Across the Rhine January - May 1945
Casemate UK ISBN : 9781612008509
The last major hurdle for the Allied advance into Germany was crossing the formidable barrier that is the Rhine River. After defeat in France and Hitler's last throw of the dice in the Ardennes ending in failure; this would be the Allies pushing in to Germany itself. Towards the north a huge air drop and amphibious crossing crossed the Rhine. In the centre the famous bridge at Remagen allowed a great deal of traffic to cross it before it finally collapsed. Further south where the river is a lot narrower US forces were able to cross with ease. While there were still trying times ahead for the allies the forces on the whole facing them were Hitler youth and home guard, and it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed.
This book from Casemate looks at the complete battlefield. It is A4 hardback with 192 pages. It is lavishly printed through out with Black and white contemporary photos, complemented by colour photos of the areas today; and many colour maps of the battles which took place. The authors have looked at all aspect of this last push into Germany
Conclusion
This is very much a complete look at the crossing of the Rhine, and the end game in Germany on 1945. The photos and maps show how the battles panned out, and the modern photos show in some cases how little things have changed. If you are interested in WWII history then this book is a must. For the military modeller the wealth of contemporary photos give a very good idea of how the vehicles and troops looked at this time.
Highly Recommended.
Review sample courtesy of