The Pendulum of Battle:
Operation Goodwood

Old Duffer's Book Corner

Reviewed by Charles Vasey

Christopher Dunphie for Pen & Sword

Dunphie is the son of one of Patton’s British Staff officers and a member of the Black Mafia. As a British Army insider the tone is one of cap-badge pride (8th Rifle Brigade being the motor battalion for 11th Armoured Division) but not to a negative degree. (So Pip Roberts is allowed to criticise himself rather than be criticised). Dunphie has talked not only to the British but to the German veterans and the result is a celebration of bravery and skill rather than the more excitable prose of the non-military writer. It features 11th Armoured to a considerable degree but has a much wider remit. Not only do we visit the 3rd Division on the east flank but also the Canadians at Caen and in Operation Atlantic. There is even a chapter on how tactical air support was operated. Each phase of the battle is carefully described with the aid of a chapter-specific map. The result is a much closer understanding of the battle and a temptation to ASL, ATS or PanzerGrenadier players to design a scenario or two. Excellent photographs as usual with this publisher. Thoroughly recommended.

Old Duffer's Book Corner Book Reviews

Back to Perfidious Albion #104 Table of Contents
Back to Perfidious Albion List of Issues
Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 2004 by Charles and Teresa Vasey.
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com