A must-read.

What a wonderful book, recounting in detail the terribly conceived idea of invading Dieppe to test out the German defences and to try out the new tanks. What a farce, from start to finish, with the green Canadian troops being annihilated by the battle-hardened defenders. Bad times… but this raid should be remembered, so we can commemorate the brave soldiers who served, were injured, imprisoned and those who died. Very detailed and well read. Recommended.

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take my advice if you are struggling

Skip to chapter 15 for when the action starts .
For about 3 hours before that it feels a bit slow and just realing of lists of the number of guns etc .
I wish i had read a review that said skip to chapter 15 that's why i wrote this one .

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An excellent and detailed account

Zuehlke provides a detailed analysis of the planning and fighting in this often overlooked battle. His narrative handles the strategy of the raid, the tactical doctrine of the forces involved, and the unfolding story of the raid using personal accounts. Wray’s narration is smooth and easy on the ear. Highly recommended.

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Great and informative book

This is the book by Zuehlke I have read, and it like the two others, captivates you with personal stories from the men, who took part in the Dieppe raid.

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1 person found this helpful

Fantastic

I’ve read quite a large amount on Dieppe as my great grandfather was the gallant brave Commando Pat Porteous. He won the VC at Varengeville. This is a brilliant book. Utterly detailed and perfectly balanced in terms of lead up to the battle/raid itself and the horrendous action thereafter. It’s clearly a book that comes from the heart and soul but never leans toward the over emotional but does underline unbelievable stories of bravery and stories of utter devastation. Bravo I say!!

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3 people found this helpful

Very Good

Although familiar with the history of WW2 this was my first encounter specifically with the Dieppe Raid. The book provides the listener with a well thought out narrative. It’s written in an almost thriller style, the story building and building until it reaches its ultimate conclusion with the raid itself.

Overall an informative and very interesting book which also pays tribute to the men took part in an avoidable and ultimately unnecessary attack.

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1 person found this helpful

Planning disaster.

The sacrifices made on the beaches in and around Dieppe are mind blowing. Having visited Dieppe it is unbelievable that planners thought Op RUTTER or JUBILEE were achievable. A great book which leads the listener through the Operation in a chronological order giving many accounts if the men who fought on the day. Brilliant.

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2 people found this helpful

Excellently read story of Tragic of Brave Men

I had heard of the Dieppe Raid, but it's another story of Lions lead by Donkeys, From Churchill on down to Roberts, Total Waste of Men.

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Canadians in the Fog of War

Mark Zuehlke tells in great detail the story of the disastrous 1942 Dieppe raid. The western allies were under pressure from both Stalin and Canadian public to put troops into France, if only as a token commando raid. The attack had no strategic importance, though in retrospect allowed Allied planners more fully to appreciate the potentials and hazards of combined operations, and the need to avoid direct attacks on ports, essential for Operation Overlord later in 1944. The book’s title might more usefully be “Canadians and the Fog of War”, or even “If it can go wrong …”. More critically though many readers used to a more analytical approach to military matters might find this a bit hard going. Like a school play everyone gets a mention. Indeed at times this felt like an audible war memorial, names, ranks and units being read out so often I began in places to loose the plot. At times I found it quite difficult to tell which details were for the relatives or survivors and which for the reader. If this sounds harsh I have to say that in over 40 years of assessing students’ research my most frequent comment was “True, but so what? How does this level of detail move things along?” Too often this amount of detail smothers the text, the story, and any emerging analysis. Such analysis as does emerge is presented as almost an afterthought at the very end, rather than emerging from the main body of material. Final comments on blame for instance do not follow from the main text but as afterthoughts, though for me this final section remains the most interesting.

This is a great pity given this book is clearly the result of such a large research project.

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great story, ruined by the narrator!

A great story, but the narrator is so monotone!! Personally, he ruined it for me.

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