Operation Dragoon 1944: France's other D-Day

Description

Operation Dragoon, the Allied landings in southern France on August 15, 1944, was one of the most controversial operations of 1944, leading to a deep divide between United States and British planners. The US objective was to threaten the rear of the German armies occupying France by a landing on the eastern French coast and to push rapidly northward towards Lorraine to meet up with Allied forces bursting out of Normandy. Popular Osprey author Steve Zaloga tells the story of this ultimately successful operation, from the derisive debates between the Allied commanders to the men who hit the beaches and charged ashore to help liberate occupied France.

Steven J. Zaloga received his BA in history from Union College and his MA from Columbia University. He has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for over two decades, covering missile systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think-tank. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and military history, with an emphasis on the US Army in World War II as well as Russia and the former Soviet Union. John White is a commercial illustrator with many years' experience of working with advertising agencies, design firms, publishers and large corporate accounts. He has received awards from The Broadcast Design Association and The National Naval Aviation Museum, and his paintings have appeared in Aviation Art magazine, Aviation History magazine, and on the History Channel. John and his wife Margery live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"Steven J. Zaloga tells the story of this operation, which was the largest amphibious operation in Europe outside of Normandy, including the personalities involved and the planning in addition to the events themselves. The book is further enhanced by a superb selection of photographs and the outstanding artwork and maps of illustrator John White. Like all Osprey titles, it is highly recommended and one that you will find as fascinating a read as did I." --Scott Van Aken, www.modelingmadness.com (August 2009)