Book Reviews, Analysis & Possible Spoilers

A quick note on Atkinson's style - very well written, with a surprising number of words I needed to look up in a dictionary. He has obviously read deeply, and incorporates the analysis of others into his work. In particular, I noticed Ambrose's views on Eisenhower appearing, with credit given. Perhaps slightly weak on the tactics, though not the strategies, but very comprehensive.

Having never read up on WWII before, I was amazed at the overall levels of incompetence and waste, both in terms of materiel and lives. Perhaps at the beginning it was understandable, but the learning curve was far flatter than we should have expected. We seem to have overwhelmed the Nazis with more of everything. It makes me wonder what would have been with more efficiency. And to go along with that thought, what would have been if we hadn't fought with the British & French, and instead coordinated fronts like we did with the Soviets. Churchill comes across as much more of a whiner & manipulator that I expected, the Jenkins biography has moved up my to read list as a result. All three are worth the re-read later on, though first I would like to learn more about infantry & artillery tactics.