In March of 1945, the Allies were closing in on Germany. The Soviets had pushed in from the east with British and American forces near the banks of the Rhine in the west. The Rhine was a major obstacle, for it would be heavily defended. Not only that, but the odds of finding an intact bridge across it was considered to be impossible. To the north, Montgomery was planning a major push in his Operation Plunder, a typical Montgomery plan that was overly grandiose and complex. To the south, the Americans had several plans that saw attacks on a broad front. From their positions in the south and led by Bradley, they had hoped to do a river assault to gain a foothold on the eastern bank and then slowly work their way north to meet up with Montgomery's positions and surround the industrial heartland of the Ruhr valley.

This all changed when the Germans were unable to destroy the bridge at Remagen. The real reason for this is still somewhat unclear, but the full charges were not detonated. This provided a windfall for the American forces, who were able to move across the Rhine relatively unopposed and then sweep outwards to both the north and the south. This caught the Germans off guard and effectively shortened the end of the war in the west.

Steven J. Zaloga is well known to most readers of military histories in general and armor in particular. His fluid writing style allows the reader to follow along with the events of the time and produces a most enjoyable reading experience. This is further enhanced by the excellent illustrations of Peter Dennis and a well chosen group of period photographs.

In line with other books in the Campaign series, it starts with an introduction as to the war situation at the time. Then goes into some detail about the opposing commanders and the state of their armies. It also covers the plans of action prior to the event. As in every war, your plans do not go as one anticipates and the bulk of the book is on the events once they are under way. This is concluded with the results of the action and what the battlefield is like today.

I've read quite a few of the books in this series and to me, this is one of the best. It reads well without the plodding style one seems to get from time to time and holds one's interest from the first to the last page. An excellent book that I know you will enjoy and one that I highly recommend.

December 2006

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