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Dunkirk: The Great Escape

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Some people thought the successful evacuation of Dunkirk as an epiphany, a second chance for the British Army and a means to continue its contribution to the war effort. Mr Barker is such a person. The author of this and many other books was a veteran of the war and as such conveys a passionate note to his writing. The author believes that Hitler lost his chance to win the war by allowing the BEF to escape his trap. I'll get into more of that later.
The author begins his narrative by delivering a brief prewar situation report that included Chamberlain, Churchill, Billotte, Gamelin, Hitler and other military leaders. The living conditions on the continent and Britain were also discussed. As time evolved into the early months of 1940 troop dispositions and readiness is discussed. The importance of an air force in defense of Britain as well as on the offensive was included.

For the next two weeks after the German invasion the tactical operations are generically discussed, describing the general retreat of the Allies from almost the first day. The key German generals with the key penetration points are also included. The coverage is generic, not coming close to the detail level of a David Glantz or Walter Dunn book but its enough to let the reader know the Allied front line and the few key engagements they were involved in as the Germans continuously pushed the Allies back. There is brief mention of the engagements at Sedan, Lille, Arras, St Omer, Abbeville, Aa Canal, Calais, Gravelines, Boulogne and the Dunkirk perimeter. There is also mention of the Dutch and Belgian surrender. General Gort receives a lot of attention and overshadows Brooke, Montgomery and Dill. Admiral Ramsey is also featured. The French and German generals, leaders are also cover but to a lesser extent.

The details pick up from May 26th when Operation Dynamo was activated to June 4th when the evacuation had ended and the Allies, mostly French, surrendered to the Germans. During this period the author gives a daily accounting of actions and events that occurred on the ground, on the sea and in the air. The reader will get a daily accounting of which key ships reached Dunkirk Harbor, evacuating how many men. You will learn which ships were in combat and which ones were sunk or damaged. The author shows the many dogfights between the RAF and Luftwaffe as the British planes try to protect the men on the beach and the ships loading or waiting to load men for the return trip back to England.
There are a few good maps showing the shrinking bridgehead as the Allies retreated, fighting a rearguard action. There are many good photos that greatly add to the book. They cover action scenes on land, sea and the air.
While the tactical coverage is a little light, the author does a much better job of covering the human side of things, delivering first hand experiences and providing communiques between key people to show what officers and men alike were doing and feeling.

In his Epilogue, the author sums up the cost in men and equipment for the combatants. He also speaks of the motivational and patriotic uplifting on the Army and civilians of saving so many. I particularly liked his monograph on what the war could have evolved to if the Germans had captured or destroyed those 300,000 plus men on the beach in June 1940. If England had lost those men, the country would have been defenseless and easily conquered if Hitler invaded as he was planning. He works his alternative history through the war years, altering true history to the point that Hitler might have defeated Stalin and gained North Africa, all of Europe including the Balkans and Western Russia including the Caucasus oil fields.

If your interested in the Dunkirk evacuation and are not looking for exacting tactical narrative, this is a worthy read for the story is good and the photos are well chosen.