- Paperback: 231 pages
- Publisher: Stackpole Books; First Edition / First Impression edition (1 Feb 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0811733831
- ISBN-13: 978-0811733830
- Product Dimensions: 22.6 x 15.2 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
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- #1 in Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Historical Figures > Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery
- #8 in Books > History > Military History > World War II > Alamein
- #53 in Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Western Front
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"Incisive, eminently objective, and literate, this thoughtful study advances considerably our understanding of the war's most controversial field commander and his Normandy campaign."
Product Description
A reinterpretation of the British Army's conduct in the crucial 1944-45 Northwest Europe campaign, this work examines the Colossal Cracks operational technique employed by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group. Rooted in concerns about morale and casualties, Colossal Cracks was a cautious, firepower-laden approach that involved the concentration of massive force at points of German weakness. Hart argues that Montgomery and his two senior subordinates handled this formation more effectively than some scholars have suggested and that Colossal Cracks represented the most appropriate weapon the British Army could develop under the circumstances.
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This study examines the manner in which the 21st Army Group conducted the Northwest Europe campaign of 6 June 1944-8 May 1945. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
This study examines the manner in which the 21st Army Group conducted the Northwest Europe campaign of 6 June 1944-8 May 1945. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It is excellent to see this exceptional book published at a very reasonable price in paperback. The hardback cost has kept the analysis to too small a circle of experts. This book is not a narrative history of the role of 21st Army Group in North-West Europe but provides a convincing analytical account of the factors that both shaped the army and determined how it operated in action. Most importantly Stephen Hart demonstrates how the Army Group fitted within the large picture of the Allies joint and combined campaign to achieve success.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a book everyone interested in the Normandy campaign should read. I have only two regrets. Firstly, it has taken almost half a century for the truth to come out (the author even charts the progression from self-aggrandising or bilious accounts by the combatants to, as the 21st century dawned, more realistic and better researched accounts). My second gripe is the stilted prose of a Senior Lecturer at Sandhurst.
Having said that, Hart has mined the archives very well indeed and shed light on so many aspects which have been ignored. For example, far too much has been made of Montgomery's personal foibles, to the detriment of the constraints and imperatives which he - and his two army commanders - Dempsey and Crerar - had to work within. Among them was the fact that this was literally Britain's last army, which had to be preserved - and was. Faced by a superior German army (an equally underrated aspect of the conflict) the chosen path for a force made up of largely untested conscripts included heavy use of firepower via artillery and the air force. Ironically, while many critics, including the Americans, failed to recognise what was going on, the Germans were on the ball and called it Materielschlacht.
Some of the chapters were, for me, page-turners as I trod unfamiliar ground and Hart deserves much praise: hopefully future historians will be less biased and present the Normandy conflict and the European consequences more accurately. The only reason I have not given this book 5 stars is because of the poor style. If you can cope with that, this book is a rare treat and genuine eye-opener.
Having said that, Hart has mined the archives very well indeed and shed light on so many aspects which have been ignored. For example, far too much has been made of Montgomery's personal foibles, to the detriment of the constraints and imperatives which he - and his two army commanders - Dempsey and Crerar - had to work within. Among them was the fact that this was literally Britain's last army, which had to be preserved - and was. Faced by a superior German army (an equally underrated aspect of the conflict) the chosen path for a force made up of largely untested conscripts included heavy use of firepower via artillery and the air force. Ironically, while many critics, including the Americans, failed to recognise what was going on, the Germans were on the ball and called it Materielschlacht.
Some of the chapters were, for me, page-turners as I trod unfamiliar ground and Hart deserves much praise: hopefully future historians will be less biased and present the Normandy conflict and the European consequences more accurately. The only reason I have not given this book 5 stars is because of the poor style. If you can cope with that, this book is a rare treat and genuine eye-opener.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Too much military history around Normandy eulogises German tactical perfomance and either eulogises or castigates Montgomery's generalship. This study rebuts these simplifications and paints an interesting and insightful picture into how the British Army had to fight in Normandy. The book discusses how the political concerns and higher strategic imperatives influenced the operational methods Montgomery stamped on 21st Army Group. The central tenets of Montgomery's command and operational style are dissected and examined in light of his practice. Overall, the author concludes that the British were right not to try and match the Germans tactically and were right to conduct their operations in the manner in which they did. Additionally, the author shows that Montgomery's subordinates - Dempsey and Crerar - where not the ciphers they are so often portrayed as and also highlights Montgomery's failings. These are important conclusions and deserve to be widely read.
Again, like other reviewers, this only gets four stars because of a)the author's style, which is a bit dry and b)annoying proofreading and typographical errors. That said, if you have any interest in World War II, this book should be on your bookshelf.
Again, like other reviewers, this only gets four stars because of a)the author's style, which is a bit dry and b)annoying proofreading and typographical errors. That said, if you have any interest in World War II, this book should be on your bookshelf.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Valuable contribution for the serious student
I found this book via Amazon's self generated recommendations system and was pleasantly surprised to see material that focused solely on 21st Army Group (i.e. Read more
Published on 13 Jan 2010 by N. Brown
Halfway towards a proper assessment of Monty
After the War, Monty was eulogised as a great general in hagiographies such as Chester Wilmot's "Struggle for Europe". Read more
Published on 24 Nov 2009 by IAN CAMERON-MOWAT
Collosal Cracks
Bernard Law Montgomey was never one of my favourite generals,but always willing to concede to better informed sources , I bought this book. Read more
Published on 10 Sep 2009 by Hugh McPhilemy
Worthwhile assessment
I was tipped off to read this book by a commenter to one of my previous reviews, which was for Carlo D'Estes Decison in Normandy. Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2009 by Donaldo
Analysis of 21st Army Group in Northwest Europe performance
This book not only could use some editing (it works for a scholar audience, but not for the general public), for the author frequently uses the same catch-phrases/terms throughout... Read more
Published on 3 Aug 2009 by Raul Leite
Excellent book - everything you need to know about how 21st Army Group...
Hart discusses the operational technique, dubbed Colossal Cracks, used by Montgomery's 21st Army Group in Northwest Europe Campaign of the Second World War; the book goes a long... Read more
Published on 8 Jun 2009 by Carl
Difficult but Ultimately Rewarding
This book is not easy to review. The author has used a taxonomic approach - death by lists - in his analysis of Montgomery and his senior commanders, and his message that they... Read more
Published on 4 April 2009 by Big Uig
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