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Caen: Anvil of Victory (Alexander McKee Presents: Key Engagements in World War II) Kindle Edition

by Alexander McKee (Author), Laurence Meynell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 457 ratings
#1 Best Seller in Military History of Canada
The epic account of how the fate of Operation Overlord and the Battle of Normandy was determined at the lengthy and harrowing battle for Caen.

This book, written by a veteran of the campaign and renowned historian, Alexander McKee, is essential reading for fans of Anthony Beevor, Max Hastings, and Stephen E. Ambrose.

D-Day was the greatest amphibious operation in history, yet the battle for the beaches was only the beginning of a long campaign to push back German forces from Normandy.

The Battle for Caen was the climax of the Normandy fighting, where, for two months, elite troops from the British, Canadian, and German forces clashed in ferocious combat, house by house, hedge by hedge, beneath massive air bombardments.

Using over sixty-five eye-witness accounts from both the Allied and German sides, as well as from the French civilians caught in the conflict, McKee reconstructs the struggle to secure the Allied position in Western Europe.

From the storming of the beaches on D-Day to the decisive Battle of the Falaise pocket, McKee charts the course of the Battle of Normandy and provides fascinating detail on how the conflict at Caen shaped the entire campaign.

‘An excellent series of eye-witness accounts from both sides … a first-class “worm’s eye view” of the fighting.’ The Daily Telegraph

‘A superb tribute to the bravery and tenacity of both the Allied and enemy troops.’ Time and Tide

‘A brilliant and moving account of the confusion, the bravery and terror of war.’ Sunday Express
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  1. Part of series
    Alexander McKee Presents: Key Engagements in World War II
  2. Print length
    426 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    June 9, 2024
  5. File size
    2.8 MB
  6. Page Flip
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  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alexander McKee was a revered military historian and the author of numerous books, including The Devil’s Tinderbox: Dresden 1945 and The Race for the Rhine Bridges.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CW1CJXHV
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books (June 9, 2024)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 9, 2024
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.8 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 426 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 457 ratings

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  1. Laurence Meynell

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
457 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and educational. They describe it as a must-read, with vivid descriptions of the British and Canadian battles to get to and through Caen. The book provides a detailed account of armies attacking and defending that key French city.

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ReadabilityHistory
5 customers mention "Readability"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and educational. They say it's well-paced with no dull moments.

"Great book that details the D-day landing and the hard fight on both sides...." Read more

"...done given his brilliant campaign in Burma...nonetheless a very interesting book giving a British perpective to their contribution ,which in fixing..." Read more

"...I can not put into words HOW GOOD this book is! It is a must read, gives points of views from the British, Canadians and the Germans...." Read more

"Military history at its best: vivid, colourful, horrific and educational, never losing touch with the human beings taking part in the events of war." Read more

3 customers mention "History"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's military history. They find it vivid, colorful, and educational. The book provides a detailed account of the British and Canadian battles to get to and through Caen.

"This detailed account of armies attacking and defending that key French city in a series of battles that dragged on for two months...." Read more

"A good description of the British and Canadian battles to get to and through Caen." Read more

"Military history at its best: vivid, colourful, horrific and educational, never losing touch with the human beings taking part in the events of war." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Calvin Triplett
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read of th battle to capture the city of Caen during WW2
    Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Outstanding account of the taking the city of Caen and the German defence to hold it. Day by day of the struggle by the SS German Panzer units to defend and the Britis and Canadian tank and Infantry to take it away from them.
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  • verirh50
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    An overall recounting of the Commonwealth side of D-day through to the closing of the Falaise gap. Lots of eyewitness stories,but it sèmed a little disjointed at points. Some different views from other books on the subject.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amethyst64
    5.0 out of 5 stars A horrible, gut-wrenching battle that killed thousands on both sides
    Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This detailed account of armies attacking and defending that key French city in a series of battles that dragged on for two months. The British forces planned to capture Caen in the first days of the invasion, but the terribly costly effort lasted for almost two months of indescribable brutality and huge losses of life. The eye-witness accounts vividly portray the horror of the battles and the destruction of entire units on both sides. Not for the weak of heart.
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  • walter e mcneil
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best
    Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2025
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    Author mixes stories from allies and axis in the same paragraph, very confusing. He shares his own opinions all too often.
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  • Daniel Poff
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great view of the D-Day landing.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Great book that details the D-day landing and the hard fight on both sides. The Allies lost several battles, but the amount material support was too much for the enemy.
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  • tracker
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thougt provoking
    Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2013
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    The question of Whether Montgomery blundered and then covered up by saying that this was what he intended all along still remains unanswered...apart from the paratroops who performed extraordinarily well the British rmovements after D -Day were lumering and ponderous...the troops paying a high price fror the somnambulistic lethargy of their generals....the same happened in the Western desert, at Caino,at Anzio and elsewhere... the British seem to have adopted the American way of fighting [ie throw lots of material at the enemy and when he has run out of supplies and men move forwrd to slowly lever him out of position...I wondered what Slim would have done given his brilliant campaign in Burma...nonetheless a very interesting book giving a British perpective to their contribution ,which in fixing the Germans' attention greatly helped the American Breakout, and at Falaise destroyed German hopes of staying in France very easy to read and understand
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Richard S. Zarate
    5.0 out of 5 stars Actually I was kind of disappointed. HOW WORNG I WAS
    Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    It exceeded all my expectations!!! My first look at the book did not impress me much. Actually I was kind of disappointed. HOW WORNG I WAS!
    Never judge a book by it's cover! I can not put into words HOW GOOD this book is! It is a must read, gives points of views from the British, Canadians and the Germans. And the poor French civilians who were caught in the middle. Well paced, never a dull moment in this book.
    I have always been confused by what the battle for CAEN was. And this book lays it all out, what went wrong (both sides) and what went right.
    You get to feel what it was like for all the combatants, that war is hell!

    I could tell you more, but I could never do this book justice!
    For that you must read it for yourself!
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Tom Ryan
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    A good description of the British and Canadian battles to get to and through Caen.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • uel
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 10, 2025
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    A good read
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  • John R.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Caen
    Reviewed in Spain on July 26, 2024
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    A great read. Couldn’t put the book down. Highly recommended.
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  • Neal Ames
    4.0 out of 5 stars I very thorough read on the battle
    Reviewed in Australia on October 20, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    𝐴 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑔𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑎 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑖𝑣𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷 𝐷𝑎𝑦 𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠. 𝐼𝑛 𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝐷𝐷 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑒𝑛, 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑎𝑦. 𝑈𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑜𝑓𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠. 𝐻𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑦. 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑜𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑙𝑢𝑒.
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  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good read but confusing at rimes
    Reviewed in Canada on January 25, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I loved rhis book and would have been difficult to write. I was confused at times which side was being reported on. Great descriptive writing though. Felt I was right there. Was totally moved by efforts of all sides. Thank you.
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  • Lillian Fehr
    5.0 out of 5 stars First hand accounts from both sides of the battles
    Reviewed in Canada on October 30, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    70 years have passed since these events, as have the men named (and unnamed) but the writing feels fresh (horribly so.) You may need a good map, although the illustrations are very good, and follow along, remembering that this tells of both armies in battle, from their perspective.
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