For the Canadian Soldiers who lived through the momentous battle for Normandy in the summer of 1944, it was inconceivable that the conflict in Europe could continue for another eight long months. The war was won, they thought, and to win it they had been pushed to what seemed like the limits of endurance. But ahead lay not only an enemy with no thoughts of surrender, but also appalling battle conditions reminiscent of the legendary miseries of Passchendaele...
And a stirring tale it is! In a magnificent trilogy by a former junior officer in the Canadian Royal Artillery, George Blackburn records his experiences as a Forward Observation Officer (FOO), and those of the Canadian 2nd Infantry Division in general, in World War II's western European campaign. The first book, WHERE THE HELL ARE THE GUNS?, covers the training in Canada and England of Blackburn's unit, the 4th Field Artillery...
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In this, the concluding chapter of Canadian war veteran George G. Blackburn's superb three-volume eyewitness history of our northern neighbor's involvement in the war in Europe, we find a truly stunning successor to the previous two volumes. As with "The Guns Of Normandy" volume, we discover a masterful narrative punctuating the combination of dramatic life and death struggles contrasted with moments of drumming ennui or utter...
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Although hardly a scholar in the field of military history, I certainly have a keen interest in it. One of my favorite sources of information is John Keegan's The Face of Battle in which he explains combat experience from the perspective of those who were directly involved at Agincourt (1415), Waterloo (1815), and the Somme (1916). According to the first-hand accounts on which Keegan relies, films such as Paths of Glory,...
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The third of Blackburns' stunning wartime trilogy sees out the end of the war in Europe. He continues to refer to himself as 'you' throughout the book, which at first is a little strange, but quickly becomes transparent.Taking the three books together, the reader is left with a very good comprehension of the techniques of battle of the artillery, and to a lesser degree the infantry they supported, during the campaign in NWE...
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Thank you, Mr. Blackburn. The desire to know what my father went through when he was a young man, just married, hit me like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, I craved any and all information I could find. Your trilogy, The Guns of Normandy, The Guns of Victory, and Where the Hell are the Guns?, satisfied my craving. I see Dad in England training for tank duty without tanks, only broomsticks and rope. I can picture my father sleeping...
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