Georges Bernage

The second book on Falaise that I reviewed is quite different to the first, and illustrates how books with a similar title can vary so much. This book has only two chapters, one covering Operation Totalize, and the second on Operation Tractable. It reviews both military operations from primarily the Canadian perspective.

The author French, and has published other books on the 1944 campaign in France and North-West Europe. He covers the two battles in depth, with detailed information about the fighting and the units involved. The box is well illustrated with several photographs (some in colour), of which about half were taken during the events, and other half of memorabilia such as cap badges and helmets. There is detailed analysis of the events that resulted in the death of the German tank commander WITTMAN, with each of the tanks involved plotted on a map.

It is interesting to read, and describes the events well. It can by the nature of the events sometimes become confusing in understanding the chronology of specific incidents, but this is how it was no doubt at the time. By covering a limited period timewise and a small geographic location, this book provides a detailed account of the fighting of the Canadians and Poles. Provided the reader has an interest in the Normandy campaign, or the Canadian Army during the Second World War, this book will not disappoint.… (meer)