Customer Reviews

Strike Swiftly: The 70th Tank Battalion: From North Africa to Normandy to Germany

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Marvin Jensen's "Strike Swiftly" is a great addition to any library. Jensen shows the people behind some of the great events of the Second World War. As he traces the 70th Tank Battalion from pre-WW II through the end of the war, he honors his brothers in arms, both living and dead, with solid history of events and a more solid account of the people. Inspiring and easy to read, the stories are often humorous and the reader will appreciate the fact that the U.S. Army in WW II was a citizen's army. Jensen details well small unit armor tactics and explains day to day army life. If you like military history and enjoy it from the soldiers point of view, Jensen is right on target!

I am biased, being Marvin's son. However, not only did I gain a great understanding of what happened to the ordinary soldier during the war, but I found a gap filled in the history books. Most of the time, 'history' books are told from the point of view of national strategy and of the leaders thereof. Although important, they do not tell the true human story. I've loaned this book to a number of friends of my generation, and all of them returned it with glowing praise. They say they finally understood what dad (or uncle or...) went through during the war and had a new-found appreciation of that involvement. Recommended.

Jensen's book is a collection of tales, events, and history all sewn together. It read quickly and left the reader wanting to learn more about the experiences of the men of the 70th battalion. It was told from the perspective of those who were truly involved in and affected by the war, not by some staff officer retelling the events from afar. It was warm, engaging, funny, serious, sad, and real. A Great book!

Strategists and historians, writing about World War II, D-Day, the landings at Normandy, and the battles to liberate Europe would do well to read Mr. Jensen's compelling book about the role of the 70th Tank Battalion. As an historian, he has a fine sense of history. As a participant, a fine memory. His account is made vivid and immediate by the accounts of the men themselves, who were responsible for the allied victories. I doubt if you will read better descriptions of the citizen army, trained for the landing, but for little else the men were to encounter on land, than the narratives of these ordinary men from an extraordinary battalion. We have read this book and highly recommend it. Natalie & Norman Friend

The 70th Tank Battalion was an elite unit from
the start. Created in 1940 as the first independent
tank battalion in the U.S. Army, it was relied on
for the critical jobs in eight campaigns.

The 70th was selected by Patton for North Africa
(where A Company was attached to the French Forces),
fought in Sicily, and went ashore with the 4th Division on
6 June 1944. Their subsequent Normandy efforts won
their first Presidential Unit Citation..

They continued through the Siegfried Line and
the incredibly tough Huertgen Forest, fought in
Korea and in the Gulf War, and today is the most
decorated armor unit in the United States.

Their story is very well told here, with particular
attention to the war as fought by the tankers
themselves; the heart of the story.

Readers who wish to follow the developments of the
campaigns will need to furnish their own maps, but
this failing doesn't detract seriously from this
valuable record of one of the most remarkable
units of World War II.

(The numerical rating above is a default setting
witnin Amazon's format. This reviewer does not
employ numerical ratings.)

This book was a spectacular find. I bought it as a gift for my father, and the whole family has enjoyed the read. You see, my Grandfather led the 70th Tank Battalion. From when he returned from the war to the day he died, he would not speak about anything that went on overseas. The only way we (his family) learned of his exploits and triumphs was through award ceremonies and museum displays. This book allowed us a first hand glimpse into what my Grandfather experienced. (My Grandfather is referenced and discussed throughout the book.) I have always been very proud of my lineage and am even more so, now. This book has helped my family and me to know more about some of the incredible life experiences of an amazing man.

My faher was in this battalion, the 70th tank, during WW2, when he saw this book was available, he instantly wanted it, I ordered it from Shelmarbooks, and I am very pleased! The book was wrapped up so good and packaged so that no damage came to it during shipping...I will order again someday for sure..I can't wait to see his face on Christmas morning, imagine being an actual living part of our history!!!Sincerely, Christy, N.W.Pa

While this book is a fine human interest story it fails in certain historical accounts. The author's insistence that Americans lost the tank battle at Sidi Bou Zid due to the superiority of German tanks is absolutely false. He insists that the Germans used Panthers in the battle, which never saw action in North Africa, and the number of Tigers in the battle were quite few although he alludes to substantial forces. This book is an interesting read but questionable in terms of historical accuracy.