What was it like as a French soldier to defend the Maginot Line when the Germans invaded in 1940, and was the line really a strategic and tactical disaster a massive waste of resources? Clayton Donnell’s expert, finely detailed and graphic account of the role of the Maginot Line in the defence of France gives the reader an inside view of life in the bunkers, casemates and forts the sights, the sounds and the terror of the German attacks. And it questions common assumptions about the effectiveness of the resistance offered by the defenders and the impact the line had on the German assault. The layout of the line from Dunkirk to Switzerland, along the Alpine passes to the Riviera, and on the island of Corsica is described in expert detail, as is its history, construction and development. But the narrative concentrates on its performance in combat and the experience of the soldiers who manned it as the German offensive broke over them.
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BATTLE FOR THE MAGINOT LINE 1940
£25.00 £5.99
The role that France’s Maginot Line played in the defeat of France by the German Army in May and June of 1940 may be one of the most misunderstood aspects of World War II history. This book first introduces us to the Maginot Line by succinctly describing its pre-war construction and organisation. It then moves to a discussion of Maginot Line in combat and quickly dispels the myth that the Germany Army simply bypassed the Line on its way to victory.
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