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Stout Hearts: The British and Canadians in Normandy 1944
Shortlisted for the British Army Military Book of the Year 2015.
Stout Hearts is a book which offers an entirely new perspective on the British Army in Normandy. This fresh study explores the anatomy of war through the Army's operations in the summer of 1944,informing and entertaining the general nonfiction reader as well as students of military history.
There have been so many books written on Normandy that the publication of another one might appear superfluous. However most books have focused on narrating the conduct of the battle, describing the factors that influenced its outcome, or debating the relative merits of the armies and their generals. What was missing from the existing body of work on Normandy specifically and the Second World War generally is a book that explains how an army actually operates in war and what it was like for those involved, "Stout Hearts" fills this gap.
"Stout Hearts" is essential reading for those who wish to understand the ‘mechanics’ of battle. How does an Army care for its wounded? How do combat engineers cross obstacles? How do tanks fight? How do Air and Naval Forces support the Army? But to understand what makes an Army ‘tick’ you must also understand its people. Therefore explanations of tactics and techniques are not only well illustrated with excellent photographs and high quality maps but also effectively combined with relevant accounts from the combatants themselves. These dramatic stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things are the strength of the book, bringing the campaign to life and entertaining the reader.
Dr Rob Johnson, Director Changing Character of Warfare program, Oxford University ‘[Ben Kite] has clearly used his widespread experience of seeing a modern Army in action on operations to think carefully about the anatomy of a military force and how each of component elements can work together to produce victory. He has succeeded in getting beyond the narrative of events and explains clearly how and why units function as they do, using firsthand accounts of participants to bring the text to life wonderfully.’
Lieutenant-General Tim Evans, Former Commandant Royal Military Academy Sandhurst ‘I would happily recommend it to officer cadets as well as junior officers alike as essential reading’.
Normandy veterans' comments - Field Marshal the Lord Bramall, ‘A fine book, comprehensive and well written’; Major Joe Lawler Brown ‘A very fine book, ably thought out and extremely well researched. It reads well and holds attention and interest... It will certainly rank amongst the best books on the conduct of the Second World War and I wish I could have had a copy in 1943 when I was first commissioned!’ Major Jack Swaab ‘Amazingly well researched, the gun drill for the 25 pounder for instance was spot –on and brought memories flooding back’.
Stout Hearts is a book which offers an entirely new perspective on the British Army in Normandy. This fresh study explores the anatomy of war through the Army's operations in the summer of 1944,informing and entertaining the general nonfiction reader as well as students of military history.
There have been so many books written on Normandy that the publication of another one might appear superfluous. However most books have focused on narrating the conduct of the battle, describing the factors that influenced its outcome, or debating the relative merits of the armies and their generals. What was missing from the existing body of work on Normandy specifically and the Second World War generally is a book that explains how an army actually operates in war and what it was like for those involved, "Stout Hearts" fills this gap.
"Stout Hearts" is essential reading for those who wish to understand the ‘mechanics’ of battle. How does an Army care for its wounded? How do combat engineers cross obstacles? How do tanks fight? How do Air and Naval Forces support the Army? But to understand what makes an Army ‘tick’ you must also understand its people. Therefore explanations of tactics and techniques are not only well illustrated with excellent photographs and high quality maps but also effectively combined with relevant accounts from the combatants themselves. These dramatic stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things are the strength of the book, bringing the campaign to life and entertaining the reader.
Dr Rob Johnson, Director Changing Character of Warfare program, Oxford University ‘[Ben Kite] has clearly used his widespread experience of seeing a modern Army in action on operations to think carefully about the anatomy of a military force and how each of component elements can work together to produce victory. He has succeeded in getting beyond the narrative of events and explains clearly how and why units function as they do, using firsthand accounts of participants to bring the text to life wonderfully.’
Lieutenant-General Tim Evans, Former Commandant Royal Military Academy Sandhurst ‘I would happily recommend it to officer cadets as well as junior officers alike as essential reading’.
Normandy veterans' comments - Field Marshal the Lord Bramall, ‘A fine book, comprehensive and well written’; Major Joe Lawler Brown ‘A very fine book, ably thought out and extremely well researched. It reads well and holds attention and interest... It will certainly rank amongst the best books on the conduct of the Second World War and I wish I could have had a copy in 1943 when I was first commissioned!’ Major Jack Swaab ‘Amazingly well researched, the gun drill for the 25 pounder for instance was spot –on and brought memories flooding back’.
488 pages, Hardcover
First published October 19, 2014
33 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 28, 2017
We've all seen the movies or the TV shows - the grizzled, filthy US Ranger, Paratrooper or whatever sits tired, putting forth his opinion that the long hard slog is all down to the Brits not doing their part and falling to take Caen.
All garbage, of course, and I'd hoped this book was going to redress the balance. It did, after it's fashion, although it's not a history of 21st Army in Normandy as such, do much as the depiction of its separate parts - infantry, artillery, medical, command, armour and so on - which combine to give you a picture of the British and Canadian forces, what they achieved and the tools they used to do it.
The writing style is informative and readable, personal experiences breaking up the narrative and making the point where necessary. I'd categorise it in the same vein as Dennis Winter's "Deaths Men" which deadly with the British Army in World War One.
Altogether a nice read, a welcome addition to the Normandy bookshelf and a resounding "cause we were fighting the cream if the German army" antidote to the unfortunate views of some historians.
All garbage, of course, and I'd hoped this book was going to redress the balance. It did, after it's fashion, although it's not a history of 21st Army in Normandy as such, do much as the depiction of its separate parts - infantry, artillery, medical, command, armour and so on - which combine to give you a picture of the British and Canadian forces, what they achieved and the tools they used to do it.
The writing style is informative and readable, personal experiences breaking up the narrative and making the point where necessary. I'd categorise it in the same vein as Dennis Winter's "Deaths Men" which deadly with the British Army in World War One.
Altogether a nice read, a welcome addition to the Normandy bookshelf and a resounding "cause we were fighting the cream if the German army" antidote to the unfortunate views of some historians.
March 19, 2018
Excellent
Essential for anyone seeking an appreciation of the fighting prowess of the command soldier in the commonwealth armies in Europe
Essential for anyone seeking an appreciation of the fighting prowess of the command soldier in the commonwealth armies in Europe
January 30, 2023
Highly, highly technical, and likely of greater interest to serving soldiers than the general public. Excellently researched.
July 2, 2023
wowowow finished in a day quite a big book tho ben kites literary ability strikes again
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews