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Posted by Bellypork (U752967) on Sunday, 30th May 2010
Can anyone recommend any books on the evacuation? There seem to be so many so I'd like a sort of definitive book/guide to Operation Dynamo.
Hugh Sebag-Montefiore's "Dunkirk: Fight to the Last Man" pub. 2006 (and in Penguin paperback 2007) is probably the most definitive account. For a shorter version try Nicholas Harman's "Dunkirk: The Necessary Myth" published in 1980.
Thanks very much
Can anyone recommend any books on the evacuation? There seem to be so many so I'd like a sort of definitive book/guide to Operation Dynamo.Β
Montefiori's book is excellent as is Julian Thompson's paper back!
Bellypork,
In addition can I recommend Airey Neave's 'The Flames of Calais'? This tels the often forgotten role of the desperate rearguard action and defence of Calais, without which it is doubtful if the full evacuation could have been achieved.
There is another book which may of be of some interest to you. In 1990 Collectors Books published 'The Little Ships of Dunkirk' by Christian Brann. He lists and gives a potted history of the still extant(1990)little craft that took part. Including the motor yacht Daphne, only 25ft long but which nevertheless did sterling service ferrying troops out to the bigger ships - and when it was all over she was judged too small to continue in Naval service, so was just left in a mud berth at Swale.
Bellypork,
In addition can I recommend Airey Neave's 'The Flames of Calais'? This tels the often forgotten role of the desperate rearguard action and defence of Calais, without which it is doubtful if the full evacuation could have been achieved.Β
Spruggles,
I've had that book for nearly 20 years and have read it cover to cover many times. It is highly recommended reading. I always felt that the siege of Calais was worthy of a Richard Holmes War Walk on it's own although it did feature briefly in his Dunkirk edition.
Thanks for the recommendations, I will try and hunt down a hardback copy of the Hugh Sebag-Montefiore book.
Hello.May I recommend 'The Sands of Dunkirk' by Richard Collier. We have several copies of the book as my father Tom Blackledge(thankfully still alive at 91) is mentioned in it. As well as the telling facts about the operation the author interweaves the story with personal accounts of the soldiers and civilians as they try to escape the Germans..Luckily father managed get up the scrambling nets of HMS Keith or I may not have been born.... Colin Blackledge
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