Classic Battles: Normandy 1944
Allied Landings and Breakout

Author: Stephen Badsey
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISDN : 1855329492(reprint)
Published : 1990, 1997
Part of the Classic Battle Series

Notes: Book pictures are a mixture of black and white and color drawings. Military Book Club edition reviewed here.

Description
D-Day, 6 June 1944, saw the largest amphibious landing operation in history. From ports and harbors on the southern coast of England, an armada of troopships and landing craft launched the Allied return to mainland Europe. This assault was preceded by airborne landings at key sites and accompanied by massive air support. Stephen Badsey provides a concise account of "Operation Overlord", from the fiercely contested landings, to the struggle to capture Caen, the "Cobra" offensive and the dramatic pursuit of the Germans to the Seine River.

Table Of Contents

The Origins of the Battle
The Opposing Commanders
The German Commanders
The Allied Commanders
The Opposing Armies
The German Forces
The Allied Forces
The Opposing Plans
The Germans' Plans
The Allies' Plans
The Battle of Normandy
The Allied Landings, 6 to 7 June
Securing the Beachhead, 7 to 17 June
The Break-In, 18 to 24 June
The Breakthrough, 25 June to 10 July
The Breakout, 10 July to 5 August
The Exploitation, 5 to 11 August
The Encirclement, 11to 25 August
The Aftermath of the Battle
Chronology
A Guide to Further Reading
The Battlefield Today/Wargaming Normandy/High Command/Tactical Games
In Conclusion