The Normandy Campaign From D-day To The Liberation Of Paris

by Brooks, Victor

• ISBN13: 9780306811494
• ISBN10: 0306811499
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-06-06
• Publisher: Da Capo Press

Summary

To defeat Nazi Germany, the Allies had to mount the largest amphibious attack in history. Nothing like it in size and scope had ever been attempted. Failure would mean, at best, prolonging the war. At worst, it would give Germany the chance to develop the "wonder weapons" they had been talking about for so long. Despite all of the mistakes and miscues of the Allied armies, as well as the great cost in lives, they secured the beaches with heroic determination and moved on to defeat Germany. The much-celebrated Allied landing at Omaha and the other Normandy beaches on D-Day was just the beginningthe success of the landing was secured only after another two months of hard fighting, bravery, and death.The Normandy Campaigndescribes in broad strokes the movements of the armies as they fought their way to Paris and presents a complete picture of the campaign through France. Brooks details his narrative with firsthand accounts from the soldiers who were in the dunes and hedgerows of Normandy. The reader comes to understand both the strategic situation and the human drama of war that made the Normandy campaign the incredible story it is.

Author Biography

Victor Brooks teaches at Villanova University and is the author of several books (available from Da Capo), including The Normandy Campaign and The Boston Campaign. He lives in Pennsylvania.

Table of Contents

Preface	7	(6)
Genesis of an Invasion	13	(14)
A Gathering of Titans	27	(18)
A Blueprint for Victory	45	(10)
Countdown to Invasion	55	(12)
Assault from the Air	67	(12)
Utah Beach: The Right Invasion at the Wrong Place	79	(12)
Omaha Beach: The Perilous Shore	91	(22)
Gold Beach: The First Allied Link-Up	113	(12)
Juno Beach: Payback for Dieppe	125	(8)
Sword Beach: First Lunge for Caen	133	(10)
The Road to Villers-Bocage	143	(18)
The Fall of Fortress Cherbourg	161	(20)
Operation Epsom: The Battle for the Odon	181	(12)
The Battle of the Hedgerows: The Struggle for St. Lo	193	(12)
Operation Goodwood: Climax at Caen	205	(16)
Operation Cobra: Breakout at St. Lo	221	(16)
Operation Luttich: Counterattack at Mortain	237	(10)
From the Corridor of Death to the City of Lights	247	(16)
Epilogue: Alternatives and Evaluations	263	(16)
Guide for the interested Reader	279	(3)
Index	282