- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Greenhill Books; New edition edition (15 Feb 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1853673617
- ISBN-13: 978-1853673610
- Product Dimensions: 23.5 x 15.7 x 1.9 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
432,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #99 in Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Naval Warfare > Germany
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Product Description
Synopsis
In this alternate history the Germans actual ly launch the invasion that, in reality, was never more than a plan. Landing between Dover and Hythe, German troops push inland supported by the Luftwaffe and strike out towards Lo ndon. '
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First Sentence
It is unlikely that anyone had a better panoramic view of the first stage of the German invasion of England than Feldwebel Rudolf Pabst. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
It is unlikely that anyone had a better panoramic view of the first stage of the German invasion of England than Feldwebel Rudolf Pabst. Read the first page
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Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Summer 1940, and the Swastika flies over a conquered nation. Fiction? Yes, but in this detailed and at times disturbing fictionalised analysis of those crucial weeks in the summer of 1940, Kenneth Macksay shows how the Third Reich could have spanned the Channel and conquered Britain. The nub of his analysis is that if the Germans had immediately followed up their military defeat of the BEF and the French armies in the North at Dunkirk, with a swift Channel crossing, they would have found the British had very little with which to effectively oppose them. Even at the time Churchill admitted as much - he recognised that June/July was the most dangerous time for the British. The reasons that this didn't happen are several. The main one is that historically, Hitler, was always in two minds about whether to actually launch an invasion -- as recent work by some leading German historians has shown. Unlike his other offensives, with Seelowe, he was always more diffident. It seems he may just have been going through the motions, hoping that the British would "see sense" and strike a deal. Only if the political initiatives failed - coupled with the pressure of Luftwaffe raids and attacks on the RAF (the Battle of Britain) - would he then give the go ahead for Seelowe or Sealion - the actual invasion. In historical terms this means the invasion was always going to happen -- if at all -- in September -- and by this time there had been a significant re-equipment of those British (and Canadian) divisions which would bear the brunt of the invasion forces. Added to this the Channel weather worsens in September, and the German invasion fleet of barges was exceedingly vulnerable to anything above a 4 knot wind. But back to Kenneth Macksay's book. He quite rightly points out that any early invasion in July, would have relied heavily on the German 7th Parachute Division, and the 22nd Airlanding Division. Yet the 7th had been heavily used in the invasions of the Low Countries, and many of its frontline battalions (as well as Luftwaffe transport squadrons) were in no shape to carry out an early invasion of Britain. It's the only flaw for me in the book -- but if you do wonder if the Germans could ever have prevailed, and whether we would all now be living in a Thousand Year Reich, then read this -- and be glad that we're not.
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I am not by any means an expert on the fine detail of the second world war. It is a topic that has always interested me and I would like to think that I have a good general knowledge of the major twists and turns but I wouldn't neccessarily know which regiments or divisions were involved in particular engagements, who their commanders were or what would motivate and influence them into taking a particular course of action. I cannot therefore comment on this aspect of the book suffice to say that it seems very well researched.
'What would have happenned if ...?' is always a fascinating topic and the potential for a book of this kind to capture the readers imagination is immense. I wanted a book that would indeed capture my imagination, be well written and researched, be believable and enjoyable but without getting too bogged down in military minutae. What a disappointment it turned out to be. Good research is vital but what good is this if the reader is constantly irritated by the way that a book is written? This is not what I would term a 'smooth' read by any means especially compared with the excellent books I have recently read. The author seems to love cramming as much into one sentence as he possibly can which, by the time you get to the full stop, leaves you wondering what it was all about in the first place! This aside the book would have benefited from even the most basic proof reading. Hawkinge airfield changes to Hawkings airfield and back again on a large number of occassions, Admiral Raeder becomes Reader and the list goes on and on. All very irritating especially when the pace of the book is initially slow during the buildup phase of the invasion. Some sentences are absolutely diabolical in their construction and simply don't make sense at all. How can a book transport the mind of the reader into the depths of the action when the reader is constantly irritated by such basic flaws? It can't. I am not a professional writer and I make a lot of mistakes but no-one is paying good money for what I produce.
If you are looking for a book from which to pluck the major points from without caring about having a good read then this book is fine. If you want more then think twice.It always make you wonder 'What would have happenned if ....' this book was well written!...
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Macksey was an Army officer. The book reflects this - the chapters concerning the ground fighting are superb and very convincing. Unfortunately, those concerning the air fighting are somewhat sketchy and involve some unwarranted and unjustified assumptions, and those concerning the naval fighting are little more than pure guesswork with little basis in fact. Macksey clearly knows little about naval history.
This is where the whole book falls down, because essentially it was the Royal Navy which had the greater role in preventing a German landing, not the RAF or the Army.
However, if you can overlook this flaw (I managed it by thinking up a better naval scenario myself!) then the book is an enjoyable read.
This is where the whole book falls down, because essentially it was the Royal Navy which had the greater role in preventing a German landing, not the RAF or the Army.
However, if you can overlook this flaw (I managed it by thinking up a better naval scenario myself!) then the book is an enjoyable read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Could the Germans have conquered Britain in July 1940 ?
Interesting, well-written and terrifying counterfactual by a distinguished military historian which assesses whether Hitler could have pulled off a successful invasion of Britain... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Marshall Lord
History but not as we know it !!!
Being a WW2 History Buff i thought that this book would be worth a read. I was not displeased, the book is very accurate and the subject matter is excellent. Read more
Published on 27 Nov 2009 by M. R. Read
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