When we think of the turning point in the Second World War, we often think about the Normandy landings on D-Day. That is true to a certain extent, and yet even then the Germans could have pushed the Allies back.
In order to get from D-Day to VE-Day, it was essential for the Allies to breakout from Normandy. That is what Mark Zuehlke describes in his Breakout From Juno, at least from the Canadian perspective.
People tend to forget how hard the Germans fought to keep the Allies from advancing. It was not possible for the Allies to accomplish all their objectives according to their timeline.
I have a particular love for Canadian military history and this description of the Canadian advance is an important part of that heritage. As a member of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment, I also appreciated the description of our unit’s battles and our gradual development in our ability to defeat the Germans.
I have read a number of books by Mark Zuehlke and Breakout From Juno continues his winning formula. What Zuehlke does well is to balance the narrative between the generals and the average soldier. This blend gives us a better understanding of what happened. We need the big picture but we also need to know what the regular soldier was doing.
Even a person who is not dedicated to military history will get something out of this book. Zuehlke shows the mistakes and good decisions on both sides. We all struggle with how to accomplish our objectives with limited resources. This makes the book relevant for many contexts.
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