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Pen and Sword - Battleground Europe Series
Operation Goodwood
by Ian Daglish
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OK, before I start I will hold my hands up and state that I know the author, not only that I like the guy. We both meet on occassions with other members of SMATS at Paddy Griffith house, where we indulge in hours of debate around military subjects.
However as the SMATS debates can be quite testing I think that I am able to approach this work with an objective eye.
The Publisher is Pen and Sword Books, and independent company based in Barnsley, who have developed an excellent reputation for high quality works of military, naval and aviation interest
Operation Goodwood, or the Great Tank Charge, took place in July 1944 with the Allied invasion force bottled up in the Normandy lodgement. The initial strategic aim of the action, which was to be the largest British tank action of the Second World War, was to achieve a breakthrough out of the close boccage and draw German armoured forces towards the threat, and thus weaken the defensive lines facing the US forces assault in Operation Cobra. However the intial objectives becam increasingly unclear as the jump off neared, and Ian carefully records the confused planning for the operation, and the lack of preparedness for the British Armoured Units for the fight ahead. It was not until I read this book that I realised just how little preparation had been made in training for infantry and armoured cooperation on the battlefield (a situation confirmed by Stephen Ambrose in Band of Brothers). This was to be a fatal oversight for the operation.
In creating his narrative Ian has returned to original and eyewitness accounts, and spent a lot of time walking the battleground, and tying up what may seem conflicting accounts to provide a remarkably readable and coherent account of the action. The forces engaged are reported in considerable detail, and the battle is reported in an extremely detailed manner, using official histories, eyewitness accounts and Ian's own observation in the field to provide a clear, step by step, narrative of the operation.
For me the key element of the book is the humanity that Ian brings into the text, whether in describing the bone crushing fear of Germans facing sustained bombing or the horror of the British tank crews facing the reality of armoured warfare, outclassed,
outmanoeuvred and in vehicles, that according to the men who knew, simply brewed up when hit. His description of men, their skin blackened, their clothing scorched and torn waiting for replacement tanks to be brought up so they can rejoin the assault is a moving testimony to the courage of these men.
I highly recommend this book, not only as an exceptional study of a fascinating battle, and essential reading for the WW2 enthusiast, but also a a damned good read for anyone with a general interest in military history. Knowing Ian I had high expectations of this book, and they were generously exceeded.
Format: A5 Softback
Price £9.99
ISBN 1-84415-030-5
Website: www.pen.and.sword.co.uk
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