Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 stars"Miracle" is an understatement!!!
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2017
I knew what happened at Dunkirk, but I did not know the details. With the release of the movie “Dunkirk,” I decided to read more about it before watching the movie. I selected “The Miracle of Dunkirk: The True Story of Operation Dynamo” by Walter Lord since it was the book that came most highly recommended by reviewers.
Initially, “The Miracle of Dunkirk” was a bit confusing. As an American, some of the military terms, acronyms, and colloquial British words and phrases had me confused. Walter Lord was also able to transfer the utter confusion and chaos of the British military and political leaders about Dunkirk to his readers. After a few chapters, my confusion about what was happening turned into organized chaos and the events at Dunkirk became clearer.
The fact that 338,000 British and French troops were rescued is a “miracle”. The details that Walter Lord gives puts the readers in the midst of the chaos. There were heroes. There were cowards. The fog of war caused numerous friendly fire casualty. The execution of British POWs by the Nazis did not surprise me. I was, however, surprised at the recounting of British officers shooting and killing their own men who deserted their defensive position.
The evacuation of Dunkirk is seen as a British “miracle,” but Walter Lord’s portrayal of the French troops and their commanders gives a good background on their important contribution to the “miracle.” Without the French troops delaying the German advance, the “miracle” would not have happened. The image of all the French troops abandoned on the beaches of Dunkirk as the last rescue ships leave is haunting.
I haven’t yet seen the move “Dunkirk,” but I think I will appreciate and better understand what happened more now that I’ve read Walter Lord’s “The Miracle of Dunkirk.”
I read the Kindle edition. The maps, diagrams, and photos on the Kindle edition don’t have the best resolution so they're hard to read.
