Hell Frozen Over [BOOK]

[connie]

Hell Frozen Over by Marilyn Quigley

Floyd suggested this book and attached a review here:
106thdivision.proboards.com/post/1760/thread

The title certainly sounds like an apt description of what the men of the 106th experienced. Do we have other readers who would like to share notes on their reading of the book?

[tamarahaygood]

Do you have an author's name or publication information for this book?

[floydragsdale]

Marilyn Estes Quigley
(co-Author)
Paper Back

[Diana E]

I hadn't heard about this book until I saw it mentioned here last month. I ordered it right away and have started reading it. But I made a mistake and ordered the Nook (e-book) version, so I won't be able to loan it to any family members or donate it to our WWII museum when I'm finished with it. There are times when an e-book is not the way to go. Anyway, I'm about 1/3 through the book, and am very happy with it so far. When I'm finished reading it, I'll post a more complete summary.

[Diana E]

I finished the book this past weekend. The book is a sort of compilation of information from other sources, and personal interviews with members of the 106th and family members. It took me awhile to get through the POW stories. I would read a few pages and then set it down for some time. The stories were personal and detailed. It made quite an impact on me.

[kaben3]

Thanks for the book suggestion, I will check it out.

-Karrie

[connie]

Hell Frozen Over by Marilyn Estes Quigley



Amazon Link: www.amazon.com/Hell-Frozen-Over-Battle-Bulge/dp/1418436259

Review on Amazon

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.



Author House: www.authorhouse.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/243248-Hell-Frozen-Over

Notes About the Author from this site:
Marilyn Quigley, associate professor of English at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, teaches composition, literature, and creative writing. The current Evangel campus was O’Reilly General Hospital during WWII, a medical facility for soldiers. Quigley’s office, in an original barracks for 27 years, was 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.

Note from Connie: The division referred to in this review is the 106th Infantry Division. The 81st Engineers were the 106th Infantry Division's combat engineers.