Overview

Hitler's Atlantic Wall, the complex system of coastal fortifications that stretched from Norway to the Spanish border during the Second World War, was built to defend occupied Europe from Allied invasion. Many of its principal structures survive and can be visited today, and this book is an authoritative guide to them. The wall, which was constructed on a massive scale between 1942 and 1944 by German engineers, forced laborers and troops, consisted of strong points, artillery casemates, bunkers, troop shelters, minefields, anti-tank and anti-boat obstacles. It also included the concrete U-boat and E-boat pens in the key ports and, behind the Channel coast, the V-weapon sites. This huge scheme of fortifications was one of the longest defensive lines in military history. This history and guide takes the reader - and visitor - through the entire story of the fortifications from the fall of France to the Allied breakthrough and the defeat of the German armies in Normandy. This narrative puts the extensive remains that can be seen today in a fascinating historical context. As a guide to some of the most impressive relics of the Second World War, this book will be essential reading and reference for any one who is interested in the history of fortifications, D-Day and the liberation of occupied Europe. SELLING POINTS: . History of the development, design and construction of the Atlantic Wall . Tours of the surviving sites that are open to the public, with photos and plans . Detailed, highly illustrated, authoritative . ILLUSTRATIONS: 200

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9781848843875

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The best single volume on what the wall was intended to do, how it came to be built, the many different (but standardized) bunkers and related facilities, and how it was all for naught. Well-illustrated. As with many previous Kaufmann books, the amount of information here is amazing. In short, add this book on the ultimate coastal defense system to your library. There is no better published guide covering the entire wall - in any language. THE COAST DEFENSE JOURNAL

Author Information

H W Kaufmann, PhD, is a retired professor, and they live in the United States. Their most recent books on fortifications are The Maginot Line, The Atlantic Wall, The Forts and Fortifications of Europe 1815-1945: The Central States and The Forts and Fortifications of Europe 1815-1945: The Neutral States. J.E. Kaufmann is a retired teacher and presently an adjunct professor at Palo Alto Jr. College.

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