Normandy crucible : the decisive battle that shaped World War II in Europe

The Battle of Normandy was the greatest offensive campaign. Millions of soldiers struggling for control of Europe were thrust onto front lines of a massive war unlike any experienced in history. 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 the Allied Forces launched Operation Overlord, the great crusade to free Europe from the 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. In Normandy Crucible, author John Prados offers a penetrating account that reframes the Normandy breakout. Prados melds intelligence into the combat narrative. Shifting between battle action and command decisions on both sides, Normandy Crucible shows in detail how this campaign molded the climactic battle for Europe--Publisher's description. Includes bibliographical references (pages 297-307) and index. xiii, 320 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm