Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture

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It traces the fortunes of the British Expeditionary Force during those dark days of May 1940 when boys armed with little more than rifles took on the might of Hitler’s Panzer divisions – and held them while Allied armies crumbled on all sides. For the first time, rather than telling the tale of the 300,000 who escaped, Sean Longden reveals the story of the 40,000 men sacrificed in the rearguard battles.

Elsewhere, hospitals full of the sick and wounded who had been left behind to receive treatment from the enemy’s doctors.Levine skillfully weaves together historical facts, personal accounts, and behind-the-scenes details of the film to create an immersive reading experience. Fernald wondered at the incredible change in his life that had snatched him from a humdrum existence in London and put him in an open boat racing through the dark. Dunkirk is a shooting gallery for the Luftwaffe and the men waiting on the beaches watch as ships are strafed and bombed and sunk right in front of them. In May 1940 British and Allied troops on mainland Europe were in a perilous situation: cut off and surrounded, at the conclusion of the bloody Battle of France they faced complete annihilation. He wrote the book when he could still talk to eyewitnesses and participants, and I found myself getting sucked in, more than I was expecting when the big infodumps started.

What the historian, Walter Lord refers to in his classic study, THE MIRACLE OF DUNKIRK is a series of crises that allowed many components of British society to take part in the rescue of these men. a long overdue account of the 40,000 soldiers unable to join the rescue armada who were taken prisoner.If one does not have basic military knowledge, or existing knowledge of the events at Dunkirk (which I did not have), nor the use of the internet to google terms and maps of the retreat/army lay outs, then I would say this book may rank lower than the 4 stars I have given it. The operation was led by Vice-Admiral Bertram Ramsay, who oversaw the evacuation from a headquarters set up in Dover, England. Walter Lord let you get to know the characters from the time they started fighting in France to the time they were rescued.

A German doctor amputated his arm and he was sent to the south of Vichy France, where prisoners only had to report in to the authorities once a week.Narrated by Private Fazal Khan, a young Muslim soldier in Company 32 of the Royal Indian Army Service Corps, this is a moving and insightful account of a key event in the Second World War. Sean Longden is a rising name in military history, and is able to uncover the missing stories of the Second World War. Being on the back foot, as the British Expeditionary Force was then, often brings out one’s true colours and it is a testament to the Regiment that this story is one of discipline, loyalty, and fearlessness in the face of the enemy.