Book Review of
Villers-Bocage Through the Lens
Author: Daniel Taylor
Pen & Sword Books
ISBN: 9781870067072
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $34.95
ISBN: 9781870067072
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $34.95
Villers-Bocage, has for years, been the battle that confirmed the reputation of Germany’s greatest tank ace, Michael Wittmann. In this book the battle is analyzed in depth for the first time through detailed examination of the images taken by war photographers after the town was captured by German forces.
The claims made of the battle are re-appraised, and the arguments set out in dozens of published accounts have been compared with primary evidence never utilized before, and evaluated anew. Perhaps the two most striking revelations come from German sources. First graphically, by the study of the 100 photos taken by the German, the day after the battle.
Secondly, from Wittmann’s own account of the battle made hours after its conclusion in which many of the claims of historians attempting to glamorize the action are actually refuted by Wittmann himself.
The battle of Villers-Bocage came only one week after D-Day at a vital phase in the Allied build-up. The thrust by the 7th Armoured Division, the famous “Desert Rats”, was hoped to be a dashing and audacious move to out-manoeuvre the cream of German panzer forces lined-up before
Although the opportunity to send Britain’s best-known tank division into the heart of German defence was a piece of military importance, the move fitted perfectly with Allied grand strategy in that it was designed to destabilize the German front before sufficient reinforcements were in place to hold the invaders.
Its failure at Villers-Bocage has led to criticism of British generalship, the commanders in the field, and the willingness of the fighting men to continue their sacrifices into the fifth, bloody year of the war.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is hard-bound, with a paper jacket that has flaps that hold it tight to the book.
The cover art is both on the paper jacket and the book itself.
The front cover shows 5 black and white wartime photos.
On the top left is a photo of a German soldier standing by a Tiger tank. On the top right another photo of a Tiger hidden in brush.
In the center is a photo of a British (American built) Sherman tank.
On the left at the bottom is a photo of a row of knocked out vehicles and a destroyed British 6 pdr gun.
On the right at the bottom is a knocked out Tiger on a city street.
The back cover is covered by a large black and white aerial photo of the Villers-Bocage area.
The book contains 93 pages (2 pages are blank) in 11 ½” x 8 ¼” page format.
There are 76 small black and white wartime photos and 33 large ones that fully cover the pages they are on.
There are 14 maps, four German unit organization charts, two data lists, German Tiger tanks, British Cromwell and Sherman tanks, British and German officers – infantry and tank crews, four aerial photos of the Villers-Bocage area, British 6 pdr guns, a photo of German tank ace Michael Wittmann and city streets.
At the end of the book, spread across 3 pages, are tiny copies of all the photos in the book on a long tape that looks like photo film out of a camera.
This book will be of great interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword book and all their titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
The claims made of the battle are re-appraised, and the arguments set out in dozens of published accounts have been compared with primary evidence never utilized before, and evaluated anew. Perhaps the two most striking revelations come from German sources. First graphically, by the study of the 100 photos taken by the German, the day after the battle.
Secondly, from Wittmann’s own account of the battle made hours after its conclusion in which many of the claims of historians attempting to glamorize the action are actually refuted by Wittmann himself.
The battle of Villers-Bocage came only one week after D-Day at a vital phase in the Allied build-up. The thrust by the 7th Armoured Division, the famous “Desert Rats”, was hoped to be a dashing and audacious move to out-manoeuvre the cream of German panzer forces lined-up before
Although the opportunity to send Britain’s best-known tank division into the heart of German defence was a piece of military importance, the move fitted perfectly with Allied grand strategy in that it was designed to destabilize the German front before sufficient reinforcements were in place to hold the invaders.
Its failure at Villers-Bocage has led to criticism of British generalship, the commanders in the field, and the willingness of the fighting men to continue their sacrifices into the fifth, bloody year of the war.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books is located in the UK.
This book is hard-bound, with a paper jacket that has flaps that hold it tight to the book.
The cover art is both on the paper jacket and the book itself.
The front cover shows 5 black and white wartime photos.
On the top left is a photo of a German soldier standing by a Tiger tank. On the top right another photo of a Tiger hidden in brush.
In the center is a photo of a British (American built) Sherman tank.
On the left at the bottom is a photo of a row of knocked out vehicles and a destroyed British 6 pdr gun.
On the right at the bottom is a knocked out Tiger on a city street.
The back cover is covered by a large black and white aerial photo of the Villers-Bocage area.
The book contains 93 pages (2 pages are blank) in 11 ½” x 8 ¼” page format.
There are 76 small black and white wartime photos and 33 large ones that fully cover the pages they are on.
There are 14 maps, four German unit organization charts, two data lists, German Tiger tanks, British Cromwell and Sherman tanks, British and German officers – infantry and tank crews, four aerial photos of the Villers-Bocage area, British 6 pdr guns, a photo of German tank ace Michael Wittmann and city streets.
At the end of the book, spread across 3 pages, are tiny copies of all the photos in the book on a long tape that looks like photo film out of a camera.
This book will be of great interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword book and all their titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
Or information about Pen & Sword books can also be gotten by using the postcard inserted in this book to mail to Casemate.
Highly Recommended.