Stout Hearts: The British and Canadians in Normandy 1944 - Hardcover

" ... Ben Kite has crafted a remarkable study of the experiences of the men and women of British and Commonwealth armed forces...Ben Kite has provided a much needed corrective to the idea that the British-led armies fought poorly during the campaign ..." * Michigan War Studies Review * Ben Kite has clearly used his widespread experience of seeing a modern Army in action on operations to think carefully about the anatomy of a military force and how each of component elements can work together to produce victory. He has succeeded in getting beyond the narrative of events and explains clearly how and why units function as they do, using first-hand accounts of participants to bring the text to life wonderfully. * Dr Rob Johnson * I have read many books on this campaign, and this really does offer something new to the reader - an excellent combination of first hand accounts and operational details. * Recollections of World War II 02/05/2015 * Those with an interest in studying the Normandy campaign in 1944 will certainly devour this splendid heavyweight book, looking at all elements of British and Canadian involvement from D-Day and beyond. It is a book that is essential reading for those wishing to understand the mechanics of battle ... It is a book packed with facts and details, and carries an impressive wealth of useful appendices and images. It is certainly a "must have" book if one wishes to study the Normandy campaign in depth. * Britain at War Magazine * Combining painstaking research with his own practical appreciation as an active soldier, the result is an important and utterly absorbing book that will be read and studied for decades to come. * James Holland *

Stout Hearts is a book which offers an entirely new perspective on the British Army in Normandy. This fresh study explores the anatomy of war through the Army's operations in the summer of 1944, informing and entertaining the general non-fiction reader as well as students of military history. There have been so many books written on Normandy that the publication of another one might appear superfluous. However most books have focused on narrating the conduct of the battle, describing the factors that influenced its outcome, or debating the relative merits of the armies and their generals. What was missing from the existing body of work on Normandy specifically and the Second World War generally is a book that explains how an army actually operates in war and what it was like for those involved,""Stout Hearts"" fills this gap. ""Stout Hearts""is essential reading for those who wish to understand the `mechanics' of battle. How does an Army care for its wounded? How do combat engineers cross obstacles? How do tanks fight? How do Air and Naval Forces support the Army? But to understand what makes an Army `tick' you must also understand its people. Therefore explanations of tactics and techniques are not only well illustrated with excellent photographs and high quality maps but also effectively combined with relevant accounts from the combatants themselves. These dramatic stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things are the strength of the book, bringing the campaign to life and entertaining the reader. Dr Rob Johnson, Director Changing Character of Warfare programme, Oxford University`[Ben Kite] has clearly used his widespread experience of seeing a modern Army in action on operations to think carefully about the anatomy of a military force and how each of component elements can work together to produce victory. He has succeeded in getting beyond the narrative of events and explains clearly how and why units function as they do, using first-hand accounts of participants to bring the text to life wonderfully.' Lieutenant-General Tim Evans, Former Commandant Royal Military Academy Sandhurst`I would happily recommend it to officer cadets as well as junior officers alike as essential reading'. Normandy veterans' comments - Field Marshal the Lord Bramall, `A fine book, comprehensive and well written'; Major Joe Lawler Brown `A very fine book, ably thought out and extremely well researched. It reads well and holds attention and interest... It will certainly rank amongst the best books on the conduct of the Second World War and I wish I could have had a copy in 1943 when I was first commissioned!' Major Jack Swaab `Amazingly well researched, the gun drill for the 25 pounder for instance was spot -on and brought memories flooding back'.