A review of Professor of History Maurice Isserman’s The Winter Army: The World War II Odyssey of the 10th Mountain Division, America’s Elite Alpine Warriors led The Wall Street Journal’s Book Review section in its Dec. 27 edition. Subtitled “The gripping and unlikely story of the making of America’s elite Alpine fighting force,” the article provided a comprehensive summary of the book’s story of the division’s formation, training, fighting, and post-war ski industry development.
Describing the book as “a captivating account,” the reviewer wrote, “… every now and then, someone will offer up tales of a different genre altogether—stories that do not fade when the après-ski drinks wear off. These are the ones about the men who went to war on skis and later helped to build the resorts that are by now legendary among amateurs and professionals alike …” The reviewer noted, “It is good to have the stories of these men between hard covers, for their heroics occurred three-quarters of a century ago and are in danger of disappearing.”
