To the Last Man: The Battle for Normandy's Cotentin Peninsula and Brittany

by Randolph Bradham

Overview

Put simply, this book provides a detailed overview of the battles that make up the Cotentin Peninsula Campaign, an important part of the invasion of Normandy. While historians often cite specific examples of the fighting that took place on the peninsula, most treat the battles as individual events or singular parts of the overall Normandy campaign. In this work Bradham takes a different approach, focusing on the unique set of battles that had to be fought before the Allies could call their foothold on Normandy secure.

Bradham not only discusses the strategy used to secure the peninsula, but also gives detailed accounts of the major battles and tactical doctrine that was developed to fight them. Along the way he provides biographical information on the main actors, explaining how key personality traits along with personal relationships influenced their conduct while in battle. In doing so, the author outlines the effect of the campaign on the overall conduct of the war while discussing the lessons learned.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313350276
Publisher:	Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/30/2008
Series:	Praeger Security International Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Randolph Bradham is a retired thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon. Formerly a staff-sergeant squad leader, he fought against the Germans in Brittany during the Second World War. He is the author of Hitler's U-Boat Fortresses (Praeger, 2003).

Table of Contents

Profiles     vii
Preface     ix
Acknowledgments     xi
Introduction     1
Prelude     7
The Assault and Bridgehead on the Cotentin Peninsula     16
Westward to Barneville, Northward to Cherbourg     34
The Battle for Cherbourg     43
Clearing the Cotentin Peninsula     52
Breakout     75
Advance into Brittany     94
The North Shore and St. Malo     102
Rennes, Lorient, and Nantes     114
Battle for Brest     120
Reflection on the Breton Ports     137
St. Nazaire and Lorient-Prime Military Targets     143
Epilogue     166
Bibliography     171
Index     175

Editorial Reviews

To the Last Man! The Battle for Normandy's Contentin Peninsula and Brittany is surely one of the best works in regard to the Normandy invasion. The research is exhaustive with brilliant writing and research by a veteran of that campaign. This is truly a vital contribution to World War II literature.” —Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard

From the Publisher