"Historian John Buckley offers a radical reappraisal of Great Britain's fighting forces during World War Two, challenging the common belief that the British Army was no match for the forces of Hitler's Germany. Following Britain's military commanders andtroops across the battlefields of Europe, from D-Day to VE-Day, from the Normandy beaches to Arnhem and the Rhine, and, ultimately, to the Baltic, Buckley's provocative history demonstrates that the British Army was more than a match for the vaunted Naziwar machine. This fascinating revisionist study of the campaign to liberate Northern Europe in the war's final years features a large cast of colorful unknowns and grand historical personages alike, including Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery and the prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill. By integrating detailed military history with personal accounts, it evokes the vivid reality of men at war while putting long-held misconceptions finally to rest"-- Provided by publisher.

Introduction : the test of time -- Preparation : the road to D-Day -- Bridgehead : the first step to liberation -- Caen : The cauldron -- Stalemate? : frustration in Normandy -- Breakout : victory in Normandy -- Pursuit : the race to the frontier -- Arnhem : conceptual failure -- Winter : frustration and anxiety -- Victory : the Rhine to the Baltic -- Retrospective.