Soldiers in Normandy - the British | 
 enlarge | Author: Alexandre Thers
Publisher: Histoire and Collections
Category: Book
List Price: $8.95
Buy New: $2.97
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Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 668949
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 32
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 6.3 x 0.2
ISBN: 2915239444
Dewey Decimal Number: 940
EAN: 9782915239447
ASIN: 2915239444
Publication Date: June 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new book delivered from the UK in 10-14 days.
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Product Description
Each mini-guide allows the reader to get to know more about a region's history, linking historical events with places of interest and sites of note, as well as providing an unprecedented visual feast of contemporary photographs, uniforms, badges and equipment - all in full color. Practical information is included in each mini-guide and itineraries are suggested for those wishing to visit battlefields, monuments, memorials and museums. Traditionally a maritime power, Great Britain had not given equal priority to the development of its land forces. The concentration on increasing air power added to this disparity in capabilities between the services. Manpower shortages in the infantry forced the high command to commit units in a rather measured fashion. On the ground, this resulted in a lack of subtlety and initiative. Those divisions which did have previous combat experience, mostly in the Mediterranean sector were somewhat confounded by the very different terrain they encountered in Normandy. What's more, somewhat worn down by earlier campaigns in North Africa and Italy, they appeared overly cautious. The remaining divisions, despite many years of preparation, were not as well trained and prepared as their American counterparts. Only the Commandos and the Airborne forces were truly well prepared for what awaited them in France. Armored formations were regularly fielded withoutthe advantage of suitable infantry support and their AFVs were often outclassed by those of the enemy. They therefore suffered extremely high casualties. But the artillery was first class and powerful and played a largepart in paralyzing the movements of the enemy.
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| Customer Reviews:
 A nicely done guide, illustrating many who are often overlooked May 4, 2008
Soldiers in Normandy: The British by Alexandre Thers is one of three complimentary mini-guides (the other two are focused on American and German soldiers), each devoted not to the events of the battle but to what the personnel looked like as they performed their duties. As such, this well designed book is a compliment to other works devoted to uniforms and equipment.
Thers illustrates widely differing individual groups, including naval gunners, glider pilots, sappers, infantrymen, artillery officers, radio operators, and several other key teams. His choices allow Thers to give credit to those who are often overlooked in standard histories, such as the motorcycle dispatch riders who had an unheralded but often quite dangerous job--usually performed in complete anonymity. The text is minimal but adequate, and the illustrations are first rate. Nicely done.
 Soldiers in Normandy April 29, 2006
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Overall a good book having many pictures of British fighting men and their weapons and equipment. I did question the Commando armed with a No 1 Mk III Service Rifle - at the time of Normandy the No 4 rifle was standard issue for all troops. A minor point.
However I feel the introduction was a bit negative regarding the effectiveness of the British Army. Granted Britain was a maritime nation, and the pre-war development of the army was impacted by the philosophy that Britain would not fight another continental war. However as the war unfolded they did develop a very well armed and effective fighting force. At the time of D-Day the effectiveness of the army army was impacted by a heavy loss of troops killed in action and the destruction of Britain's industrial base. However the troops who landed in Normandy were well trained and equipped. I fail to see the truth in the authors comment that " they fought less well than the average American unit". Some of these British soldiers had fought from Dunkirk and thought Africa and fought well in France. The training new troops received in Britain was as good as the training the green American troops received stateside and in Britain. The British Army was not perfect it did sometimes lack the aggressiveness of the other armies but this was the result of dwindling manpower and continuous action from 1930.
A good reference book but not
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