the factor that leads to victory at the Bulge - for without their tenacity and experience perhaps the war would have gone differently. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

Rudder's Rangers

A story of the devastation of war and the toll it took on those that fought it. The rangers at first were not taken seriously and given menial jobs never being allowed into the actual fighting of the war. Most high up army officials did not take them seriously.

The story tells of the struggles of the special units making up the rangers, the harsh training, the downplaying of their importance and how they came to be. Then General Eisenhower when faced with horrible odds and many lost lives in the Castle Hill area called in Rudder's Rangers to hold the hill from the Germans.

The Rangers went in with 130 men, they stormed the hill, held it and came out with 16 survivors. It was a bloody battle that the survivors would never forget.

War is an awful thing and in a perfect world there would be no more war. Unfortunately this will never happen and there will always be war.

It was interesting to hear about this event in history and the men that were involved. I liked how the book started at the beginning so we had a knowledge of what it took in training and in negotiations to get the Rangers going to train them and to involve them in the war effort.

The narrator did a good job and the audio book was interesting to listen to as I did my daily walk each day.

Thanks to Bob Drury and Tom Clavin for telling the story, to George Newbern for narrating it , to MacMillan Audio for publishing it and to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the audio book and write my review.