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Product Description
Product Description
Field Marshal Montgomery's battleplan for Normandy, following the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, resulted in one of the most controversial campaigns of the Second World War. Carlo D'Este's acclaimed book gives the fullest possible account of the conception and execution of Montgomery's plan, with all its problems and complexities. It brings to light information from diaries, papers and letters that were not available in Montgomery's lifetime adn draws on interviews with senior officers who were involved in the campaign and have refrained from speaking out until now.
About the Author
Lt Col. Carlo D'Este retired from the US army in 1978 to write full time. His books include Bitter Victory: The Battle for Sicily 1943, Patton: A Genius for War, World War II in the Mediterranean 1942-1945, and Eisenhower: Allied Supreme Commander. He is currently writing a military biography of Churchill, Warlord, which will be published by Allen Lane.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The campaign for Normandy must at all times be seen in relation to the strategic plan as laid down by Montgomery before the invasion was started, the big plan to which the Americans, the Canadians (yes, they played a big part!) and the British were ALL working. The tying down of the Germans in the east by the Canadians/British so as to allow the Americans to break out in the west. Monty said it would take 90 days. And that is what happened!
For a much more balanced and mature view on this great campaign, see Robin Neilland's "The Battle of Normandy 1944".
For a much more balanced and mature view on this great campaign, see Robin Neilland's "The Battle of Normandy 1944".
33 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
While others have rated this work highly, it should be noted that this book (even the newly published 2000 version) is extremely bias and now outdated by more modern works.
My main critique is that D'Este spends what appears to be large amount of the book overly criticising the Anglo-Canadian armed forces and there commanders while not also doing the same for the Americans or Germans. In fact he spends the entire of Chapter 16 on this subject and then in a single footnote tells readers to go elsewhere for any criticism of the American forces. While this may be only one chapter, this trend is throughout the book and makes one question the author's bias and reliability when talking about the Anglo-Canadians.
The work is also now very outdated and there are a large number of books which can replace this one work especially when covering single battles or operations where I feel it is at its weakest and in some places littered with errors.
While D'Este does bring up some good points during the course of the book I would recommend loaning a copy and not buying one.
My main critique is that D'Este spends what appears to be large amount of the book overly criticising the Anglo-Canadian armed forces and there commanders while not also doing the same for the Americans or Germans. In fact he spends the entire of Chapter 16 on this subject and then in a single footnote tells readers to go elsewhere for any criticism of the American forces. While this may be only one chapter, this trend is throughout the book and makes one question the author's bias and reliability when talking about the Anglo-Canadians.
The work is also now very outdated and there are a large number of books which can replace this one work especially when covering single battles or operations where I feel it is at its weakest and in some places littered with errors.
While D'Este does bring up some good points during the course of the book I would recommend loaning a copy and not buying one.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I would not say the best on the Normandy campaign - because that depends what your requirements are! If you're purely interested in the fighting, you're better off with Max Hastings' "Overlord" or John Keegan's 'six armies in Normandy'.
D'Este's book has a lot more about the grand strategy, including 'the war between the generals' - but a lot better written and documented than the Irving book on that subject! There is a lot of dissection of Montgomery's decisions, directives and letters, as well as post-facto arguments. And all very well documented. despite arguments in other Amazon reviews that D'Este is biased, I find him quite impartial; he reveals Monty's weaknesses, as well as Bradley's loathing for Montgomery, but also gives hono(u)rs to these two where due. He also gives the background for Montgomery's and Dempsey's caution - the very limited resources by this time, Britain coming to the end of her manpower; plus their problems with the strategic air forces; plus their *inability* to believe in American *ability* to move rapidly - once out of that wretched bocage and those swamps. Having said that, the book is mostly about the British and Canadian Army fronts, as it focuses on Montgomery; the American front is not mentioned very much.
To me, D'Este is fair; and he has done his research. My only criticisms are what comes over as excessive detail to bolster his arguments, and the maps that lack some placenamens that appear again and again in the text.
D'Este's book has a lot more about the grand strategy, including 'the war between the generals' - but a lot better written and documented than the Irving book on that subject! There is a lot of dissection of Montgomery's decisions, directives and letters, as well as post-facto arguments. And all very well documented. despite arguments in other Amazon reviews that D'Este is biased, I find him quite impartial; he reveals Monty's weaknesses, as well as Bradley's loathing for Montgomery, but also gives hono(u)rs to these two where due. He also gives the background for Montgomery's and Dempsey's caution - the very limited resources by this time, Britain coming to the end of her manpower; plus their problems with the strategic air forces; plus their *inability* to believe in American *ability* to move rapidly - once out of that wretched bocage and those swamps. Having said that, the book is mostly about the British and Canadian Army fronts, as it focuses on Montgomery; the American front is not mentioned very much.
To me, D'Este is fair; and he has done his research. My only criticisms are what comes over as excessive detail to bolster his arguments, and the maps that lack some placenamens that appear again and again in the text.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Fair and penetrating analysis of Montgomery's leadership
Gives a birds-eye perspective on the Normandy campaign, with an emphasis on Montgomery's leadership. Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2009 by Mark Barnes
A Beautifuly Balanced and Comprehensive Account
Not surprisingly, considering their trade, many senior military figures are not very nice men. Nowhere does this apply more than with Bernard Law Montgomery, Field Marshall,... Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2008 by P. H. Cartwright
The product of a historian on the top of his game
At the risk of duplicating other reviews, I would recommend this work- and the rest of d'Este's- to anybody. Read more
Published on 24 July 2007 by Blackheart
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