Dunkirchen 1940 by Robert Kershaw

Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Dunkirchen 1940:

Let’s see how the Germans messed this up.

Quick synopsis:

A look at the events leading up to the Battle of Dunkirk from the German point of view.

Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:

Never forget that Germany was still using horse drawn artillery at the beginning of World War II.

Fun Fact for History Nerds:

Germany’s advance was so muddled it caused a 150-mile traffic jam.

My Take on Dunkirchen 1940:

Just in case you didn’t know, the movie Dunkirk by Christopher Nolan is actually based on a real battle and evacuation during World War II. If you are wondering how that all came to be, well, Robert Kershaw has you covered.

Kershaw digs deep into the events leading up to Dunkirk and shifts his focus from the Allied side to the German side. See, Dunkirk was only possible because of a lot of different events which the world had not seen before. German’s unfathomably fast advance caused problems for the Allies and the Germans simultaneously. German infighting added another layer of intrigue to this portion of World War II.

Kershaw’s account fully captures the details you need to know to understand the time period early in the European theater of World War II. I would caution that if you are not well read in military science, you may get lost in a few places. However, if you want the details, then there is no better book to read on the subject.  

Verdict:

A great book on Dunkirk which covers all the details. Buy it here!

If You Liked This Try:

• Neal Bascomb, The Winter Fortress
• Neal Bascomb, The Escape Artists
• James Scott, Rampage
• Jack Fairweather, The Volunteer
• Tom Dunkel, White Knights in the Black Orchestra