Hitler's Atlantic Wall by Anthony Saunders
Free at
Amazon US |
Amazon CA |
Amazon UK (possibly more Amazon stores, I didn't check)
Quote:
It was designed as the ultimate defense of Hitler's Thousand-Year Reich.
A wall that would secure the Nazi empire from invasion.
Fortifications are often impressive in their sheer size and strength, but the breadth of the monolithic battlements that make up Hitler’s Atlantic Wall is incredible.
Millions of tonnes of steel-reinforced concrete was poured into tens of thousands of defences along nearly 3,000 miles of European coastline, in a project which involved countless workers.
The structures they built were so massive that many still survive today despite vigorous attempts to demolish them.
This is the first history and guide to the wall to be written in English, and examines the reasons behind its construction.
Hitler conceived the Atlantic Wall as a line of impregnable defences to protect his newly conquered empire from the inevitable onslaught of Allied attack. Bunkers, gun emplacements, flak batteries, radar stations and observation posts were rapidly built to form this remarkable barrier.
France was thought to be most vulnerable to invasion from sea, so the crucial parts of the wall were built along the Channel and Atlantic coasts.
By the time of the Allied assault in June 1944, more than 700 batteries alone had been built in less than two years. Many of the fortifications saw fierce battles, as Allied soldiers faced the difficult task of taking individual bunkers by direct assault.
Anthony Saunders examines the French positions in detail, describing what was built and how, the fighting that took place at each one, and presents a comprehensive guide to what remains of the sites today.
‘Hitler’s Atlantic Wall’ is an authoritative and informative account which serves as a guide for tourist and enthusiast alike, while shedding light on an often overlooked aspect of the Second World War that had important consequences for both the Allies and Germany.
Anthony Saunders is the author of ‘Weapons of the Trench War 1914-1918’ and ‘Dominating the Enemy 1914-1918’. He worked in the Principal Directorate of Patents, at the Ministry of Defence, for six years. He is now a freelance writer and editor with a specialist interest in the two world wars.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.
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