Other than a brief mention of the Milner book by canuck, I haven't seen either of these titles mentioned. Both are about the Canadian Army in Normandy and both are written by Canadian authors, however neither was published in Canada. This may say something about the state of Canadian publishing. I don't know. 21 Days in Normandy (2016) by Angelo Caravaggio Pen and Sword Books "The Canadian 4th armored division crossed the Channel in July 1944 to reinforce the invading forces and assist in the Allied attempts to breakout of the Normandy beachhead around. They were heavily engaged in Operation Totalize and Operation Tractable but have been criticized for their failure to close the 'Falaise gap' and complete the entrapment of withdrawing German forces. Their commander, Major General George Kitching, was relieved of his command after just 21 days in action. Angelo Caravaggio reexamines the division's performance and particularly that of its leadership. Using new information, he establishes that, despite entering battle for the first time during one of the most challenging phases of Allied operations in August 1944, the 4th Armored Division, under Kitching's leadership proved resilient and adaptive in overcoming the volatile and unpredictable nature of warfare in Normandy. The combat operations of August 1944 transformed the division into a battle-hardened combat formation that would later distinguish itself through its ability to generate a sustained drive across France out of the chaos and destruction of the Normandy battles." Lt. Col (retired) Caravaggio served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 34 years. and was the first Director of the Centre for National Security Studies. Dr Caravaggio has a Ph. D in Canadian history from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Masters Degree in War Studies, and a Masters Degree in Defence Studies from the Royal -Military College of Canada. Stopping the Panzers (2014) by Marc Milner (Brigadier General James L. Collins Jr. Book Prize) University of Kansas Press Beginning with the Allied planning for Operation Overlord in 1943, historian Marc Milner tracks changing and expanding assessments of the Panzer threat, and the preparations of the men and units tasked with handling that threat. Featured in this was the 3rd Canadian Division, which, treated so dismissively by history, was actually the most powerful Allied formation to land on D-Day, with a full armored brigade and nearly 300 artillery and antitank guns under command. Milner describes how, over four days of intense and often brutal battle, the Canadians fought to a literal standstill the 1st SS Panzer Corps--which included the Wehrmacht's 21st Panzer Division; its vaunted elite Panzer Lehr Division; and the rabidly zealous 12th SS Hitler Youth Panzer Division, whose murder of 157 Canadian POWs accounted for nearly a quarter of Canadian fatalities during the fighting. Upon completion of his PhD, Milner began his professional career in 1983 as an historian in the Directorate of History, National Defense Headquarters, where he served until 1986, when the University of New Brunswick appointed him an assistant professor of history and director of its military and strategic studies program. Rising to full professor, he became chairman of the history department, 2002–2010, and since 2006 Director of the university's Brigadier Milton Fowler Gregg, VC, Centre for the Study of War and Society. He was the recipient of the C.P. Stacey Prize in 2004 for his book Battle of the Atlantic.
I have got, and do actually want to read, Stopping the Panzers as it should dovetail with other interests. One day I'll get round to it...
I thought Stopping the Panzers was excellent as I read it but thinking back I do think he might have made taken a slightly, and understandably, excessively 3rd Canadian Division centric view of the planning. I'm pretty sure that 3rd British Division was equally heavily reinforced from an anti-tank perspective and, after all, was the recipient of the first armoured counter-attack by German forces on D-day itself. I'd also second the view on Blackburn's books - they bring home the sheer ferocity of the fighting and cover so much more than just the artillery perspective due to the length of time he spent as a FOO cowering in one hole or another under German bombardment. Regards Tom
