Decision in Normandy: The Unwritten Story of Montgomery and the Allied Campaign

Not surprisingly, considering their trade, many senior military figures are not very nice men. Nowhere does this apply more than with Bernard Law Montgomery, Field Marshall, Viscount and supreme egotist. This reviewer is too young to remember much about World War Two, but clearly remembers Montgomery's television programs, broadcast, if memory serves, at about the time of the publication of his memoirs in 1958. This strutting little man, telling us how he should have won the War in 1940 if it hadn't been for those stupid politicians and dim Americans, left an indelible impression, but not perhaps the one he intended.

A couple of years later was published Corelli Barnett's The Desert Generals, still a cracking good read, and a first-class demolition job on the Montgomery myth. Most American historians of the Second World War, unsurprisingly, have an innate prejudice against Montgomery and the memoirs of the American military men, especially Bradley's, give him fairly short shrift. Yet during the actual conflict Monty's reputation on this side of the Atlantic ran very high, fostered by his excellent PR machinery ("spin" is not an invention of modern politicians). Montgomery had led British armies to substantial victories in North Africa and Sicily and his undoubted military virtues, with their emphasis on careful training and planning, were very substantial. He saw himself in the same league as Marlborough and Wellington among the pantheon of British military greats. Some modern writers do not think him even as good as Haig, so great has been the swing against Montgomery in recent times.

The greatest - and very substantial - virtue of Carlo Estes' book is its balance. Here, the 1944 Normandy campaign and its planning and execution are examined with incredible clarity and lack of bias by this highly-regarded American historian, who has worked long and assiduously in original archives and personal collections. A much more rounded picture of Montgomery - with all his faults and virtues - clearly emerges.

No reader can be in any doubt that, in spite of Montgomery's post-war assertions to the contrary, the conquest of Normandy did not happen in the way that Montgomery planned it. Montgomery's greatest ally was not Bradley or Eisenhower but Adolf Hitler, who denied his generals the manpower, weapons and flexibility that they needed to throw the Allies back into the Channel. The performance of the British and Canadian Armies in Normandy was never more than satisfactory. The comparatively untried American Armies did much better and the British condescension to the relative "new boys" on the American side shown up for the rubbish it was. The British did overlook one important fact about the American Army - most of its senior generals were of German descent.

Completely out-numbered and with little air and naval support, the German Army fought in Normandy with its usual brilliance, but with its supreme commander - Hitler - as the architect of its very comprehensive defeat.

This is the best short history of the Normandy campaign that this reviewer has read - highly recommended.

The product of a historian on the top of his game (3/3 people found this helpful)

At the risk of duplicating other reviews, I would recommend this work- and the rest of d'Este's- to anybody. After finishing An Army At Dawn which seemed to largely be serving a jingoistic, patriotic agenda despite the wealth of references cited, I was wary of another American historian writing of British involvement. D'Este is in another class- thoughtful, considered, fair minded and incisive, as well as being a fine writer. Seek out this work, and anything else the man writes.

Excellent (8/8 people found this helpful)

At long last a book on the Normandy campaign that presents a well researched thesis without the pro and anti Montgomery hysteria that accompanies many books on the subject. D'Este portrays a logical and balanced view, he criticises when justified and praises when warranted.It is without a doubt the best book I have read on the Normandy campaign.

The attention to detail is a Carlo D'este speciality (9/9 people found this helpful)

Having read most of Carlo D'Este's books, I have become an avid reader and collector of his books. His style and attention to the details makes his books fascinating, fast moving and exciting.

Normandy is one of his best and having read many books about the lead up to and battles in Normandy, as well as a regular visitor to many of the sites, I find it is a wonderful reference book as well as a very good read.

Decision in Normandy: The Unwritten Story of Montgomery and the Allied Campaign

Carlo D'Este

Reader Reviews:

A Beautifuly Balanced and Comprehensive Account (0/0 people found this helpful)

The product of a historian on the top of his game (3/3 people found this helpful)

Excellent (8/8 people found this helpful)

The attention to detail is a Carlo D'este speciality (9/9 people found this helpful)

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