rocketman Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 I'm on the lookout for a great book about the invasion of France in WWII. I'm getting the JTS France '40 game on sale and want to read something good on the topic - preferably with detailed maps. Do any of you fine gents have recommendations? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleSimon Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 Amazon.com: Case Red: The Collapse of France eBook: Forczyk, Robert: Kindle Store Although it's a bit short on maps, it has many detailed narratives straight out of AARs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 In terms of useful maps perhaps consider some cardboard wargames on the subject. Eg: https://boardgamegeek.com/image/5642153/game-france-1940-german-blitzkrieg-west https://www.wargamer.com/reviews/france-40-gold/ Also: https://www.google.com/search?q=DETAILED+MAPS+FOR+FALL+OF+FRANCE+1940&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjvgZzTg_TtAhXeA50JHda2C0sQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=DETAILED+MAPS+FOR+FALL+OF+FRANCE+1940&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1CYiwFYto8BYOWRAWgAcAB4AIABQIgBfZIBATKYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=VpHrX-_-Ad6H9PwP1u2u2AQ http://cartesmich.free.fr/ww2_a.php 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted December 30, 2020 Author Share Posted December 30, 2020 23 hours ago, SimpleSimon said: Amazon.com: Case Red: The Collapse of France eBook: Forczyk, Robert: Kindle Store Although it's a bit short on maps, it has many detailed narratives straight out of AARs. Thanks, had a look at the Amazon link. I should have mentioned that I'm interested in the invasion of the low countries as well. The table of contents indicated only France. Will keep it in mind though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted December 30, 2020 Author Share Posted December 30, 2020 19 hours ago, Erwin said: In terms of useful maps perhaps consider some cardboard wargames on the subject. Eg: https://boardgamegeek.com/image/5642153/game-france-1940-german-blitzkrieg-west https://www.wargamer.com/reviews/france-40-gold/ Also: https://www.google.com/search?q=DETAILED+MAPS+FOR+FALL+OF+FRANCE+1940&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjvgZzTg_TtAhXeA50JHda2C0sQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=DETAILED+MAPS+FOR+FALL+OF+FRANCE+1940&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQA1CYiwFYto8BYOWRAWgAcAB4AIABQIgBfZIBATKYAQCgAQGqAQtnd3Mtd2l6LWltZ8ABAQ&sclient=img&ei=VpHrX-_-Ad6H9PwP1u2u2AQ http://cartesmich.free.fr/ww2_a.php Thanks Erwin for the maps. Maps in themselves are not a problem to get hold of, but when I read a book I want specific maps that illustrate what I'm reading about at the moment. Much more easy to follow the proceedings that way. Far too many history books are lacking in this regard. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinkin Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Another one to think about is: https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Point-Stackpole-Military-History-ebook/dp/B00Q5GYPBI I have the original hard cover from back in 1990. It covers the tactics used during the breakthrough at Sedan. However, the entire campaign in France is covered in summary fashion. This is a work of pure military history by a former US army officer. "An engaging narrative of the small-unit actions near Sedan during the 1940 campaign for France." 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted January 4, 2021 Author Share Posted January 4, 2021 2 hours ago, kevinkin said: Another one to think about is: https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Point-Stackpole-Military-History-ebook/dp/B00Q5GYPBI I have the original hard cover from back in 1990. It covers the tactics used during the breakthrough at Sedan. However, the entire campaign in France is covered in summary fashion. This is a work of pure military history by a former US army officer. "An engaging narrative of the small-unit actions near Sedan during the 1940 campaign for France." Thanks, could be a good e-book alternative. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinkin Posted January 5, 2021 Share Posted January 5, 2021 (edited) Thinking off the top of my head, Panzer Leader has a lot of pages devoted to France '40. I don't think it's so biased as to disregard the book completely at this stage of the war. https://www.amazon.com/Panzer-Leader-Heinz-Guderian/dp/0306811014 I believe I read this out of the local library too back in the day: https://www.amazon.com/Lose-Battle-France-1940-ebook/dp/B002RI9O4Q/ref=pd_sim_351_5/141-0155759-1901179?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B002RI9O4Q&pd_rd_r=eb026e02-b3e1-4787-b199-9ddad20ae348&pd_rd_w=Foy7n&pd_rd_wg=vsZkd&pf_rd_p=52622570-ce87-4046-87cf-402c2bd33577&pf_rd_r=3BA68T80WE7Q2MWDET6F&psc=1&refRID=3BA68T80WE7Q2MWDET6F Edited January 5, 2021 by kevinkin 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleSimon Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 (edited) On 12/30/2020 at 10:47 AM, rocketman said: Thanks, had a look at the Amazon link. I should have mentioned that I'm interested in the invasion of the low countries as well. The table of contents indicated only France. Will keep it in mind though. The entire first 1/3 of the book is about the Low Countries phase of the invasion. Horne's book does not discuss the actual campaigning in France for much length, it is mostly preoccupied on French politics leading up to the Battle and is scant on details. Shirer's book is the other big work in this light and while I subjectively sort of like it it isn't very focused on the fighting and Shirer's account overall is very melodramatic. It's a bit too emotive/sensationalist to be a credible research. A good read-but not for everyone. Guderian's account is the one we've all read before-whether or not we think we have-and his version of events controlled the whole narrative of the battle of France for many decades. He participated in many battles and made some fairly interesting observations of the fighting-mainly ones that confirmed his many prejudgments-and at one point personally manned a 47mm anti-tank gun in an attack. (The gun was captured and he was using it against a Char tank which it failed to stop.) It can't be said enough that he is more than a little bit of a shameless self-promoter and major prima-donna about his role in the battle. He carried some major grudges against fellow Generals in the Heer and OKW for opposing him about mechanized forces and later took it out on some of them by chairing a tribunal which he accused colleagues of being July 20th co-conspirators. He sentenced fellow Generals and Staff to death on trumped up evidence to save his own skin. When you read his book just keep in mind that he was a very unscrupulous actor and many historians urge caution about citing him. Edited January 6, 2021 by SimpleSimon 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 17 hours ago, SimpleSimon said: trumped up evidence to save his own skin. When you read his book just keep in mind that he was a very unscrupulous actor A great politician then... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinkin Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Those who win; control history. Those that lose; don't. In the case of Guderian, his accounts can not be thrown out in 2021. Like all history, take his accounts with a grain of salt. Can you image how jaded anyone's autobiography would be even if they were an angel? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimpleSimon Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 2 hours ago, kevinkin said: In the case of Guderian, his accounts can not be thrown out in 2021. Which is not what I said. I advise readers to be cautious of Guderian's account of history, not to avoid it. Whole books have been written about his lies (Wolfram Wette's is one) and there are few real historians, military or otherwise, who consider him a trustworthy source. It'd be pointless to tell people not to read him since a whole generation of western war histories-many of them them written during the Cold War-cite him and other German Generals after they were released from prison. For being the "losers" of history they sure got to control quite a bit... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 In the reference notes to the JTS France 40 game (usually very well researched) they mention two volumes of "Fall Gelb" from Doug Dildy (Osprey). Seems interesting but why two volumes with less than a hundred pages and each about 13 Euro. Got very good reviews though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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