The Allied landings on D-Day, June 6, 1944, marked the beginning of the German defeat in the West in World War II. From the experiences of soldiers in the field to decision-making at high command, military historian Samuel Mitcham vividly recaptures the desperation of the Wehrmacht as it collapsed amidst the brutal hedgerow fighting in Normandy, losing its four-year grip on France as it was forced to retreat back to the German border. While German forces managed to temporarily halt the Allied juggernaut there, this brief success only delayed the fate that had been sealed with the defeat in France.
Samuel W. Mitcham, Jr., has written more than twenty books on World War II.
Setting the Stage for Disaster; Hans von Kluge and the Conspiracy of July 20; The Breakout; The Conquest of Brittany; Hitler Puts His Head into the Lion's Mouth; The Falaise Pocket: Army Group B is Slaughtered; The Invasion of Southern France; The Retreat Behind the Seine; Beyond the Seine; The Allies Mop Up in France; The "Miracle of the West"; Index.
"A meticulously researched and highly detailed account of German forces fighting in western France in the summer of 1944." ..."a fascinating reprise from the other side of the battle studies, especially in regards to the Falaise Gap. Given that this book is written from predominantly German sources, it will probably cause you to wonder about the picture you had formed previously of the fighting from D-Day through the balance of 1944...interesting in its coverage of the battle for France, as well as for its extensive footnoting of mini-biographies of almost every major participant on the German side...For someone interested in the Second World War period in Europe, I would strongly recommend a careful read of etreat to the Reich."-Canadian Military Journal ..."a fascinating reprise from the other side of the battle studies, especially in regards to the Falaise Gap. Given that this book is written from predominantly German sources, it will probably cause you to wonder about the picture you had formed previously of the fighting from D-Day through the balance of 1944...interesting in its coverage of the battle for France, as well as for its extensive footnoting of mini-biographies of almost every major participant on the German side...For someone interested in the Second World War period in Europe, I would strongly recommend a careful read of etreat to the Reich."-Canadian Military Journal
