The Panzers and the Battle of Normandy: 5 June to 20 July 1944 [Hardcover]

Georges Bernage (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2001

Analysing, day by day, the sometimes epic tank battles following the Normandy landings, this book presents an extraordinary array of photographs from the time. The photos are accompanied by detailed captions, which will be invaluable to all tank enthusiasts, together with a compelling narrative.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: French (translation)
Original Language: English

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Heimdal; First edition (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 2840481359
• ISBN-13: 978-2840481355
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,755,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deathride of the Panzer elite, January 31, 2007

By 

Iva Buch (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Panzers and the Battle of Normandy: 5 June to 20 July 1944 (Hardcover)

This is a very interesting book which covers the period of the 5th June to 20th July 1944 and deals with the German Panzer divisions in the battle for Normandy during this time.
It is not very large book being a little under 170 pages, but its contents especially its photographs are outstanding.
There are a great many pictures of the men and fighting machines that made up some of Germanys elite Panzer divisions, such units as the Panzer Lehr, Leibstandatre, 21 Panzer Division, Hitlerjugend and the Heavy Tank battalions of both the Army and Waffen SS feature prominently.
There are also excellent maps of the battlegrounds such as Operation Goodwood and Villiers Bocage to name a few.
As well there are colour drawings of some of the units armour and even the uniforms of the tankers. But the photos some of which are the then and now variety truly are exceptional.
However in amongst the photos is the text that deals briefly with the major actions the panzers fought in and personal accounts of the men who were there.The book is divided into sections that deal with the major battles during the time period and provides a brief but informative view of the battles.
It is well written and easy to follow with enough information inside to keep you interested till the final pages, which are the colour insignia of the german units.
If you are looking for a truly in depth coverage of the Battle of Normandy this is not for you but if your interest is the Panzer elite and its battles then this book is highly recommended

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a superb book and very well done., January 6, 2011

By 

Nachtjager (Baton Rouge, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Panzers and the Battle of Normandy: 5 June to 20 July 1944 (Hardcover)

If you read my other reviews, you'll notice I primarily comment on WWII and WWI German military subjects, either books or DVDs. I have a personal library containing hundreds of books and have had this book for quite a long time. I saw the questionable reviews and had to voice my opinion.

This is an EXCELLENT book on the panzer korps and the weeks that followed the Normandy invasion. The original hardback printing is of outstanding quality and the photos and illustrations are well done. It's well researched and the photos are superb and not the same old pictures you've seen a thousand times in other books.

I cannot speak for "military book club" versions, I'm sure they're smaller in format and printed on cheaper paper, thus, the problems others may have had with this book. If you can get one of the original hardback versions and are an enthusiast of WWII German armor, this book HAS to be in your collection. I've read it cover-to-cover several times and it's always an interesting volume to just go back to for entertainment and reference. HIGHLY recommend this one.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A USEFUL ACCOUNT, April 15, 2008

By 

Kay's Husband (Virginia, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Panzers and the Battle of Normandy: 5 June to 20 July 1944 (Hardcover)

I have a copy of this 'oversized' book from The Military Book Club and found the book to be acceptable, however, the 'cheapness' of its outer almost slick cardboard covering makes the present price rather steep. Also, no dust jacket on this baby.

Another reservation is that the book is a translation from French into English and at certain points the reading gets a little ragged. I have several other books from Editions Heimdal and that generally holds true as well.

Overall, I agree with the other reviewer that for a limited study of the action of Panzers at Normany it will engage the readers attention, but as an comprehensive view of the battle it comes up short. Another recent book THE GERMANS AT NORMANY, 2006, by Richard Hargreaves can help round out the story.

G. Bernage has given us a useful book with much information and many photos, some color also, but this book is not a book you can just curl up with and enjoy. It requires some work for the general reader to take in. If you are up to the task you will no doubt be happy to have this book on your shelf. Although I have it on my shelf, I would not recommend it to the general reader. For the general reader I would better suggest STEEL INFERNO, SS Panzer Corps In Normany by Michael Reynolds, fewer photos maybe, but much better text. The best bet of course, is to have all three of these books. So much the better!

Semper Fi.