For 60 years to dramatic story of the Dunkirk evacuation and the defeat of France - the story of the German conquest of northwest Europe - has been the focus of historical study and dispute, yet myths and misconceptions about this extraordinary event persist. The ruthless efficiency of the German assault, the miracle of Dunkirk, the feeble French defense - these still common assumptions are questioned in Geoffrey Stewart's highly readable and concise account of the campaign. The German victory was not inevitable. German victory was won by the effective application of classic military doctrine, and throughout Stewart emphasizes the importance of the battlefield in shaping events. His study is a gripping and thought-provoking introduction to one of the decisive campaigns of twentieth-century warfare. His narrative is supported by full orders of battle, tables showing the comparative strengths of the opposing armies and air forces, and short biographies of the principal commanders and politicians. -- From the book jacket.