Marching to the Sound of Gunfire

by Patrick Delaforce

In Marching to the Sound of Gunfire, scores of British soldiers from almost every echelon of the British Army tell their amazing stories of life - and death - at the sharp end. In the eleven months of frenzied warfare that followed D-Day, these soldiers successfully drove the Nazi hordes back into their Fatherland and beat them into surrender.
Illustrated with contemporary photographs and sketches, Marching to the Sound of Gunfire will bring back memories of fearful apprehension as the landing craft breached on the foreshores of Normandy, the sheer elation experienced at the liberation of towns and villages in France and the Low Countries, the tragedy of 'Market Garden', and the final brutal battles to pierce the Siegfried Line and reach the Baltic.
Marching to the Sound of Gunfire also looks at themes as varied as the landscape over which the battles were fought; of being wounded or taken prisoner; of the paradox of 'friendly fire'; of the daily life-or-death decisions that needed to be made by the humble private up to the divisional general; and of battles lost and won. It is also the story of how the young soldiers marched to the sound of gunfire, won a resounding victory, and led Winston Churchill to 'This is your victory ... we have never seen a greater day than this.'

Genres: World War II

218 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1997

Reviews

[IKO · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only just started but I really find it annoying that there is not a list of used acronyms. For those not as familiar with all the abbreviations use by the British armed forces this would have been a great help.

For those currently or planning on reading this book, this could be a helpful link:
http://www.researchingww2.co.uk/ww2-a...

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of a number of books by Delaforce giving personal reminiscences of British ground forces at war in Northern Europe from 1944-45. There is some duplication here, as the book includes many accounts from individuals in units which have had separate book devoted to them, but nevertheless the overall impact is rather good. The reminiscences themselves do often contain possible errors, and in at least one case the old soldier is clearly recalling an event from Italy, and not Northern Europe. This is hardly surprising, given the time expired and the age of these people at the time of the recollection. I say this to put any mistakes in context, and allowing for that the stories they tell are brilliant. Illustrations are minimal, comprising a very small number of photos and a greater number of contemporary sketches for the most part.