
Bob Drury and Tom Clavin's The Last Hill is the incredible untold story of one Ranger battalion's heroism and courage in World War II.
They were known as "Rudder's Rangers," the most elite and experienced attack unit in the United States Army. In December 1944, Lt. Col. James Rudder's 2nd Battalion would form the spearhead into Germany, taking the war into Hitler's homeland at last. In the process, Rudder was given two objectives: Take Hill 400 . . . and hold the hill by any means possible. To the last man, if necessary. The battle-hardened battalion had no idea that several Wehrmacht regiments, who greatly outnumbered the Rangers, had been given the exact same orders. The clash of the two determined forces was one of the bloodiest and most costly encounters of World War II.
"Drury and Clavin are to be commended for resurrecting with delicate poignancy the travails of men of the 2nd Ranger Battalion ... With its muscular prose and expert storytelling, The Last Hill deserves to stand beside Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers as one of the truly epic--and intimate--accounts of American heroism and sacrifice in World War II. " --Wall Street Journal
"Journalists Drury and Clavin have turned out a steady stream of well-received military histories ... and their latest fits well with their previous titles ... war stories remain a persistent genre, and this should satisfy its substantial readership." --Kirkus Reviews on The Last Hill
"In this exhaustive history ... Drury and Clavin pack the narrative with biographical details about the Rangers and skillfully toggle between battle scenes and big-picture analysis. WWII buffs will savor this deep dive." --Publishers Weekly on The Last Hill
"For anyone who loves the adventurous side of American history, "Blood and Treasure" is a gem. It's full of action, thorough and wide. Seek out this treasure and you won't be disappointed." --Terri Schlichenmeyer for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle