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Operation Dragoon: The Liberation of Southern France 1944
Operation Dragoon, the Allied landings in the south of France in August 1944, is often seen as a sideshow supporting Operation Overlord, the crucial D-Day landings in Normandy. And often the operation is criticized as an expensive diversion of men and equipment from the struggle against the German armies in Italy. Yet, as Anthony Tucker-Jones shows in his new in-depth study, Dragoon and the subsequent Allied advance across southern France were key stages in the liberation of Europe, and the operation had far-reaching political and military ramifications. Controversy dogged the plan from the start. Fierce disagreement among the senior Allied commanders and politicians - in particular between Churchill, Eisenhower and de Gaulle - threatened to weaken the Anglo-American war effort.
In vivid detail Anthony Tucker-Jones tells the story of the high-level strategic argument that gave birth to Dragoon, and he looks at the impact of the operation on the direction and duration of the war against Nazi Germany. He also describes the course of the invasion on the ground - the massive logistical effort required, the landings themselves, the role played by the French resistance, and the bitter battles fought against German rearguards as they sought to retain France's southern cities and cover their withdrawal toward the strategic Belfort Gap.
In vivid detail Anthony Tucker-Jones tells the story of the high-level strategic argument that gave birth to Dragoon, and he looks at the impact of the operation on the direction and duration of the war against Nazi Germany. He also describes the course of the invasion on the ground - the massive logistical effort required, the landings themselves, the role played by the French resistance, and the bitter battles fought against German rearguards as they sought to retain France's southern cities and cover their withdrawal toward the strategic Belfort Gap.
- GenresWorld War II
224 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2010
About the author
Anthony Tucker-Jones
78 books30 followersDefence analyst Anthony Tucker-Jones spent nearly 20 years in the British Intelligence Community before establishing himself as a defence writer and historian: commenting on regional conflicts, counter-terrorism, intelligence and military affairs.
He is a highly experienced expert with particular strengths in editing, feature writing, report writing, communicating to specialists and non-specialists alike.
Anthony Tucker-Jones has been extensively published in numerous titles and on various news websites. He has also written a number of books.
He is widely travelled with assignments in Africa, Europe, the Far East, Latin America and the Middle East. He lived for a time in Bahrain.
Anthony holds an MA in International Relations & Strategic Studies from Lancaster University.
(Taken from official website.)
He is a highly experienced expert with particular strengths in editing, feature writing, report writing, communicating to specialists and non-specialists alike.
Anthony Tucker-Jones has been extensively published in numerous titles and on various news websites. He has also written a number of books.
He is widely travelled with assignments in Africa, Europe, the Far East, Latin America and the Middle East. He lived for a time in Bahrain.
Anthony holds an MA in International Relations & Strategic Studies from Lancaster University.
(Taken from official website.)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 26, 2012
First of all - it's dry. Compared to some of my favourite military historians, Tucker-Jones's style is dry and un-captivating. All the passive voice really gets in the way of the "fun", too.
He does a good job showing the wrangling of the big egos at stake (de Gaulle ends up with a pretty damming verdict overall) in the build-up, and shows well the context of Operation Anvil, then renamed Operation Dragoon in military terms. I now understand why it was done, how it fit in with what Stalin was doing at (roughly) the same time, and why it probably led to how the lines ended up being drawn across Europe in the Cold War later.
What I missed was a timeline (please, Pen & Sword, make these books more user-friendly for people seeking a reference - because they sure as hell aren't great "entertainment" or "casual reading" even for a military history buff). And a map of France showing all the cities mentioned in the text would have been good too. This way, I had to break out an old atlas.
What it almost completely lacks is actual insight from the fighting men on the ground. You get some notes from generals and politicians and their aides, but on the operative/tactical level, this stays extremely dry and abstract.
Personal note: I bought this for a story I was writing and for that purpose it was completely useless. The chapter on the liberation of Paris, however (which sits a bit weirdly in the context of Dragoon), add some insight for a *different* book.
He does a good job showing the wrangling of the big egos at stake (de Gaulle ends up with a pretty damming verdict overall) in the build-up, and shows well the context of Operation Anvil, then renamed Operation Dragoon in military terms. I now understand why it was done, how it fit in with what Stalin was doing at (roughly) the same time, and why it probably led to how the lines ended up being drawn across Europe in the Cold War later.
What I missed was a timeline (please, Pen & Sword, make these books more user-friendly for people seeking a reference - because they sure as hell aren't great "entertainment" or "casual reading" even for a military history buff). And a map of France showing all the cities mentioned in the text would have been good too. This way, I had to break out an old atlas.
What it almost completely lacks is actual insight from the fighting men on the ground. You get some notes from generals and politicians and their aides, but on the operative/tactical level, this stays extremely dry and abstract.
Personal note: I bought this for a story I was writing and for that purpose it was completely useless. The chapter on the liberation of Paris, however (which sits a bit weirdly in the context of Dragoon), add some insight for a *different* book.
June 25, 2012
The invasion of southern France has been something I've had limited knowledge of for years. I've read about it in bits and pieces, from books about regiments or divisions that participated in Operation Dragoon, but never a direct piece on it. I wanted to correct that and hoped that Operation Dragoon would give me the history. Boy was I mistaken; Operation Dragoon by Mr. Tucker-Jones is more of tryst on the political maneuverings and Mr. Tucker-Jones' analysis of the situation and it's impact from a strategic perspective than a history of Operation Dragoon. Rather than the history of the men or units who participated in Operation Dragoon and the "Champagne Campaign", we're presented with strategic views. I guess I'll have to wait for Mr. Atkinson (An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943, Volume One of the Liberation Trilogy and The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (Liberation Trilogy)) to tell the story. As for this book, as a history of Operation Dragoon its worth 1 star.
January 14, 2025
When I visited the Southern France a year ago, one of the things all the guides referenced was Operation Dragoon, the Allied Landings there in August 1944. In Nice, we were shown the landing beaches- now quite toney real estate in a resort town. I did not know much about them, and decided to understand the topic better. Thankfully, Anthony Tucker-Jones a prolific British Military Historian has covered this ground in this book, which tell both the story of the landing- and the strategic arguments about Mediterranean combat options. The book is all about the difficulties of coalition warfare- as the US supplanted the British Empire as the dominant Ally in Europe- and the French hoped to reconstitute their former military power with American arms. I quite enjoyed learning more about the other D-Day in France in 1944.
Tucker-Jones is quick to let you know he thinks the whole thing was waste of time. But the landings did grab two- and then three (Marseille and Nice- then Toulon) ports at a time when Normandy logistics was still coming over beaches. The British, still half of Allied forces in the Med, would have preferred to keep the French and American Dragoon forces (the Operation was known as Anvil almost up to it's due date) in Italy for a stronger push into the Alps and Balkans. The author's argument are persuasive, but not overwhelming. I think many readers will agree with him- but all will come to understand the intense pressures from all sides that Eisenhower was under at all times in that era. It is a fascinating look at a lesser known strategic argument of WWII.
There are a few adult themes, largely political, and no graphic injury passages, so this is a good book for the Junior Reader over 10/11 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, it is a pretty fruitful read. The Gamer gets a whole new 1944 Campaign with US troops, and whole new Army to field, a Free French Army equipped with American Lend-Lease gear. If you like defending with mis-matched parts- then the German defenders might be the wargame faction for you. The Modeler gets a lot of build and diorama ideas- using all the same kit in play a few hundred miles to the north of France. It is the Military enthusiast who again gets the most content- a campaign described- and the strategic friction behind it laid out as well. I think the general audience reader will find it as interesting, as the book jumps along at a nice clip.
Tucker-Jones is quick to let you know he thinks the whole thing was waste of time. But the landings did grab two- and then three (Marseille and Nice- then Toulon) ports at a time when Normandy logistics was still coming over beaches. The British, still half of Allied forces in the Med, would have preferred to keep the French and American Dragoon forces (the Operation was known as Anvil almost up to it's due date) in Italy for a stronger push into the Alps and Balkans. The author's argument are persuasive, but not overwhelming. I think many readers will agree with him- but all will come to understand the intense pressures from all sides that Eisenhower was under at all times in that era. It is a fascinating look at a lesser known strategic argument of WWII.
There are a few adult themes, largely political, and no graphic injury passages, so this is a good book for the Junior Reader over 10/11 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, it is a pretty fruitful read. The Gamer gets a whole new 1944 Campaign with US troops, and whole new Army to field, a Free French Army equipped with American Lend-Lease gear. If you like defending with mis-matched parts- then the German defenders might be the wargame faction for you. The Modeler gets a lot of build and diorama ideas- using all the same kit in play a few hundred miles to the north of France. It is the Military enthusiast who again gets the most content- a campaign described- and the strategic friction behind it laid out as well. I think the general audience reader will find it as interesting, as the book jumps along at a nice clip.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews