Böcker av Ken Ford

Tells the story of Operation Neptune was, of course, more than just a tale of planning, building and logistics.

"Run the Gauntlet: The Channel Dash 1942".

"Operation Archery: The Commandos and the Vaagso Raid, 1942".

In the darkest days of World War II, the British planned a daring airborne operation to capture the secret of the German radar. Lead by Major John Frost, a company of paratroopers dropped into Bruneval on the French coast, and quickly neutralized a small German garrison. This book tells the story of one of the greatest raids of World War II.

On the night of December 7, 1942, five canoes were launched off the mouth of the Gironde river, each containing a pair of British commandoes tasked with slipping into the port of Bordeaux and destroying as many of the merchant ships as possible. This title gives a blow-by-blow account of this most daring raids of World War II.

On 18 November 1941, the British launched Operation Crusader against the Axis positions in Africa. This title tells the story of the British victory that demonstrated their ability to fight head-to-head against the Germans in Africa.

Following a lull in the desert war which saw the Germans and British reinforce their armies, Rommel suddenly attacked British fortifications with an assault on the northern sector of the British line near Gazala. Pinning down the British in the north and outflanking the 1st Free French Brigade, Rommel succeeded in encircling the main British positions, trapping them in what became known as 'The Cauldron'. With thousands of British soldiers killed or taken prisoner, this was a devastating defeat for the Allies. Accompanied by contemporary photographs and maps depicting the movement of both armies, Ken Ford provides a masterful study of Rommel, the 'Desert Fox', at the height of his powers as he swept the British army back to the site of their final stand at El Alamein.

An examination of the raid on the port of St Nazaire in March 1942 by a sea-borne task force from British Combined Operations. It is a story of incredible heroism in the face of extreme odds - bravery which would lead to the awarding of five Victoria Crosses for this raid alone.

The raid on Dieppe in August 1942 was one of the most controversial episodes of World War II. This study of the event explores the many lessons learned by all concerned, and how this led to a change of tactics and contributed to the success of the D-Day landings.

The largest city in Normandy, Caen's position gave it major strategic value for Allies and Germans alike. This title describes the battle for Caen, revealing how, as a result of the British failure to take the city early in the campaign, Caen and its population were immolated - a fate for which Montgomery has been held responsible.

The allies landed at Salerno and Taranto in September 1943. They reached the main German fortified position - the Gustav line - in December. This work details how it took a massive offensive by 11 divisions to take Cassino in a brutal battle of attrition.

The battle around Falaise in Normandy during August 1944 saw the destruction of the German Seventh army. This book details the chain of events which led to the German retreat and the ensuing liberation of France during World War II (1939-1945). The British and American breakout battles had released motorised units to wage a more mobile war against the German static defensive tactics. At Falaise, the armoured units of US Third Army encircled the German Seventh Army, squeezed them into an ever-smaller cauldron of chaos and crushed them against the advancing British Second Army. The results were devastating: those troops able to escape the disaster fled, those who remained were killed or captured and vast quantities of armour and equipment were lost.

The battle of El Alamein marked the turning point in Britain's fortunes in the Second World War. There were three separate battles between July and November 1942, all of which were fought to halt the advance of Rommel's army towards the Suez Canal. This final battle at El Alamein, fought in October and November, saw the continuous bombardment of the German line that Rommel was instructed to hold at all costs by Hitler himself. The Allies shattered the German defences, and Rommel led a westward retreat in order to salvage what was left of the Afrika Korps. This book provides an in-depth analysis of the battle that turned the tide in favour of the Allies in Africa.

During the Allied landings in Normandy, Sword Beach was the responsibility of the British 3rd Division. This text looks at how congestion on the Beach allowed the German forces time to react, preventing Caen from being taken on the first day, where much blood was shed before it finally fell.