"D-Day" Critique by Mr. Gray

The book "D-day" by Antony Beevor is available in the library.

The eminent historian Antony Beevor has written graphic descriptions of the siege of Stalingrad and the fall of Berlin, but this most recent documentation of the Battle for Normandy in 1944 and the relief of Paris, is, for me, his most successful work.  It lacks nothing of the narrative power of “Berlin”, of strategic vision and folly, of acts of heroism and of cowardice, of conflict amongst allied Generals, of the singleminded professionalism of the German army, and of the insanity of their interfering leader, Adolf Hitler, but this is more than a pacy read; it is a detailed analysis of the strategies of the allied government, of the responses of the occupying forces and of the impossibility of fighting a war on two fronts as Napoleon had also found.  The success of the allied offensive was largely due to superiority in the air since the Luftwaffe were otherwise engaged on the eastern front and, initially, to astonishing naval barrages which could bring about enormous destruction at a distance of twenty miles.  In the end, sheer force and weight of numbers demoralised the German army, but one is struck in reading the book, by the enormous waste of life caused by poor decision making or by the petty egos of Commanders and Generals.  The role of the French in 1944 is presented with some ambivalence.  The French resistance, fanatical and effective, take much credit for breaking the German supply lines; French civilians (150,000 lost their lives in six months) were surprisingly understanding of loss of their loved ones and of the places in which they lived that were razed to the ground.  Yet their numbers were sown with collaborators, traitors and cowards, who were treated, once towns and villages were relieved by the allies, with singular brutality and a form of anarchic law which often goes with war.  The French leaders, De Gaulle and LeClerc, are presented as shrewd operators, desperate to take Paris in advance of the communist wing of the Resistance, but they are also seen to be egocentric, dismissive of the allies, the peacocks of wounded pride, as much as visionary or responsible leaders.  At times the enmity between Montgomery, who is shown to be scarcely competent, and the American General Bradley, equally cautious, makes the reader wonder if the allies were as much at war with themselves as they were with Germany.  General Patton is seen as the leader of the American Forces whose dynamic approach and trenchant directness of purpose ensured victory.

Overall the book reflects the tragedy of war, the displacement of citizens, the indiscriminate death of men, women and children and the ugliness as well as the nobility of human nature.  It provides a piercing insight into the human condition and brings glib statements about an era, not much beyond our own lifetimes, into sharp focus through its grasp of the big picture as well as of its tiniest detail.

For anyone who has an interest in history, politics or people, this is a work which must be read. 

Critique of "London Under" by Mr. Gray

The book "London Under" is available in the library.

This book is a short but fascinating study of the evolution of London from Roman times until the present day by an examination of the world beneath a Londoner’s feet.  By examining the layers of earth which uphold London, Peter Ackroyd is able to uncover the changing role, status and activities of the UK’s capital city over many centuries and reflect the country’s status, initially as a vassal state until the early twentieth century as a hugely influential imperial power.  Later we see Britain under attack during the Second World War and more recently as a modern first world country embracing new technologies which govern our everyday lives.

Ackroyd looks at archaeological remains; underground rivers which have been suppressed or diverted into drainage systems, such as the Fleet; at the sewage system; early attempts to cross the Thames by tunnelling; the establishment of the tube (the London underground) the 150^th anniversary of which inception is this year, 2013, and cabling and pipework systems.  He looks at how names of places, monuments and churches are  influenced by the life underground, by wells and sources and by spiritual qualities associated with them and points out that the names of many tube and railway stations have religious or other spiritual connotations in consequence: King’s Cross, Temple, Charing Cross, St Pancras, Marylebone, Shadwell, Bayswater.

This book is a fascinating, entertaining and informative work of history and I can recommend it to anyone from S3-S6 with an interest in British history, in London, in Geography or in Social Anthropology.  You will not be disappointed. 

Mr. Gray.