Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture

by Joshua Levine

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

THE EPIC TRUE STORY OF DUNKIRK – NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE, WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER NOLAN AND STARRING KENNETH BRANAGH, TOM HARDY AND MARK RYLANCE.

In 1940, at the French port of Dunkirk, more than 300,000 trapped Allied troops were dramatically rescued from destruction at the hands of Nazi Germany by an extraordinary seaborne evacuation. The true history of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and civilians involved in the nine-day skirmish has passed into legend. Now, the story Winston Churchill described as a 'miracle' is narrated by bestselling author Joshua Levine in its full, sweeping context, including new interviews with veterans and survivors.

Told from the viewpoints of land, sea and air, Joshua Levine’s Dunkirk is a dramatic account of a defeat that paved the way to ultimate victory and preserved liberty for generations to come.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, World War II, Historical, Audiobook, Military Fiction

376 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 2017

About the author

Joshua Levine was born in the Bahamas. He has a law degree and practiced as a criminal barrister for several years in London. He gave up law and became an actor, appearing in amateur theatre productions. He also worked as an assistant producer, working on a documentary about Handel's Water Music. He wrote a stage play entitled, Crash, and went on to write programs for BBC Radio 4. He is the author of Forgotten Voices, Beauty and Atricity, On a Wing and a Prayer, Operation Fortitude, The Secret History of the Blitz, and Dunkirk.

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

On 30 May, Frederic Wake-Walker, a naval officer on board HMS Hebe, surveyed the scene from La Panne westwards. It was, he said, ‘One of the most astounding and pathetic sights I have ever seen. Almost the whole ten miles of beach was black from sand-dunes to waterline with tens of thousands of men. In places they stood up to their knees and waists in water waiting for their turn to get into the pitiable boats. It seemed impossible that we should ever get more than a fraction of all these men away.

Image from LearningMind.com

In May 1940, things were not looking good for the Allies. Hitler’s armies had made an unexpected run through what had seemed the impenetrable, and thus lightly defended, Ardennes forest, cutting off the British forces from their French counterparts to the south, and thus creating an unwinnable situation for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). Although it was not immediately apparent, and consensus was slow in coming, it eventually became clear that the only possible action was evacuation. The BEF retreated to a stretch of coast in Northeast France, Dunkirk. The German forces were closing in. As many as four hundred thousand faced slaughter or capture. Had the evacuation failed, the war would have ended in victory for the Axis, and the world we have inhabited for the last seventy-seven (now 85) years would have been a far different place. British destroyers were not able to get close enough to the beach to rescue anywhere near the numbers trapped there. The English people were forced to come to the rescue. From May 26 to June 4, 1940, they did, helping evacuate the largest number of people in military history.


Joshua Levine - from his Twitter page

How the vast majority of this mass of humanity was rescued is one of the greatest stories and one of the true miracles of the twentieth century. Operation Dynamo provided Great Britain a second chance in the war, and was inspirational for the people on the western side of the English Channel.

The last time there was a film about Dunkirk was 1958. Aside from a compelling tracking shot in the stellar film, Atonement, it has not been the subject of a major film. Christopher Nolan, A-list director of Interstellar, The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Memento, and host of other films, had been wanting to make a film of the battle, if you can even call it that, for ages, but it was only recently that he was able to garner the considerable production sums needed to do it justice on the big screen. Joshua Levine, author of many books on World War II, and other conflicts, was brought in as a consultant on the actual history of the time. The book he wrote is not a script from the film. It is an historical telling of the events leading up to and through the evacuation.

Levine’s methodology is weighted toward the up-close-and-personal, telling stories from the accounts of on-the-ground participants, and looking also at command decisions, from officers in the field up to the prime minister. Much of what he writes about Dunkirk has particular relevance to the twenty-first century.

German children were not being raised to believe in a world of tolerance and acceptance. According to [Bernard] Rust, ‘God created the world as a place for work and battle. Whoever doesn’t understand the laws of life’s battles will be counted out, as in the boxing ring. All the good things on this earth are trophy cups. The strong will win them. The weak will lose them.’

This mentality was distilled Nazism. Describing it as Europe’s greatest problem, [William] Shirer wrote about it in his diary on the eve of the German Blitzkrieg. A fellow American war correspondent, Web Miller, had died in a rail accident, and the German press was full of stories that he had been killed by the British secret service. ‘What happens,’ writes Shirer, ‘to the inner fabric of a people when they are fed lies like this daily?’ It is a question as important today as it was when posted on 9 May 1940.

One can, and certainly should, read this book whether one opts to see the film or not. Despite its link to a major Hollywood cinema event, this is a bona fide, stand-alone history of the time, an update of his 2011 book, Forgotten Voices of Dunkirk, which had inspired Nolan’s air, sea, and water triptych approach to the film. It is rich with looks at the challenges and contradictions of the era, and shows in compelling detail many of the horrors of war.


Ships berthing at Dover with the rescued - from Wikimedia

Paranoia was rampant, as one might expect. And many a person was falsely identified as an enemy spy, whether maliciously or erroneously, and executed summarily. An experience that filled the cells of Gitmo in the Afghanistan War and Abu Graib in the Iraq War, and no doubt erupts in most military conflicts. The maintenance of order was paramount and was often enforced in draconian fashion.

Levine looks into how what was clearly a major military defeat was transformed into a national source of inspiration. He also offers a look into the culture of the time leading up to the war, some details of which I found surprising. He offers a reasoned explanation for England’s reluctance to engage in another world war, lets us in on the British view of the French military, and the French feeling of betrayal when the BEF opted to flee rather than stand and fight. He looks at decision-making by the Belgians who were in a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t position if ever there was one.


image from Wikimedia

It is remarkable that anyone at all was rescued given how many stupid decisions were implemented and how many mistakes were made, on both sides. But the story is also rich with the courage and hopefulness that led to a successful conclusion of the rescue. One particular example of making lemonade stood out.

Opening one of the battalion’s final ammunition boxes, Captain Starkey had been devastated to find that it contained not bullets but flare cartridges. A supply error had been made. But rather than bemoan his luck, Captain Starkey thought laterally. The enemy’s effective mortar fire, he had noticed, was always signaled by a red-white-red pattern of flares. After a while this would be replaced by a white-red-white pattern, signaling the mortar fire to stop and the infantry to attack.

Captain Starkey, with his huge supply of coloured flares, waited for the German infantry to advance before firing a red-white-red pattern above their heads. German mortars duly opened fire, hitting their own men. The Germans quickly fired off a white-red-white configuration to rectify the situation. The mortars stopped and the surviving infantrymen moved forward. Captain Starkey waited a moment before sending up another red-white-red pattern. The mortars opened fire once more, and the infantrymen were again bombarded. The chaos continued to grow until the mortars ceased firing and the infantry stopped advancing . Cunning had overcome strength

There are other examples here of brains beating bullets. An English scientist came up with a way of dealing with the magnetic mines the Luftwaffe had dumped into the waters off the beach. And a pier, made of a very surprising foundation, allowed many thousands to escape, who would otherwise have been left behind.


en route to Dover- from the BBC

There is much here, as one would expect, on how it came to pass that a flotilla of small private English boats came to the rescue, transporting masses of soldiers, some all the way to Dover, many more to the waiting destroyers, and gave birth to what would come to be called The Dunkirk spirit.

Jim [Thorpe] remembers travelling across the Channel many times. He recalls German aircraft strafing the boat, and the soldiers on board firing back with their rifles. But did he realise the importance of the job he was doing?

‘No. You don’t think about that sort of thing. You think about—just get those men home. They were trying to do something for us. You think, Let’s get them out!’

It must be borne in mind that the generally accepted number of 338,000 rescued is a far cry from the numbers who might have been. Thousands were killed, tens of thousands were captured. While Dunkirk will resound through history as a stirring and stunning moment of heroism, it was hardly a total victory.

Not much to gripe about in this book. Levine does attempt to center his narrative around several specific participants. I did not find that to be particularly effective. The characters needed to be portrayed in considerably more depth for that to work. Nonetheless, the anecdotal history works pretty well at giving one a sense of the situation, the miseries to be endured, the challenges faced, both physical and psychological, and the determined spirit that rose to the occasion. He references the making of the film from time to time, which may be of value to those who have seen or will see the film, but is a slight distraction for those who will remain film-free. However, he spends the final chapter addressing the film at length. Pretty interesting stuff.

I can report that the film is a triumph, most definitely worth seeing, even if it is not viewed on the large screen for which it was intended. Levine’s tale of the time is most definitely worth reading. You will learn a lot. You will be surprised. You might even feel inspired. You will not need to be rescued.

Review first posted – July 20, 2017

Publication date – June 27, 2017

=============================EXTRA STUFF

The author’s personal and Twitter pages

A piece in The Daily Mail on the making of the film - Return to the beaches: Army of extras invades Dunkirk to recreate World War II evacuation of 330,000 soldiers for new movie starring Tom Hardy and Harry Styles (plus some cardboard cut-out troops)

The amazing Dunkirk tracking shot from Atonement - Be forewarned there is plenty here that is disturbing.

July 21, 2017 -Time Life Books - an excerpt - Not Everyone Escaped at Dunkirk. This Is What Happened After the Rescue

August 2, 2017 - NY Times - The evacuees at Dunkirk consisted of more than only English and French men - Dunkirk, the War and the Amnesia of the Empire - by Yasmin Khan

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dunkirk evacuation is such a remarkable story of survival and the sheer courage humans have, when tested to the absolute limit. This story has recently been brought to life in a dramatic fashion in Christopher's Nolans film. I'm not here to talk about the film, but it is definitely a masterpiece in my eyes.

The narrative begins a tad slow, and it did take me a couple of chapters to really be pulled in to the book completely. By the time the actual stages of the evacuation of Dunkirk were being described, I was completely in deep.

Levine has personal accounts in this book of soldiers on the ground, as well as higher ranks. It was interesting to read the different perspectives from individuals.

"When you're in the middle of what turns out to be history, you don't know it's history. It's not history to you. It's another day for you, it might be a more dangerous day than usual, but it's a day. And then you hear Winston Churchill talking about you and your life. Turns out you were present at the beginning of something"

[Hamsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright, alright I’m giving this book three stars only, because I’m a bit disappointed :(
It’s an interesting book and it contains some good information, but like it was written as someone was telling a story to a friend, and sometimes they’d get distracted and start a different story and never finish the first one. It seemed like it wasn’t meant to be a book.
I had high expectations and expected something much better.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Nolan, the creative genius behind The Dark Knight (Batman), Inception and Memento turns his eye next to Dunkirk, which tells the true story of a major British military evacuation off the coast of Belgium during WWII.

Dunkirk is based on a book of the same name by historian Joshua Levine. Levine's 2011 book has been updated for the upcoming movie release, and it is bookended with an interview between Levine and Nolan at the beginning of the book about why Nolan chose this project, and a chapter at the end of the book discussing the process of making the movie, including comments from members of the production team. Movie buffs will love these extra chapters, giving them a fascinating insight into the process of moviemaking.

History buffs will love the actual story of Operation Dynamo itself. I confess to not being a big military history reader, so the sections of the book I found most intriguing had to do with the historical perspective of the events that led up to Britain's involvement in WWII.

Great Britain was still reeling from the effects of WWI, fought nearly twenty years prior. They lost an entire generation of men in WWI, and the thought of losing another generation to a war with Germany was not one that many people wanted to contemplate.

The worldwide depression severely impacted Great Britain, with unemployment high. With no system of welfare, there was tension between the classes, and extreme political parties were able to gain a foothold exploiting this. One can see echoes of this in today's world events as well.

Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain believed that he could work with Hitler's Nazi government to avoid war. He was accused of appeasement, and this led to the election of Winston Churchill as Prime Minister of Great Britain during the most trying time in history.

Churchill approved the plans for Operation Dynamo, which called for the evacuation of as many as 40,000 British troops from Dunkirk. The Germans were about to surround the British and French troops, and in order to save the troops from a certain slaughter or capture, they must arrange for an evacuation. Failure to save these troops would mean that the Allies would most likely lose the war, and the world today would be a much different place if that had happened.

The book goes into great detail about the actual logistics of the evacuation, a monumental task. Every available military and private ship and boat was recruited to make the trip to Dunkirk to ferry the soldiers back to England. There are many remembrances from people who make that voyage, and they are so interesting.

The troops were sent to the beach, and with tens of thousands of soldiers along the beach, some for many days, it became a little city of its own. Men played cards, built small shelters, and waited and waited until it was their turn to wade out in to the sea to be rescued, all while being attacked from the sky by German airplanes.

Levine compared this scene to the one of refugees from war and poverty who are taking any form of floating apparatus to get to the shores of Greece and Italy, an apt comparison.

Dunkirk is a fascinating look at a historical event that many people don't know about. While some people felt that this event was a story of a failed battle, Levine looks at it as an incredible story of survival. The goal was to save 40,000 troops, and the reality was that over 260,000 troops were rescued from the shores of Dunkirk, an astonishing number.

England used Dunkirk as a rallying cry and people in England today still speak of the "Dunkirk Spirit" when talking about bucking up and working together to achieve a goal that seems unattainable.

I highly recommend Dunkirk for movie fans, history and military history buffs.

[Fabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gostei muito deste livro! Para quem goste de história é o livro ideal! Aprendi muito com está leitura!

[Daniela Rosas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quando comecei a ler "Dunkirk - A História real que inspirou o filme", pensei que iria encontrar em primeiro lugar uma descrição muito detalhada do que foi a realização do filme. Mas a verdade é que deparei-me com os factos verídicos do que foi o "milagre de Dunquerque".
Antes de ouvir falar do filme e de ter ido ao cinema para o ver, não sabia nada sobre Dunquerque. Na escola falam-nos da Segunda Guerra Mundial como sendo quase unicamente o assassínio de Judeus por parte dos nazis e a sua libertação dos campos de concentração, quando na realidade foi muito mais do que isso. E esta diferença fiquei a conhece-la através deste livro.
Esta Crónica/Documentário, contam-nos todos os momentos anteriores à evacuação das tropas inglês e francesas (em maior destaque estão as tropas inglesas) que se viram encurraladas pelas tropas alemãs em França. Também nos mostra todos os pormenores da evacuação e do sofrimento que estes soldados viveram às mãos dos Alemães.
Temos relatos em primeira mão de veteranos que sobreviveram para contar o que viveram durante aqueles meses que estiveram destacados com França e na fronteira de França com a Bélgica. Temos também relatos de refugiados belgas que fugiram da guerra e que assistiram a eventos terríveis, como é o caso de Louis Van Leemput, que na altura era uma criança. Também temos a oportunidade de conhecer as memórias, de uma forma mais ligeira, de civil que na altura tinha 17 anos, de nome Jim Thorpe, que provavelmente será o único dos civis que participou no salvamento das tropas em Dunquerque ainda vivo.
No decorrer da leitura dei por mim muitas vezes a ter que parar para respirar fundo, pois as situações relatadas eram de estrema violência. Muitas vezes também dei por mim com lágrimas nos olhos depois de ler algumas coisas sobre as atrocidades que os alemães cometiam contra as tropas inimigas, assim como num momento do livro em que já está a decorrer a evacuação e o autor nos dá a conhecer que os soldados ingleses adotavam animais, principalmente cães, mas que os superiores não os deixavam levá-los nos barcos e os matavam com tiros e atiravam ao mar.
De forma geral lemos o que é a guerra. O terror que estes homens tiveram que viver. Mas no fim percebemos que afinal é uma história de sobrevivência e de luta constante para voltar a casa e não deixar o seu país ficar mal.
No fim temos uma pequena descrição do que foi a realização do filme, em que para minha grande surpresa (quando fui ver ao cinema não reconheci o ator), uma das personagens que aparece várias vezes como soldado na praia e depois num navio que é atacado , é o cantor Harry Styles. Não tinha ideia disso!!!
Adorei o conteúdo, não fosse eu uma apaixonada pela Segunda Guerra Mundial.
A minha avaliação para este livro conta como sendo Biografia/Memoir/Crónica/Documentário, ou seja dei-lhe 7 estrelas e não 5.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dunkirk was a massively successful failure in WWII. I had never learned about this story in history class so knew absolutely nothing coming in, other than this took place in the early parts of WWII. The British and French troops kept getting pushed back and back by the Germans until they wound up on the beaches of Dunkirk, France having to be evacuated across the channel. Ships came from everywhere, both civilian and navy, to evacuate these troops. Many died, but many many more were rescued. This book tells the story of what lead up to Dunkirk and how this rescue took place.


This book is also about the new movie Christopher Nolan is making on the events at Dunkirk. There's both an interview with Nolan at the start and a chapter at the end of the book about the making of the movie. Having no knowledge about Dunkirk, I found the Nolan interview at the start of the book oddly placed. I was worried it was going to spoil something further in the book and couldn't appreciate their interest in the story because I knew nothing about it yet. However, the notes at the end of the book on the film making were quite interesting. The fact that they filmed on the Dunkirk beach should make this even more authentic.


In the telling of what happened at Dunkirk, there were many eye witness accounts stitching together Levine's story. These likely come from his other book Forgotten Voices of Dunkirk (I can't help but wonder if the book is exactly the same, but with chapters added on the movie). These accounts were very interesting, but overall they were all quite short, which lead to some major pacing issues in this book. The history of Dunkirk isn't started until about page 60. Then the book is on a roller coaster from engaging and interesting to boring. At times I wondered if I should give up, but I stuck through to the end. It does get better once the troops are on the beach and the rescue attempt is underway.


I'm not a huge history buff (but do enjoy well tell stories of historical events) and feel that most parts of this book are geared towards someone of a more historical buff nature. If you can get past the first 100 pages or so, you'll learn a lot about this event and the movie that will represent it.

[Rafael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like i said on my last review i will come back to write more about this, i will just tell you if you like history, even more WW2 and loved the Christopher Nolan movie the this is a perfect bool to pick up.

[Hannah Rodriguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

When reading history books like this (or any book in general), it is important to see the content and happenings through a Biblical worldview and the plain fact that man/the world is fallen..... or you are left with a hopeless and sick feeling in your gut.

Enter: Dunkirk.

First of all the interview at the beginning is pure gold. Christopher Nolan gives insight into his thought process behind the story and how it all came together. That and the last chapter.

Throughout the book, I got fiction vibes within this non-fiction piece of art. It really got me into the 'characters' that I 'met' as the expansive story was told almost as a panoramic photo. The girl working to feed her family. The young man looking for adventure: he joins up the war. The man who watches a line of bare chested men get shot against a wall. Another young man witnessing the horrors of war as he stand over dead, water logged bodies that look nothing like humans.

He puked.

I wanted to as well.

The little tangent at the beginning has to do with this little rabbit trail of mine: in this book there's a high body count, quite a few mentions of men frequenting brothels (because they wanted a last taste at life the author says), and other things. This is essentially a story of defeat. It's pretty hopeless. Yeah there's hope at the end because men were evacuated and they had boosted morale...... but when you think of the price tag dangling from that slice of morale and etc etc you start to see that it was bloodied and soaked with death.

Seeing this piece of history and other pieces of history through the fact that there's hope at the end of life and a reason for living is essential. This isn't a fun historical account about soldiers who won and held victory and hope in their hands.

Those things slipped between the fingers of men who fought with all they had. Grit and honor. This piece of art was a good look at what war is like from the the pov of many different people. A slap of reality of what these men felt and said and did and how they cried and wanted to drown.

From all this, it might seem hopeless...... and it was. But on the flip side I saw hope streaming through the cracks.

This was an amazing book. I would recommend it to anyone who
a) loves history and the context of this particular event. So educational and insightful.
b) loves the movie (a lot of little behind the scenes type of stuff)

(and I normally don't add this, but for friends who want a little content warning: obviously lots of death and blood. Mentions of brothels and one or two guys briefly 'summarizing' what they saw and some other stuff. Not too graphic but a little much for a historical non-fic about war in my opinion. Some language, but most... if not all is from quoted sentences/paragraphs from veterans and others. A guy does a recent study on how the term teenager evolved and how teens started acting like teens. A really interesting study, but as you can imagine one little section is about sex and what's become different with that culture wise vs. a hundred years ago. Again nothing graphic but some might not appreciate that.)

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The story of Dunkirk amounts to more than a frenzied month of soldiers and sailors, tanks and beaches, ambitious politicians and quivering generals."

A must read, in my opinion.

It's been on my tbr list for quite some years now, but I wish I had read it sooner.

There's so much information packed into this book. I tabbed so many pages, perhaps too many pages, but there was just so much I wanted to remember. Of course, there were a few things I'd forgotten, so it served as a great reminder. But otherwise, I learned quite a lot of new things regarding Dunkirk.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

World War II, was a war that had to happen. It was not so much that we were ridding the world of domination (we were), but pulling the world out of a depression that seemed as though no one nation would entirely recover from it. At the end of the first world war, it was heartbreaking to see the loss of life, and the families that would never quite be entirely whole again. But the loss of life was not enough to keep Germany from wanting to rebuild and reinforce their ideals. While most of the world wanted to relax and forget the horrors that has happened, Germany was on a race to rearm. They were going to be sure that when war eventually happened again that they were going to be ready.

While the world celebrated and rejoiced at the end of war times, Germany was rewriting their education, looking at what would have to happen to get everyone thinking to their mindset. The answer? The youth.. the youth are the first answer to most issues that will arise. Forget those already in the blush of life, the youth are the ones that will push movements. Win the youth, the rest will eventually follow. Germany realized this and began the indoctrination and mind control that would become so effective in building and maintaining troops, even as it became clear that their objective would never hold. The United States was seeing a new trend with their teenagers (how has this not always been a term??), but the example that was being set by teens in the US was spreading. While British teens and most of Europe copied the styles coming form the states, Germany was horrified. Britain also realized the hold of the youth, and while they acknowledged the fact, it was easier to allow them to just be kids. Let them enjoy life, and ease into maturity. But the mindset would not last. With the slow takeover by the Germans, the magic faded away. Now, while that sounds nostalgic, the reality was life was economically hard. Higher pricing, depressed markets, and loss of jobs led to many living in dire straights. What could possibly pull the world out of the extremes? A war. War sadly brings economy back. But enough on that...

Dunkirk was a resounding defeat for the forces that were trying to escape the beach, and while boats were constantly back and forth to take them to safety, so too were the planes. Bombs and machine gun fire ripped effectively through the troops just wanting to leave and go home. While the German forces pushed forward to their location, the British were simply trying to retreat. Their positions had been overrun, and there was nothing they could do. Running low on ammunition and food, they were simply sitting ducks, huddled together waiting for their turn to flee. To the German army, Dunkirk was a prize to be had and held, literally stopping the British forces from moving forward. By holding that position, they could keep anything from coming in... or out. But as with all forces, some of the German high command was at war with itself. While most of the top brass held views that would have pushed them closer to victory, they were constantly curtailed and second guessed from non other than Adolf Hitler himself. Believing himself to be invincible, and with the brainwashed troops and citizens in thrall, he simply believed he could do no wrong. But as we have seen, mistakes were made the cost them the war. Instead of relying on the leadership that he had within his military, he was constantly reversing and seconding guessing orders that were being given.

Within the British government, Winston Churchill was fighting his own battle. While the incumbent Prime Minister was doing what he thought was best, Churchill was waging his own propaganda war, to quite a stunning effect. Where the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain was attempting to retain control, Churchill was rallying support and keeping support for the armed forces alive. In his turn as Prime Minister, he was a hard person to crack, one to push were men needing pushing, and known for not backing down from his ideals when he felt that he was right (which was pretty much all the time). But he had a war to wage, and he knew that in order to do so, American support would be vital. The United States held out as long as they could, but we know that as soon as Pearl Harbor occurred, war had arrived, and Americans have never been ones to roll over and surrender. Dunkirk, was bloody, messy, and for the British, their own "Remember the Alamo".


This book was an interesting read. I appreciated the fact that it not only held to what the British and French, but also the German and American viewpoints. It is quite simply, unlike most books ever written. While this is now a motion picture (check your theater for release dates - end of July 2017) , the fact that this was really a defeat somehow turned victory is amazing. The history and the time that this book encompasses shows the authors attention to detail, details that we do not find together. Take the young German girl who laughed at the ideals that were set forth during their education and had a Jewish friend, but refused to think anything about the treatement that was being meted out to Jews all over Germany. I feel as though this book (and the movie) will appeal to many. It is a simple timeline, but begins a chain of events which will, quite literally, change the world.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

(7)
This book went more into detail on the general backstory of soldiers than I was anticipating, as opposed to focusing on the film, but it's interesting all the same.
It was shocking without being overdramatised, if anything I would've liked some parts to have been even more detailed.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book AFTER seeing the movie. I would advise, if you have an interest in this part of WWII history, you read the book first and then see the movie. This bit of advice will appall the film's director, Christopher Nolan, who intends for his movie to be experienced from the point of view of 3 ordinary individuals: a soldier on the beach waiting for rescue, a RAF pilot in the skies above the beach trying to buy the soldiers enough time to be rescued, and a civilian boat captain racing across the channel to save those he can. None of these individuals has the whole picture of what is transpiring, none of them can predict the outcome of their efforts, and all of them are in constant, mortal danger from a steadily advancing enemy. If you see the film first -- even if you know the rudiments of the historical event -- you will feel often confused, alternately terrified and relieved, and spend a lot of time shouting at your fellow movie-goers (the movie is very loud), "Why did he do that? Who are those guys, anyway? Is he injured or just trying to hide?" Now that I've read the book, which includes a lengthy interview with Christopher Nolan, I understand that THAT type of experience is exactly what the director was trying to achieve, as it most closely resembles the experience of the actual participants in this pivotal moment in British history, based on extensive interviews with those who know best -- veterans still living who survived the evacuation at Dunkirk.

If you decide to tackle the book, be advised there is a lot of discussion of tactical strategy (and, sometimes, of the lack thereof) and horrific scenes of war -- all taken straight from first hand accounts -- that make me very glad that I have not (nor has anyone I love) ever had to be a soldier. For film buffs, there is also a chapter on the actual nitty-gritty details involved in making a historical film of this magnitude that I found very interesting. And finally, on a personal note, I wanted to see the film because I remember my father talking about the event. (At the time, he was a young paper boy hawking newspapers on a street corner, and the Dunkirk evacuation was in the headlines. Apparently, sales were quite brisk.) He found the heroism of the British inspiring. Author Levine makes a good point that, without that determined heroism (including the miraculous rescue of more that 300,000 Allied soldiers at Dunkirk), Hitler might have ultimately prevailed, and the world for all of us would be a very different place today.

[johanna (jo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good summary of events from the BEF's arrival in France to the eventual evacuation (especially if you're like me, and knew very little of the details beforehand). Most of the book is concerned with the retreat towards Dunkirk, which is slightly less exciting stuff, but it adds context and depth to the events of the actual evacuation in the last few chapters.

He throws so many placenames, dates, names of officers, divisions and squadrons at you that it's impossible to keep track of them, but you get the big picture which I think is the idea.

[Nissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting and riveting story about the Second World War attack that took place at Dunkirk. Sad and full of the terrors of war, the book is well written and brings the reader into the action. Very well told and entertaining, but not an introductory read; rather a collection of personal stories. Recommended for readers who already have an understanding of the battle in the context of WWII. A very satisfying read and highly recommended for any history buff.

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture by Joshua Levine is an engaging and richly detailed exploration of one of the most pivotal events of WWII the Dunkirk evacuation. It’s part history book, part companion piece to Christopher Nolan’s 2017 film, and it brilliantly weaves together the chaos of war, personal stories, and the myth-making that followed.

Levine kicks things off with an interview with Nolan, where the director explains his vision for the film not as a traditional war movie, but as a survival story. This sets the tone for the book, which dives deep into the human experience of Dunkirk, from the soldiers’ grim reality to the civilians’ heroism in the “Little Ships” operation. Levine’s writing is vivid, bringing to life the fear, desperation, and resilience of those involved. His ability to balance historical facts with emotional storytelling makes the book accessible to both history buffs and casual readers.

One standout feature is Levine’s focus on the three domains of Dunkirk land, sea, and air giving readers a comprehensive view of the evacuation. He doesn’t just stick to the beaches; he delves into the larger Battle of France, showing how the Allies ended up cornered in Dunkirk in the first place. The book also shines in its use of firsthand accounts, capturing the voices of soldiers, sailors, and civilians with raw authenticity. These stories make the history feel personal, not just a series of dates and statistics.

That said, some readers feel the book occasionally loses focus, especially when it veers into tangents like youth culture in the 1930s or overly detailed discussions of the film’s production. While these sections provide context, they might not hit the mark for readers seeking a tighter narrative about the evacuation itself. Still, Levine’s ability to frame Dunkirk as both a military defeat and a symbol of resilience the “Dunkirk Spirit” is undeniably powerful.

Dunkirk by Joshua Levine is a gripping, multi-dimensional account of a moment that shaped history. It’s perfect for fans of Nolan’s film or anyone wanting a deeper understanding of the event’s significance, both historically and culturally. Just be ready for a few detours along the way!

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book in a charity shop drawn by the subject rather than its link to the recent film, which I haven't seen. As an insight into the experiences of some of the participants and some background to the general muddling through that, despite everything, succeeded in saving a large number of the soldiers and enabling the fight against Hitler's Germany to continue, it is interesting. However I did find the interview with the director at the start and the continual references to the film and director (the author was historical advisor on the film) rather distracting and unnecessary and seemed a bit of a 'puff' for the film.

There was also a chapter at the end about the film and I think all the film 'stuff' could have been relegated there so that it could be ignored if the reader wished. I didn't find it that interesting although I have in the past read 'Making of' books about various films and TV programmes. I also found it odd that the photograph section was continually switching between photos of the real events and colour pictures from the film. So with all that in mind I would rate this at 3 stars.

[Amy de Raaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

What was considered a terrible defeat, became a tale of deliverance and yes, a miracle. Dunkirk was the "turning of tide" in the war against Hitler. Christopher Nolan creates a masterpiece of a film based upon the true events surrounding Dunkirk's epic survival story. Joshua Levine writes an incredible companion to the movie, detailing the history surrounding this historic event. Shocking truths, incredible behind-the-scenes information, fascinating stories of civilians, the origins of youth culture and where and when the word "teenager" was coined and evolved, exciting moments of bravery, the breakdown of pivotal battle scenes, the kindness of humanity. This book is for any avid World War II history lover! I loved the movie even more after reading the book, but you do not have to watch the movie to enjoy this entertaining and moving non-fiction!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting, informative read. It details the history behind Christopher Nolan's film Dunkirk, and the process of using the history to make the film. Joshua Levine is incredibly thorough in his description of Operation Dynamo and uses stories from the soliders who were there, to really bring the history to life.

It is a long heavy read, but its honest depiction of the brutatily of war and the rawness of the stories told makes it a must read.

[Jesper Jorgensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting (audio) book with some new angles due to its 'base' in the film. Thus watching same first is a must in my opinion.
I watched the film the year it was released and I remember it as being much different from any other war film I have seen. (Maybe because the director, Christopher Nolan, made a 'survival film', not a 'war film'?)
Either way, I have to watch it again, soon

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dunkirk

Joshua Levine




Eye-opening.



5/5*

[Mark_Leavy04 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very good and well written. But there's one big thing about it. It's more of an opinions book and seems like it was not meant to be a story. The best description of this would be an insight into the writers view.
Most of this book is more opinions and how people had forgotten Dunkirk as it's meaning. There's still a lot of book full of "How interesting the film/book was". And started debating their views.
Honestly,I think this book is a prime example of "Never judge a book by its cover". I would only give it 6 out of 10.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Unique Book

Well, I thought this book was going to be more historical that it was. I’m not saying it wasn’t historical, but it is from the movie makers point of you and not a true historians.

The book drifted a bit not today retreat as ever action packed but that’s in the hands of the writer. The writer missed on this, but the story itself was so interesting that it it’s saved the writer.

I’m mildly recommend.

[Adam Merrifield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative if not a little meandering.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start this by saying that the fact that this book only got 4/5 stars is probably more of a reflection on me than the book it's self. I started this book a while back when the movie Dunkirk was about to come out (possibly already out). I'm a big believer in reading the book first and wanted to really understand the history before I saw the movie. It ended up taking me 3 months to finish the book and in the mean time I ended up seeing the movie. I'm glad I did though because I think it helped me to visualize the book better. I enjoy history, and specifically have always enjoyed reading about military history, but I consider myself to be very much like the average reader when it comes to these subjects. As such, I felt like for the average reader, there were times when it was hard to keep up with all the people and stories introduced. During the week, I usually only read on my lunch break and maybe a bit in the evening but I don't have a lot of time to devote. Given how much detail is put in the the book, I think I would have been better off reading this one when I could devote time to finishing an entire chapter at once so I didn't have to flip back to refresh my memory so often. Again, more of a reflection on me as a reader than the book or the author. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish and felt the author did a wonderful job of telling the many stories that comprise the story of Dunkirk in a still manageable length. I think the book is a wonderful complement to the film as well and a good read for those who would like to understand more of the back story to the evacuation itself, just make sure you have the time to devote to really fully exploring the subject!

[Rafa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Volumen escrito para aprovechar el tirón de la película de Chris Nolan y que aporta poco o nada; con detalles golfos enfocados a lograr mayores ventas en Estados Unidos como es estudiar la juventud de este país y dejar de lado la francesa o la belga, mucho más importantes para la historia.
El libro podría calificarse de testimonios, con el problema que ello conlleva (el propio autor reconoce que existen cientos o miles de ellos, yo diría que uno por cada uno de los implicados en la campaña) y es que con ello apenas se logra un esbozo de lo que sucedió.
Si se pretende obtener una descripción militar, política, social o diplomática de la campaña mejor buscar otra opción. Como detalle revelador, apuntar que ni siquiera aparece el dato oficial de los rescatados al final de la campaña.
Desde el punto de vista militar, la descripción es pobre y en la que abundan los tópicos, sin ofrecer una idea nítida de la campaña, únicamente salpicando algunas descripciones de combates que poco ayudan a crear una idea de la situación real de la batalla. Apenas se menciona a los franceses y su papel fundamental en la defensa del perímetro de Dunquerque. Y si la descripción de la batalla terrestre es muy deficiente, en lo referido a la campaña aérea, a la que se decida un capítulo entero, o el aspecto naval es ya directamente inexistente.

[Luce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book a few days before the release of the film was an excellent decision of mine. (If you hate spoilers, I strongly recommend to watch the film first). As a History and cinema passionate, I found this book extremely interesting and overwhelming. I despise myself for never got more interested in the story of Dunkirk. Yet, it's the key of everything, of how the war evolved, and mostly, of how we live today.
I'm also overwhelmed of the work and time that Chris Nolan (and his whole crew) spent directing this film. 77 years later, it warms my heart to see that the story of World War Two still lives today. I have a feeling 'Dunkirk' won't be another war film. I'm confident this film will contribute to revive the legacy of those who lived Dunkirk. And that makes me immensely happy.

[Grommit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely done. Consider seeing the movie first. First and last chapter focus on how the movie was conceived and produced. Middle chapters focus on the history: what happened in France/England/Belgium BEFORE the BEF was trapped at Dunkirk. I was familiar with the historical chronology, but this book filled in some gaps quite nicely. Also appreciated the quick analyses as to why the Germans did not plow on, how the defensive perimeter was set up, and related military/political matters. The book has many short descriptions of numerous participants in an effort to give insight to what really happened to the participants. This is helpful, but gets a little chaotic at times with one story after another.
Oh...maps...there should be maps. I contend that you cannot really appreciate historical studies without a map of the geography, elevations, rivers, etc. Paragraph upon paragraph of text explaining geographical features would be much, much clearer if there were just a few maps. I really, really want to ask historians why they despise maps!

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Released to tie in with the summer blockbuster, this books is an insightful and informative take on the historic events surrounding the Dunkirk rescue during the Second World War.

Reading this has certainly increased my anticipation for the movie.

[Jennifer Oliveira · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing read for those who have watched the movie and are hungry for more. If you haven't watched the movie I don't recommend reading this first. Actually, I really would have rather the author mentioned a bit more history and a bit less about how the film was made.