Ardennes Sniper: A World War II Thriller

Author’s Note

Ardennes Sniper was inspired by events surrounding the Battle of the Bulge that took place in the rugged Ardennes region of Belgium from December 1944 to January 1945. However, in writing this book, I have taken a few liberties with geography and the timeline of events to better suit the storytelling format of a novel.

Many of the events in the novel are based on actual history, particularly the terrible massacre of American troops near Malmedy, Belgium. There remains some controversy even today about how and why the massacre took place. What can’t be disputed is that more than eighty unarmed American POWs were killed there.

Kampfgruppe Friel is a fictitious unit and the commander and other soldiers are invented characters.

All too real is the fact that soldiers on both sides suffered in the bitter cold, and thousands lost their lives in the fighting.

For those who would like to read more about the Battle of the Bulge, there are several fascinating nonfiction histories of the battle and of events at Malmedy. I would also recommend William Peter Grasso’s excellent novels in the Jock Miles WW2 Adventure Series. Fans of World War II fiction will also enjoy the historical novels by David L. Robbins, including War of the Rats.

Finally, I want to thank all those who had a hand in producing or editing this book, especially Aidan, Mary, Joanne, Marianne, and Michael, as well as the many readers of Ghost Sniper who encouraged this follow-up story.