Hitler'S Atlantic Wall: Yesterday and Today

Description

Masters of the continent, the Nazis realized that they would have to defend their gains, and once the United States entered the war, redoubled their efforts. Using forced and slave labor they built a chain of defensive positions, coastal batteries, and beach defenses from the top of Norway to the Franco-Spanish border. However, as was so typical of the Nazis, while the bunkers and batteries seem impressively constructed, and the Atlantic Wall has left a permanent reminder of the years of Nazi domination, it was crippled by lack of strategic planning, internal bickering, and a multitude of command structures that did not communicate with each other effectively. In June 1944 the Allies burst through the wall, and while it took many lives to break the crust of the German defenses, the vaunted Atlantic Wall proved ineffective save for the fortresses the Allies bypassed and subdued later. Using the same formula as in their books on The Normandy Battlefields and Race to the Rhine, Leo Marriott and Simon Forty combine bespoke aerial photography with old photographs, maps, and current illustrations to provide a pictorial analysis of the subject-Around 500 illustrations ensure the subject is well covered. After opening sections on the construction of the wall, the defensive plan, and the different structures that were built, Hitler's Atlantic Wall yesterday and today provides a survey of the key locations and what can be seen today-including many of the museums that interpret them. The bulk of the book is divided geographically by country, dealing with France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway. After 70 years, the Atlantic Wall is still a remarkable reminder of the war years, and one that continues to fascinate.

Collaborators on The Normandy Battlefields and Race to the Rhine, Leo Marriott and Simon Forty have long worked together as an expert team. Leo is a retired Air Traffic Controller who has had more than 30 books published on his specialist subjects: naval warfare and aviation. He is an experienced pilot and accomplished aerial photographer. Simon Forty has been working in publishing as an editor and author for 35 years. George Forty had three careers: as a serving officer for 30 years in the Royal Tank Regiment; as curator of the world-famous Bovington Tank Museum; and as a prolific author of military books. Together their expertise and resources on WWII history can hardly be surpassed. Leo Marriott is a retired Air Traffic Controller who has had more than thirty books published on his specialist subjects: naval warfare and aviation. He is an experienced pilot and accomplished aerial photographer, and his work is featured in this book. Simon Forty has been working in publishing as commissioning editor and author for 35 years. He has co-authored with Leo Marriott a series of books on the Normandy Campaign, including The Normandy Battlefields: D-Day & the Bridgehead (2014) and Hitler's Atlantic Wall (2016). A keen cyclist he has toured the Normandy battlefields many times.

Plenty of photographs maps and diagrams to get stuck into, with plenty of contemporary images to reference if you are going to visit any of the sites...an excellent read. * Despatches * This is a great book. It is fantastic to look at and the technical and historical info is all up to scratch. In a way it marks a point in time because I am sure some of the concrete monsters discussed are destined to be hammered to destruction in the near future. * War History Online * A fascinating book and at what I think is a reasonable price, so well worth adding to your book shelf. * Military Model Scene * This is a refreshing approach and is very well researched...do not leave home without it! * Fortress Study Group * The Britain at War team have no hesitation in recommending this book most highly and choosing it as this month's Book of the Month. * Britain at War Magazine * Plenty of photographs maps and diagrams to get stuck into, with plenty of contemporary images to reference if you are going to visit any of the sites...an excellent read. * Eagle *