Normandy Crucible : The Decisive Battle That Shaped World War II in Europe
Author(s): John Prados
The Battle of Normandy was the greatest offensive campaign the world had ever seen. Millions of soldiers struggling for the control of Europe were thrust onto the front lines of a massive war unlike any experienced in history. But this greatest of clashes would prove to be the crucible in which the outcome of World War II would be decided. It began on D-Day. June 6, 1944-the day that the Allied Forces launched Operation Overlord: the great crusade to free Europe from the iron grip of Nazi Germany. But only when the troops were ashore did the real battle begin.
With Nazi defenders marshaling to stop the invaders, Hitler and his generals schemed to counterattack. Tightly constricted hedgerow country and bitter German resistance held the Allied advance to a crawl. Suddenly the Allies broke through and trapped the Nazi armies. Yet within weeks of this stunning disaster, the Germans smashed the most dangerous Allied offensive yet.
How was this possible? In "Normandy Crucible," noted author John Prados offers a penetrating account that reframes the Normandy breakout to answer that question. For the first time he melds intelligence into the combat narrative. Shifting between battle action and command decisions on both sides, "Normandy Crucible" shows in fascinating detail how this campaign molded the climactic battle for Europe.
Product Information
"A fresh point of view on the 1944 battle that emphasizes intelligence, logistics and the battle's unexpected strategic consequences....Prados has done his homework, writes fine battle descriptions and makes a convincing case that events during the summer of 1944 predicted the subsequent course of the war."
-Kirkus
"As Prados boldly demonstrates, Normandy is not a tale of perfect triumph, of allied armies marching toward an inevitable victory. On the contrary: After a short period of uncertainty, the Germans struck back, hard and relentlessly. Prados reframes the Normandy Campaign and, in so doing tells us the story we do not know. His is the true job of a historian-a beautifully written synthesis of individual memory and strategic planning. For those who believe that we have learned all we need to know about Normandy, John Prados's book is a refreshing and dramatically told reminder that history can be created each and every day."
-Mark Perry, Author of "Partners in
General Fields
- :
- : Nal Caliber
- : Nal Caliber
- : 0.562
- : 30 June 2011
- : 234mm X 160mm X 29mm
- : United States
- : 01 October 2011
- : books
Special Fields
- : John Prados
- : Hardback
- : 1011
- : 940.5421421
- : 320
- : illustrations
