Pillar of Fire: Dunkirk 1940

by Ronald Atkin

The German advance of 1940 and the miraculous rescue of the British Expeditionary Force from the Dunkirk beaches has been described in several famous books but this dramatic first-hand account has not been readily available in the United States. In addition to unforgettable accounts of day-to-day actions, the author offers perceptive observations on the inefficiency and unpreparedness of the British authorities in the face of German aggression.

Genres: Military Fiction, History, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Rupin Chaudhry · Rating 5 out of 5]

One can only wonder why Hitler let it go. British army was in disarray, royal navy was in chaos and German u boats had the upper hand . If Hitler had perused his onslaught, Britain might have fallen.

The narrative is based on first hand accounts and is quite anecdotal and a drag, however, the history has its own fun. Britishers did not admit to the defeat. They retreated only to consolidate and gather stock and put up a sound defense in what was to become "the battle of Britain" which would give the first defeat to the invincible Nazi war machine and turn the tide of war.

[Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superb book because it is literally written by the men who experienced the debacle that was the "Phoney War" and the blitzkrieg in the West. It flows easily through the lack of preparedness, the flawed tactics, the lack of co-operation between the Allies and the ultimate tragedy and heroism, farce and surrealism that was the disembarkation of the British forces at Dunkirk. I cannot recommend it highly enough... the experiences you will live through will stay in your memory for a long time after you have read it.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair enough account of the Dunkirk debacle. It's more anecdotal rather than a heavy weight history but nevertheless interesting enough.

[Kent Hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dunkirk retreat is one of the most famous morale builders in WWII for Britain. I knew about the small boats coming to the rescue but not much else. The small time frame (one month between actual combat and the retreat) is astounding and shows how underprepared the British were and how the Nazi could have actually won the whole thing at that point. A good collection of personal stories as told by the participants makes this a great oral history of this episode.