Synopses & Reviews
The reverses experienced by Canadian troops during the late stages of World War II continue to be the subject of intensive inquiry among military historians. Going beyond the obvious immediate causes of these setbacks, the author presents a detailed historical examination of the role of the Canadian army in Normandy and of the organization, training, and fighting-style that the Canadians brought to the battlefield in 1944.
In Book I, the author analyzes the impact of the British military model on the Canadian corps in terms of doctrine, training, command and staff appointments, equipment, and organization. He discusses the contribution of Canadian troops in World War I and the failure of the Canadian military to maintain a high level of professionalism in the interwar period. Drawing on archival records, particularly Montgomery's personal correspondence, the author offers new information on attempts to turn Canadian troops into an effective fighting force as late as 1943. Book II presents a critical analysis of Canadian operations in Normandy. The author gives special attention to the Canadian Army's inability to close the Falaise Gap in a timely manner--a delay that may have prolonged the war in Europe by several months. Providing both theoretical and practical perspectives on the relationship of peacetime preparation to the operation of large field forces in battle, this work will be of interest to students and buffs of military history and to professional analysts and strategic planners in the armed services.
Review
This immensely stimulating book by John A. English enrishes the already distinguished new generation of scholarship on the armies of the Western Allies of 1939-45.American Historical Review
Review
[A]n outstanding analytical study that raises important questions about the army and the society that created it...The Canadian Army and the Normandy Campaign is an excellent book full of insight as well as new information.The Canadian Historical Review
Review
English has produced a remarkably rich record of a multiple of elements that are fascinating to read and fit together. It is well written, thoroughly researched and documented, and usefully illustrated. It is an honest reappraisal of the received version of Canadian experience in the Normandy campaign. The frank identification of the reality of responsibility resting with the Canadian commanders whose abilities, or lack thereof, were products of the decade of peace during which they had led is a valuable addition to he written historical record and to the theoretical approach to the Canadian military experience.The Historian
Synopsis
This book is a unique case study of the impact of a peacetime army--its history, organization and command structures, doctrines, and level of training--on the subsequent operation of large field forces in battle.
Synopsis
This book is a unique case study of the impact of a peacetime army--its history, organization and command structures, doctrines, and level of training--on the subsequent operation of large field forces in battle. Drawing on a variety of archival sources, the author presents new information on attempts to prepare inadequately trained troops for battle during World War II, together with a critical analysis of the Canadian army's performance in the late stages of the war.
About the Author
JOHN A. ENGLISH is Associate with the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Gunther E. Rothenberg
Preface
Prologue: Of Ignorant Armies
Long Forgotten Winters
The Canadian Corps and the British Mold
The Bellows of Peace
Shaping an Expeditionary Force
The Staff Caste
Battle Drill Die
The Montgomery Measurement
Epilogue: Final Tempering
Half-Forgotten Summer
The Imprint of Doctrine
Cast of Commanders
Throes Beyond the Beach
Cold Eye on Death
The Amiens Alchemy
Case Hardening
Conclusion: Final Casting
Appendix A: Some General Notes on What to Look for When Visiting a Regiment by Lt.-Col. B. L. Montgomery
Appendix B: Tank and Gun Comparisons
Select Bibliography
Index