Dunkirk

May 1940. Hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers stand on the beaches of Dunkirk, their backs to the sea, with the German army closing in. Their government expects to save only a fraction of them.

In nine extraordinary days, approximately 338,000 British, French, and other Allied soldiers were carried across the Channel to safety. It was one of the greatest rescues in military history, and one of the most misunderstood.

Dunkirk: The Great Evacuation tells the full story of Operation Dynamo, from the German breakthrough that trapped the Allied armies to the last ship that left the burning harbor on June 4, 1940. It follows the generals and admirals who made the critical decisions, the politicians who debated in London whether Britain should fight on, and the ordinary soldiers, sailors, and civilians who lived through those desperate days.

Inside this book, you will discover:

• How the Allied armies were cut off and driven back to the sea
• The truth about Hitler's famous order to halt the German tanks
• The secret crisis in London, when Britain's leaders debated making peace
• Why a narrow concrete breakwater saved more men than the beaches
• The real role of the little ships, and how the legend grew
• Whether the RAF really abandoned the soldiers on the beaches
• The French and Belgian armies whose sacrifice made the rescue possible
• What was left behind, and what the evacuation meant for the rest of the war

Written in clear, engaging prose for general readers, Dunkirk: The Great Evacuation separates myth from reality without losing the drama, courage, and tragedy of the story. It shows why an escape that was not a victory still changed the course of the Second World War.

Part of the World War II History series by James Whitmore. Each book stands on its own.