Americans in Brittany 1944: The Battle for Brest

by Jonathan Gawne

Capturing the harbor at Brest in Brittany, was crucial for securing the flank of the Normandy landings in the summer of 1944. The U.S. 4th and 6th Armored Divisions were detailed for the task. Facing them were such units as the Germans could throw together, but stiffened by Bernhard Ramcke's elite paratroopers.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

I was born.

I lived a while and wrote some books which some people liked, and some people didn't.

One day I will die, and then possibly I will become famous.

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This oversize book is packed full of photos and sidebars, but it fully tells the history of the Brittany campaign. Gawne gets into the neat details of the story, but also recounts the grueling struggle for Brest as well. I was interested in this book because my grandfather fought in this campaign and I was surprised to learn that his battalion was at one time cut off behind enemy lines! The few stories he told were always war-lite. My main quibble with the book is that the maps don't have a scale on them, so it's hard to understand the scale of, say, the battle for hill 111. Great book with a great packaging.