Battle Zone Normandy

No one does military history/tour guides better than the Brits. FALAISE POCKET is the 14th -and final - volume in the BATTLE ZONE NORMANDY series published by Sutton Publishing. BATTLE ZONE NORMANDY's aim was to chronicle the Battle of Normandy from the initial landings through the various battles waged in the next three months to the final encirclement of German forces in the Falaise Pocket and simultaneously furnish a travel guide to those long-ago battlefields. Latawski's book runs to 188 pages. After a brief introduction, FALAISE POCKET devotes 98 pages to 'History' and the remaining pages to 'Battlefield Tours.' Latawski gives a fair-minded overview of the developing action in the History section along with battle controversies, many historians considering Falaise a flawed victory. The Tours section is the most interesting part. Four battlefield tours are presented, geared to the Canadians at St. Lambert-sur-Dove, the Poles at 'the Mace,' the Americans at le Bourg-St-Leonard and the link-up at Chambois. Whereas the History section offers a more strategic overview of the action, the Tours section provides much detail at the foot soldier level including excerpts from various books. The book is illustrated with vintage and contemporary b & w and color photos including some interesting 'then-and-now' shots along with color maps. Whether you're using the book while visiting Normandy or are just reading up on the battle, FALAISE POCKET makes for fascinating reading. Recommended