Devil's Garden

by Steven J. Zaloga

Fresh look at D-Day, one of World War II's pivotal battles, in time for its 70th anniversary in June 2014
* Explains why the U.S. Army suffered enormous casualties on Omaha Beach
* Focuses on Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, who oversaw German defenses in Normandy
* Covers little-known aspects such as the German patrols tasked with shooting down the pigeons the French Resistance used to send messages to the Allies
* Relies on original research, including recently discovered German artillery maps
* Zaloga's well-supported conclusions are sure to spark debate

Genres: World War II, War, Germany

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Steven Zaloga is an author and defense analyst known worldwide for his articles and publications on military technology.  He has written over a hundred books on military technology and military history, including “Armored Thunderbolt: The US Army Sherman in World War II”, one of the most highly regarded histories of the Sherman Tank.  His books have been translated into Japanese, German, Polish, Czech, Romanian, and Russian. He was a special correspondent for Jane’s Intelligence Review and is on the executive board of the Journal of Slavic Military Studies and the New York Military Affairs Symposium. From 1987 through 1992, he was the writer/producer for Video Ordnance Inc., preparing their TV series Firepower.  He holds a BA in history from Union College and an MA in history from Columbia University.

Mr. Zaloga is also a noted scale armor modeler and is a host/moderator of the World War II Allied Discussion group at Missing-Lynx.com, a modelling website. He is a frequent contributor to the UK-based modeling magazine Military Modelling. He is a member of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the extensive German preparations on Omaha Beach and an analysis and discussion as to why the Allied casualties here were so much higher than on other beaches. As I began to read the book and saw the wonderfully deep scrutiny and data the author provides ... from numbers (and quality) of troops and weapons to construction plans and diagrams, and the various intangibles such as Rommel's impact on the defenses ... I realized that this book was a far deeper and much more worthwhile read than just another re-hashing of the assault at Omaha.

Within the book there are many photos and illustrations of weapons, fortifications and strongpoints and tables with data about them. I got the feeling that the entire Omaha beach area was covered on a bunker-by-bunker basis, also listing what weapons were to be found in these fortifications and what units defended them.

I have read so many books on the Normandy invasion and really wanted to find one explained how the Germans were going to defend this area of the "Atlantic Wall." I will say this book is rarely told from a 1st person narrative, there are very few subjective opinions, zero colorful remarks, it reads like a good master's thesis, and focuses very narrowly on the infrastructure and defenses of Omaha Beach. I found this book might be to technical and dry to be of interest for the average reader, but if you are looking for a very technical account this is a solid book on the defense of Omaha beach from the German point of view.

[Stephen Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed.

Of all the books I have read on the Normandy Invasion this book has given me the most insight on the first day at Omaha Beach. It also has a lot of photographs of the German defenses that I have never seen before. Highly recommend.

[Dave Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

A serious description of the German defenses at Omaha Beach. If you want to understand the battle, this book is a must-read.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Steven Zaloga sets out to answer the question of why the casualties at Omaha Beach on D-Day were so much more severe than at any of the other beaches. Highly illustrated with black & white photographs, maps, and drawings, Mr. Zaloga reviews the German strategy for invasion defense, the fortification efforts, the forces available, and the US plan and execution of the landings. I won't say any more than that, to avoid spoilers. I found this book to be interesting reading. Recommended to anyone interested in the subject.

[Fresno Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting analysis on the German defense of Omaha beach