Six Armies in Normandy: From D-Day to the Liberation of Paris, June 6th-August 5th, 1944 [Paperback]

As such it presents a thrilling and wonderfully readable account of how one of the most momentous clashes of the century began and unfolded on the beaches, along the coastline, and then on into the bucolic fields, villages, and countryside of France itself. Like an afternoon's excursion into Hell itself, one quickly becomes embroiled in the vision of battle across the face of Normandy, watching as a cauldron of murder and mayhem pours itself onto the face of France, witnessing the Allies as they successfully beat back the counter-offenses by the German panzer divisions. Keegan focuses on specific engagements, brilliantly recreating the atmosphere of conflict and chaos such as the fabled 101st Airborne drop into several Normandy villages along the coastline, being furiously chewed up by German ground forces even as they attempt to land.

Keegan's approach here is to show that the landing was just the beginning of the liberation of France, and as any serious student of the war along the Western Front can attest, the Germans were tenacious and dogged in their defense, and the road to Paris and the liberation of all of France was one both hard-fought and well sprinkled with the blood of both combatants and non-combatants alike. Far from being a beaten force that was to be run over by the Allied machine, the German Wehrmacht still had the discipline, the determination, and a ready reservoir of self-reliance and battle experience to use in fighting the invaders. The battle for France was anything but a cakewalk, and herein the author handlily demonstrates the extraordinary degree to which each of the six armies used everything possible that was at their disposal to fatefully influence the eventual result. This is a wonderful book, one that both entertains and edifies. It is also one that I have read several times, and I recommend it for anyone who wants to take a wonderful look at the nature of the battle of France from the foot soldier's perspective.

His analytical method (I hesitate to call it a 'device' because it is not the least bit artificial or awkward) compares the national historical character of each combatant nation with the decisive phase of the campaign in which each struggled. He compares the dashing (and desperate) courage of American paratroopers compares to the savage, sacrificial bravery of the Free Polish tank corps, in a way that no historian I've read has done before.

Mr. Keegan is a writer and historian of the first rank. Each of his many books is among my all-time favorite works of non-fiction; my only regret is that his erudite, rigorously scholarly output cannot possibly meet my voracious demand!

Keegan's contribution to the field of history (the weight, variety, and evenly superb quality of his work) makes one compare him inevitably to Sir Kenneth Clarke. Perhaps those in charge of making Britons into 'Sirs' will take notice of this fact and reward him accordingly.

Three cheers for Sir John!