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Seven Days in Hell: Canada's Battle for Normandy and the Rise of the Black Watch Snipers
Centred around one of Canada’s most storied regiments, Seven Days in Hell tells the epic story of the men from the Black Watch during the bloody battle for Verrières Ridge, a dramatic saga that unfolded just weeks after one of Canada’s greatest military triumphs of the Second World War. O’Keefe takes us on a heart-pounding journey at the sharp end of combat during the infamous Normandy campaign. More than 300 soldiers from the Black Watch found themselves pinned down, as the result of strategic blunders and the fog of war, and only a handful walked away. Thrust into a nightmare, Black Watch Highlanders who hailed from across Canada, the United States, Great Britain and the Allied world found themselves embroiled in a mortal contest against elite Waffen-SS units and grizzled Eastern Front veterans, where station, rank, race and religion mattered little, and only character won the day. Drawing on formerly classified documents and rare first-person testimony of the men who fought on the front lines, O’Keefe follows the footsteps of the ghosts of Normandy, giving a voice yet again to the men who sacrificed everything in the summer of 1944.
464 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 18, 2020
"In just under four hours of intense fighting, the once-tranquil and pristine western end of the Bourguébus–Verrières feature had transformed into a ravaged, raw landscape, pockmarked with shell craters and ripped and scarred by slit trenches, scrapes, tank tracks and scorched grain. Along the Black Watch’s axis of advance, a bloody trail of the dead, the dying, the wounded, shocked and concussed testified to the massacre unfolding out of sight of the men in the valley below."
This is an excellent, warts and all, depiction of one of Canada's foremost regiments (specifically the scout platoon of that unit), and their introduction to the Second World War during the Normandy Campaign. Told in the words and writing of the participants, the book takes the reader from the regiments arrival on the Normandy beaches, through a less than promising start, to their awful Calvary in the cornfields of the Verrières Ridge. The story is even-handed, leaving the reader in no doubt as to the nature of the fighting; this the results of the scout platoon's sniper hunt in the village of Ifs:
"According to the Black Watch war diary, only ten enemy snipers were brought back to tactical headquarters for a brief interrogation, with most “in a very shaky condition.” A bloody- minded John Taylor crowed, “All my advice and hate talks had their effect . . . it was really incredible how few prisoners we sent back.” Indeed, each of the captured German snipers appeared worse for wear, and an irate Cantlie, suspecting his scouts of taking liberties with the prisoners, demanded an explanation about their sullied and bloodied condition. When the scouts feigned ignorance, Ronnie Bennett came to their defence and pulled no punches. As he explained: “One of Jerry’s habits seems to be that his peculiar code requires that he fire some shots at the enemy before he surrenders . . . He seems to care little whether his fire is effective or not but, in many cases, it does inflict casualties on us . . . This habit is dangerous and leads to reprisals for it is difficult to act humanely with someone who fires a burst at you and then walks forward with his hands up.” Cantlie, satisfied, dropped the matter at once. "
The cost of the final, fated drive up the ridge and the desperate stand by the survivors to hold the line in the village of St. Martin are some of the most effective and moving parts of the book and leave no doubt as to the vicious nature of the fighting and are a monument to the courage of the embattled Canadian riflemen:
"In just four hours, the carefully crafted Black Watch rifle companies, whose men had grown so tight as they honed their skills during months and years of training in England, had taken 94 percent casualties. That scale of loss far surpassed anything their fathers might have experienced while trudging down their own Voies Sacrées and rivalled the rate suffered by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont Hamel on the disastrous opening day of the Somme offensive on July 1, 1916."
"Vic Foam, the consummate company sergeant major who died leading his company from the front, left his leather wallet, a trusty penknife and his pair of highly polished black oxfords. A stack of letters from home formed part of the collection of Private George Crogie, along with a Waterman pen and pencil and an Eveready flashlight— used, no doubt, to scrawl letters home after lights out. Corporal Bill Herd’s collection included an address book and a rail and bus guide from what must have been a most memorable leave in London.
A math textbook and a collection of short stories betrayed John Henry Harper’s desire to better himself, while Private Harvey Mahaffy left a set of leather gloves, a toothbrush and his personal identification bracelet (a gift from his family), which matched a personalized cigarette case. Lieutenant Alan Robinson left his kilt, his fawn balmoral and his prized cribbage board, a veteran of many a tussle in the officers’ mess with the Bishop’s College School “old boys.” A rosary and a photo of Anthony Barbagallo, mugging for the camera with his Bren gun slung around his shoulder and a machete tucked into his pack, formed a lasting visual reminder of the job that took his life. Private Reg Long, Cantlie’s batman, left a sleeveless sweater that maintained the scent of his aftershave, while Cantlie himself left a trunk containing over 150 items very much befitting a Black Watch CO, including a silk dressing gown, badminton racquets, a blue blazer and lampshade sans lamp, and a rubber ball.
Corporal William Steel, recommended for the Military Medal for saving countless lives during the Orne crossing, did not live long enough to receive it, and provisions existed for only two posthumous awards: a mention in dispatches and the Victoria Cross. Killed trying to repeat his heroic efforts on July 25, his effects contained a 10,000- franc souvenir note, a personalized Bible and a lock of hair. Lance Corporal George Truax, a former ring opponent and sparring partner of scout/ sniper Harold Burden and Frank Balsis, blown apart on the ridge, left only a pair of boxing shoes, his fighting trunks and his jockstrap. Burden, who died with Bowmaster and Latham trying, like Steel, to pull men out of the fire to safety, left only a leather belt and a Bible. Arthur Bowmaster’s effects included the Ronson lighter he employed during the sniper hunt at Ifs, an autograph album and two hundred French francs, while Melvin Cameron’s comprised letters, snapshots and a deck of cards. The family of Tommy Latham, who had lost another son the previous March, received nothing— his kit, stored with B Echelon, disappeared mysteriously, and his pay book was the only item retrieved from his body.
The last set of effects gathered by Royle brought a sense of finality to this sorrowful chapter in Black Watch history: a pipe, a set of gold cufflinks and the prized Kodak Six- 20 camera and personal diary of Major Phillip Griffin."
A marvellous depiction of a short but underrepresented period in the Normandy campaign, told humanely and with respect for both the participants and the reader, heavily reminiscent to me out the works of Martin Middlebrook. Highly recommended.
This is an excellent, warts and all, depiction of one of Canada's foremost regiments (specifically the scout platoon of that unit), and their introduction to the Second World War during the Normandy Campaign. Told in the words and writing of the participants, the book takes the reader from the regiments arrival on the Normandy beaches, through a less than promising start, to their awful Calvary in the cornfields of the Verrières Ridge. The story is even-handed, leaving the reader in no doubt as to the nature of the fighting; this the results of the scout platoon's sniper hunt in the village of Ifs:
"According to the Black Watch war diary, only ten enemy snipers were brought back to tactical headquarters for a brief interrogation, with most “in a very shaky condition.” A bloody- minded John Taylor crowed, “All my advice and hate talks had their effect . . . it was really incredible how few prisoners we sent back.” Indeed, each of the captured German snipers appeared worse for wear, and an irate Cantlie, suspecting his scouts of taking liberties with the prisoners, demanded an explanation about their sullied and bloodied condition. When the scouts feigned ignorance, Ronnie Bennett came to their defence and pulled no punches. As he explained: “One of Jerry’s habits seems to be that his peculiar code requires that he fire some shots at the enemy before he surrenders . . . He seems to care little whether his fire is effective or not but, in many cases, it does inflict casualties on us . . . This habit is dangerous and leads to reprisals for it is difficult to act humanely with someone who fires a burst at you and then walks forward with his hands up.” Cantlie, satisfied, dropped the matter at once. "
The cost of the final, fated drive up the ridge and the desperate stand by the survivors to hold the line in the village of St. Martin are some of the most effective and moving parts of the book and leave no doubt as to the vicious nature of the fighting and are a monument to the courage of the embattled Canadian riflemen:
"In just four hours, the carefully crafted Black Watch rifle companies, whose men had grown so tight as they honed their skills during months and years of training in England, had taken 94 percent casualties. That scale of loss far surpassed anything their fathers might have experienced while trudging down their own Voies Sacrées and rivalled the rate suffered by the Royal Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont Hamel on the disastrous opening day of the Somme offensive on July 1, 1916."
"Vic Foam, the consummate company sergeant major who died leading his company from the front, left his leather wallet, a trusty penknife and his pair of highly polished black oxfords. A stack of letters from home formed part of the collection of Private George Crogie, along with a Waterman pen and pencil and an Eveready flashlight— used, no doubt, to scrawl letters home after lights out. Corporal Bill Herd’s collection included an address book and a rail and bus guide from what must have been a most memorable leave in London.
A math textbook and a collection of short stories betrayed John Henry Harper’s desire to better himself, while Private Harvey Mahaffy left a set of leather gloves, a toothbrush and his personal identification bracelet (a gift from his family), which matched a personalized cigarette case. Lieutenant Alan Robinson left his kilt, his fawn balmoral and his prized cribbage board, a veteran of many a tussle in the officers’ mess with the Bishop’s College School “old boys.” A rosary and a photo of Anthony Barbagallo, mugging for the camera with his Bren gun slung around his shoulder and a machete tucked into his pack, formed a lasting visual reminder of the job that took his life. Private Reg Long, Cantlie’s batman, left a sleeveless sweater that maintained the scent of his aftershave, while Cantlie himself left a trunk containing over 150 items very much befitting a Black Watch CO, including a silk dressing gown, badminton racquets, a blue blazer and lampshade sans lamp, and a rubber ball.
Corporal William Steel, recommended for the Military Medal for saving countless lives during the Orne crossing, did not live long enough to receive it, and provisions existed for only two posthumous awards: a mention in dispatches and the Victoria Cross. Killed trying to repeat his heroic efforts on July 25, his effects contained a 10,000- franc souvenir note, a personalized Bible and a lock of hair. Lance Corporal George Truax, a former ring opponent and sparring partner of scout/ sniper Harold Burden and Frank Balsis, blown apart on the ridge, left only a pair of boxing shoes, his fighting trunks and his jockstrap. Burden, who died with Bowmaster and Latham trying, like Steel, to pull men out of the fire to safety, left only a leather belt and a Bible. Arthur Bowmaster’s effects included the Ronson lighter he employed during the sniper hunt at Ifs, an autograph album and two hundred French francs, while Melvin Cameron’s comprised letters, snapshots and a deck of cards. The family of Tommy Latham, who had lost another son the previous March, received nothing— his kit, stored with B Echelon, disappeared mysteriously, and his pay book was the only item retrieved from his body.
The last set of effects gathered by Royle brought a sense of finality to this sorrowful chapter in Black Watch history: a pipe, a set of gold cufflinks and the prized Kodak Six- 20 camera and personal diary of Major Phillip Griffin."
A marvellous depiction of a short but underrepresented period in the Normandy campaign, told humanely and with respect for both the participants and the reader, heavily reminiscent to me out the works of Martin Middlebrook. Highly recommended.
March 17, 2022
Brilliant and tragic. Canadian heroes whose names should be known by all. Brave men that were forged in the worst of times and the worst of circumstances.
Long live the greatest country in the world.
Long live the greatest country in the world.
December 30, 2019
Yet again, author David O'Keefe delivers a masterpiece for the Canadian military history buff.
Seven Days In Hell follows one of Canada's most illustrious regiments, the Black Watch Highlanders, as they fight for their very lives against the formidable Waffen SS at Verrieres Ridge in what would ultimately prove to be an ill-conceived and disastrous move. Only a few of these elite warriors from this storied sniper corps would ultimately survive their encounter with what was one of the Third Reich's most fanatical and battle-hardened units.
O'Keefe's book takes on a very personal touch as he uses rare, first-person accounts as the basis for several characters the reader is able to follow throughout the book. We are able to follow these men from their varied civilian lives right through to their fateful encounters with the enemy. One gets a sense of their fears, joys, hopes and their fierce sense of camaraderie that Canadian regiments were so renowned for as the characters are so intricately woven into the narrative of battle and survival.
This was a hard one to put down. Again, O'Keefe doesn't disappoint with this well-researched account of one of our proudest regiments.
Seven Days In Hell follows one of Canada's most illustrious regiments, the Black Watch Highlanders, as they fight for their very lives against the formidable Waffen SS at Verrieres Ridge in what would ultimately prove to be an ill-conceived and disastrous move. Only a few of these elite warriors from this storied sniper corps would ultimately survive their encounter with what was one of the Third Reich's most fanatical and battle-hardened units.
O'Keefe's book takes on a very personal touch as he uses rare, first-person accounts as the basis for several characters the reader is able to follow throughout the book. We are able to follow these men from their varied civilian lives right through to their fateful encounters with the enemy. One gets a sense of their fears, joys, hopes and their fierce sense of camaraderie that Canadian regiments were so renowned for as the characters are so intricately woven into the narrative of battle and survival.
This was a hard one to put down. Again, O'Keefe doesn't disappoint with this well-researched account of one of our proudest regiments.
July 21, 2021
This is an excellent and detail account of a dark chapter in Canadian military history. I find O'Keefe's writing to be so clear and concise. You get the full story without feeling bogged down. I just wish there were a few maps. Excellent read!
September 23, 2024
This was one of the best battle books I've ever read. O'Keefe is deft in his narrative structure that often makes you forget you are reading non-fiction. As for the content, this is a truly devastating story but well worth the read. It is thoroughly researched and full of personal stories from the men who made that fateful dash up the ridge that would leave the Black Watch with 94% casualties. O'Keefe weaves perspectives well to give an overall impression of a ridged command structure within the Black Watch that left many commanders in the field with little room for deviation or setback. Of a complex plan that became doomed very early on. The part of the book that hit me hard was the culture of masculinity that O'Keefe identifies within the Black Watch. It saw them reject those who succumbed to shell shock. It was also this culture of masculinity that drove the Black Watch into the German guns. The bravery of men should not be wasted in this way.
February 26, 2021
This is a very good book about the illustrious Canadian Black Watch Regiment in Normandy during World War II. It offers a soldiers eye view of combat to take the Verrieres Ridge and the destruction of the Regiment due to Montgomery's plan for a war of attrition. This was a war plan that served the British poorly during the previous war. It shows that there is nothing glamorous about war. My only quibble with the book is the subtitle. Aside from talking about the organization of snipers within the Black Watch early in the book, the snipers do not play a distinct role in the parts of the book dealing with the battle other than to say that some were killed. This is not enough to make the significantly less than it is.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in WWII, especially in actions that did not involve American troops.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in WWII, especially in actions that did not involve American troops.
November 17, 2019
This is an important book since O'Keefe deftly fills in an area of Canada's military history which is often glossed over. I had no idea that the battle involving the the Black Watch at Normandy competes with Dieppe and the Somme for epic failures. Poor planning and decision-making needlessly cost Canadian casualties, but not, as O'Keefe highlights, a lack of effort on the part of the soldiers. The book reveals valuable soldiers' eye views of the battle front and terrible impact of combat. The weaknesses in the book are that, at times, there are a myriad of names introduced into the narrative which made it difficult to follow, as well as a lack of context for battlefield objectives. You sometimes have to read a few pages to figure out what was happening to whom.
November 21, 2022
As an American, I'm of course familiar with the histories US Army units attacking at great sacrifice - Omaha Beach, Huertgen Forest, Peleliu, Iwo Jima and the like. I'm aware of the Canadian contributions to the SWW - Juno Beach on D-Day, Dieppe two years earlier, liberation of Holland in 1945, fighting in Italy. But this is all broad stroke stuff and the details of specific battles are not well known to me.
In July 1944, as part of Montgomery's plan to break through the German panzer divisions, multiple major attacks were launched under various code names, Epsom, Goodwood, and for the purposes of this book, Spring. To date, these assaults had achieved little ground, had cost the lives of thousands of men and hundreds of tanks and while the Germans were suffering as well from incessant Allied artillery, warships, and fighter bombers, the line still held.
Operation Spring was a Canadian-led affair whose goal was the capture of the German high ground on Verrieres Ridge. The book focuses on a single battalion, the storied Black Watch, made up of mostly men from the Montreal area. They had been extensively trained for years and had a high esprit de corps. From the battalion commander through the company commanders and platoon leaders and NCOs, leadership was outstanding.
The first third of the book covers the Black Watch's initial crossing of the Orne, then trying to get to their start line for Spring. This is 6 days of the "Seven Days in Hell". There's a fair amount of wastage as the unit is left exposed to German artillery fire on a ridge. Finally, July 25 arrives for Operation Spring. The men have had no sleep for 6 days and have been shelled constantly.
On this 7th day, the Black Watch were tasked with taking the right flank of Verrieres Ridge while other units assaulted the center and left. A massive pre-battle artillery and air bombardment was planned. Night attacks by other units had not cleared the Germans from the flanks (but this was not yet known). So, on the morning of the 25th, starting in a field of unharvested wheat, and under constant observation by the Germans higher up the ridge, the Black Watch men (about 500 strong) advance.
In only a few minutes, with their radios shot out, the Black Watch lose communication with the rear and as such, receive little tank or artillery support. Hit from the front and both sides, the men go down. The few who make it alive to the top of the ridge are trapped, then die or surrender.
94% casualties. Ninety-four percent. A catastrophic Canadian defeat.
But, in the next few days, the Americans break out at St. Lo (thanks in part to the British/Canadian pinning German armor away from the US units. And, in the stories told later of Normandy, this one day of supreme sacrifice by the Black Watch is largely forgotten, except in Canada. Even the renowned historian James Holland in his book Normandy '44: D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for Francegives Operation Spring only a paragraph and does not mention Verrieres Ridge at all. Antony Beevor in D-Day: The Battle for Normandy gives Verrieres Ridge a brief mention, stating "..the offensive failed dismally". Yet, the German high command felt that the main Allied attacks in the coming days and weeks would be from the 21st Army Group and not from the Americans who seemed bogged down in the bocage. So, as always in war, men die needlessly yet leave perceptions in the enemy's mind that might lead to victory elsewhere on the battlefield.
I gave this book 4 stars because it was well-written and well-researched using the memories of the few survivors. There is a good map covering the 7th day and no map at all covering the initial attack across the Orne. Many photos - one is especially struck by how exposed the Black Watch was as they strode up the ridge to the crest.
Canadian senior leadership is savaged by the author - command was top down from the corps and divisional and brigade commanders just parroted orders regardless of consequences.
My only quibble was the subtitle - Canada's Battle for Normandy and the Rise of the Black Watch Snipers.
It is not a complete history Canadian forces in Normandy, far from it. The Black Watch snipers were a handful of men trained in marksmanship to serve as scouts. Because of the operational plan, these men, for the most part did not go up the ridge but did help stave off German counterattacks in a Rorke's Drift-like battle at the base of the ridge. But this consumes only a chapter. I think the publisher felt that adding "Snipers" to the book title would help sell copies. Also, some of these men survived the war and their personal accounts leaven the book. But really, this is a book of a battalion, and its seven days in action after which it was utterly destroyed.
Read it to expand your knowledge of the Normandy campaign.
In July 1944, as part of Montgomery's plan to break through the German panzer divisions, multiple major attacks were launched under various code names, Epsom, Goodwood, and for the purposes of this book, Spring. To date, these assaults had achieved little ground, had cost the lives of thousands of men and hundreds of tanks and while the Germans were suffering as well from incessant Allied artillery, warships, and fighter bombers, the line still held.
Operation Spring was a Canadian-led affair whose goal was the capture of the German high ground on Verrieres Ridge. The book focuses on a single battalion, the storied Black Watch, made up of mostly men from the Montreal area. They had been extensively trained for years and had a high esprit de corps. From the battalion commander through the company commanders and platoon leaders and NCOs, leadership was outstanding.
The first third of the book covers the Black Watch's initial crossing of the Orne, then trying to get to their start line for Spring. This is 6 days of the "Seven Days in Hell". There's a fair amount of wastage as the unit is left exposed to German artillery fire on a ridge. Finally, July 25 arrives for Operation Spring. The men have had no sleep for 6 days and have been shelled constantly.
On this 7th day, the Black Watch were tasked with taking the right flank of Verrieres Ridge while other units assaulted the center and left. A massive pre-battle artillery and air bombardment was planned. Night attacks by other units had not cleared the Germans from the flanks (but this was not yet known). So, on the morning of the 25th, starting in a field of unharvested wheat, and under constant observation by the Germans higher up the ridge, the Black Watch men (about 500 strong) advance.
In only a few minutes, with their radios shot out, the Black Watch lose communication with the rear and as such, receive little tank or artillery support. Hit from the front and both sides, the men go down. The few who make it alive to the top of the ridge are trapped, then die or surrender.
94% casualties. Ninety-four percent. A catastrophic Canadian defeat.
But, in the next few days, the Americans break out at St. Lo (thanks in part to the British/Canadian pinning German armor away from the US units. And, in the stories told later of Normandy, this one day of supreme sacrifice by the Black Watch is largely forgotten, except in Canada. Even the renowned historian James Holland in his book Normandy '44: D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for Francegives Operation Spring only a paragraph and does not mention Verrieres Ridge at all. Antony Beevor in D-Day: The Battle for Normandy gives Verrieres Ridge a brief mention, stating "..the offensive failed dismally". Yet, the German high command felt that the main Allied attacks in the coming days and weeks would be from the 21st Army Group and not from the Americans who seemed bogged down in the bocage. So, as always in war, men die needlessly yet leave perceptions in the enemy's mind that might lead to victory elsewhere on the battlefield.
I gave this book 4 stars because it was well-written and well-researched using the memories of the few survivors. There is a good map covering the 7th day and no map at all covering the initial attack across the Orne. Many photos - one is especially struck by how exposed the Black Watch was as they strode up the ridge to the crest.
Canadian senior leadership is savaged by the author - command was top down from the corps and divisional and brigade commanders just parroted orders regardless of consequences.
My only quibble was the subtitle - Canada's Battle for Normandy and the Rise of the Black Watch Snipers.
It is not a complete history Canadian forces in Normandy, far from it. The Black Watch snipers were a handful of men trained in marksmanship to serve as scouts. Because of the operational plan, these men, for the most part did not go up the ridge but did help stave off German counterattacks in a Rorke's Drift-like battle at the base of the ridge. But this consumes only a chapter. I think the publisher felt that adding "Snipers" to the book title would help sell copies. Also, some of these men survived the war and their personal accounts leaven the book. But really, this is a book of a battalion, and its seven days in action after which it was utterly destroyed.
Read it to expand your knowledge of the Normandy campaign.
May 17, 2024
This is a close-up history of one of the worst disasters in Canadian Military history, little known today for some reason. Dieppe (which was worse) has many books written about it, this battle very few.
Dieppe was a stand-alone event lasting one awful day, whereas the Battle for the Verrières Ridge was part of a much larger series of battles, so this battle tends to be absorbed into the larger picture, I suppose.
The author has written very well about the battle and has succeeded in keeping the action reasonably clear. My only peeve is that there should have been a better map.
I am not sure why the subtitle includes "the Rise of the Black Watch Snipers".
Dieppe was a stand-alone event lasting one awful day, whereas the Battle for the Verrières Ridge was part of a much larger series of battles, so this battle tends to be absorbed into the larger picture, I suppose.
The author has written very well about the battle and has succeeded in keeping the action reasonably clear. My only peeve is that there should have been a better map.
I am not sure why the subtitle includes "the Rise of the Black Watch Snipers".
April 17, 2020
So i am not going to spoil it, but it really opened up my eyes to the BS that can take place in a military setting, David O'Keefe really set the standard for a single Battalion in writing, he really makes you feel bad for the guys including when he goes into their backgrounds people this is a must read, for those who want to read about the Black Watch in Normandy and Operation Spring July 25th 1944. Read it people! This should made to read in history classes! Along with Tim Cook, Mark Zuelhke and Ted Barris. These historians should teaching younger generations in school what those lads faced.
April 23, 2020
I just finished reading your book. 7 days in hell. I must say it is an amazing story. All the angles and points of view on the subject have left my mind searching for the right words to say about this book. The main words I would like to say to you is Thank You for telling this historical representation. I remember my time with the Black Watch I could not imagine how I would feel if I had gone through that. Well done.
December 6, 2024
The more I read and study WWII, the more I learn about Canada’s significant yet often overlooked contributions to the war. The stories of the men who fought—and the tragic fate of many of them during the battle for Verrières Ridge—are forever etched in my mind. O’Keefe ensures this with his unbiased, vivid, and often harrowing descriptions, recounting the bravery of the Black Watch as they faced the relentless Nazi war machine.
October 17, 2020
The story of an attack on Verrieres Ridge in July, 1944 not long after the invasion of Normandy. The Black Watch (Montreal) and the Calgary Highlanders took a beating because of flawed intelligence and an over-ambitious timetable. It’s hard to follow the action but O’Keefe researched individual members of the Black Watch so he makes the story very personal.
April 28, 2023
This book is a very readable and poignant account of the second deadliest battle Canadians fought in WWII (next to the Dieppe tragedy). O'Keefe brings the story home by painting the big picture of the battle and makes it real by telling personal stories of courage, honour, horror, and tragedy.
January 20, 2025
Poorly written, repetitive and a real shame given the amount of research done. There are some well done sections, but O’Keefe’s narrative style needs a lot of work.
The book is 80-100 pages longer than necessary.
The book is 80-100 pages longer than necessary.
January 2, 2020
Very good read about a dark part of Canadian history.
April 22, 2020
Well written. Intimate details of the slaughter of a Canadian Black Watch Company during WW2. Hard to believe those in charge were not held accountable.
August 14, 2020
Good read. Easy to read. But sad story of losses.
January 5, 2021
Thank you Mr. O'Keefe. Picked this up on spec, read it in 3 days. Thanks.
February 28, 2021
An eye-opening and disturbing account of what happens to brave soldiers when the ambition of certain Generals is the paramount factor in a military campaign.
July 15, 2024
Egos eat brains and get young people killed
February 10, 2020
An illuminating, if harrowing, account of the Black Watch massacre at Verrieres.
It's infuriating to discover that it's taken this long to parse the paper trail and scapegoating and "throwing under the. bus" to get to the truth. The kind of decision making that led to the near complete annihilation of the Black Watch at Normandy should have gone the way of WWI leadership. Total attrition.
I admire O'Keefe's academic courage to get to the truth, and to tell it. Some hackles may be ruffled -- so to speak -- by having a family name tarnished. But it's better the truth be out.
I volunteered as a piper in the Canadian Black Watch and was deeply involved in the Scottish community there. I can only imagine how devastating the weeks following these 7 days must have been for the families back home. I'm confident that O'Keefe's setting straight the record will change how the narrative gets out in the regimental family.
A very powerful book.
It's infuriating to discover that it's taken this long to parse the paper trail and scapegoating and "throwing under the. bus" to get to the truth. The kind of decision making that led to the near complete annihilation of the Black Watch at Normandy should have gone the way of WWI leadership. Total attrition.
I admire O'Keefe's academic courage to get to the truth, and to tell it. Some hackles may be ruffled -- so to speak -- by having a family name tarnished. But it's better the truth be out.
I volunteered as a piper in the Canadian Black Watch and was deeply involved in the Scottish community there. I can only imagine how devastating the weeks following these 7 days must have been for the families back home. I'm confident that O'Keefe's setting straight the record will change how the narrative gets out in the regimental family.
A very powerful book.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews