THE BATTLE FOR THE MAGINOT LINE 1940.

THE BATTLE FOR THE MAGINOT LINE 1940.
By Clayton Donnell. 
Clayton Donnell is a retired US Air Force serviceman and a military historian of architecture, archeology and fortress engineering.
Based on many positive book reviews, I was very interested in reading this book for myself.

As he describes in his introduction, history books have not always been kind to the Maginot Line. Mostly described as an expensive waste of money that was then simply outflanked by invading German forces in 1940, the role it and the French soldiers manning the fortifications played during both the Phoney War and the subsequent Blitzkrieg is often only briefly mentioned.

In this comprehensive account, Donnell provides how the idea for Maginot Line was first discussed, argued over and eventually planned and built. 
We learn about the extensive armaments installed, the strengths and weaknesses and what is was like for the soldiers who lived and worked within its many fortifications. 
Particular praise should be given for the fact that the author has stayed on topic. For me, far to many books on a particular aspect of 1940 stray off topic to provide a wide account of the German Blitzkrieg. This book has concentrated on the fighting around and for the Maginot Line, even down to engagements with Italian troops, that is also rarely covered elsewhere.

Less is known about the Maginot Line being retaken by US troops in 1944. At this stage of the war Germany was the prize and as the Allies pushed onwards the French reoccupied some of the fortifications.
In fact some would remain in use right through the Cold War into the late 1990's, surely proving that the Maginot Line wasn't quite the white elephant we were led to believe.

This author's work is relatively new to me. He is the writer of other books, as well as having his own website for sharing his research. His incredible knowledge is very clear from reading the opening chapters and this book will be a great companion to others concentrating more on Germany's Blitzkrieg across Western Europe and on to Dunkirk. Highly recommended. 

The book is available now and is published by Pen and Sword Books.
I thank P&S for this review copy. 


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