Greenhill, 2004, $?, ISBN 1-85367-584-9, 255 pages, hardback

The third book in the WWII German Debriefs series from David Isby follows the formula -- and success -- of the first two. Postwar interviews with German generals are compiled into a rough narrative of events. While the first two concerned the D-Day invasion and hedgerow fighting respectively, the third follows the Allied breakout and the beginning of the race across France.

The German narrators were primarily generals commanding or supporting Corp and higher formations, with one as commanding general of 2nd Panzer divisions. As such their views remain on overall operations and general strategy, not tactical minutiae. Formations are almost always division and above, with some regimental and kampfgruppe forces tacked on where necessary. As the allies pounded the German Army, divisions became more shadows of their TO & Es, but divisions they remain in the narrative.

While the information within will not change the conventional wisdom of how the campaign played out, the exclusive use of source material puts a ring of authority on the narrative. Allied tactical air attacks, insufficient German re-inforcements and re-supply, and Fuhrer-meddling remain the main culprits of German defeat. Yet hearing about it from the German viewpoint brings the increasing Allied advantages to light in a way that eludes third person prose.

If there's a nit to pick, it's the disconnect between geographical descriptions of attacks and retreats in the text versus the maps included in the book. Towns and locales roll off the page, but try and find any of them on the maps scanned from other books. Don't get me wrong, some maps are better than no maps, but what a series like this needs is a good fold-out map with sufficient detail to follow the movements. Sure it would increase the price of the book but what a great package it would make.

That said, you can still feel the increasing desperation of German Command as the front disintegrates. You don't need to know every village to understand the effects of Allied air supremacy, Allied material supremacy, and restrictive Fuhrer directives. Sure, you can watch the cover-you-ass mentality at work by losing generals, but you can also see how Allied strategy met German Strategy.

For you Cobra-to-Falaise Gap buffs, this book demands a place on your shelf. Read it once for a sense of movement and operations, then read it again for nuances on generalship and the art of command. Then you too will look forward to the next in the series.