Battle Zone Normandy: Battle for Cherbourg

The Normandy campaign has been written about exclusively for the past sixty-five years now. Some of its lesser known battles have not received the attention that the fighting on beaches such as Omaha has. The Battle of Cherbourg is one of these battles. Hoping to secure the city of Cherbourg, located at the tip of the Cotentin Peninsula in France, as a port to bring in troops, vehicles, and supplies needed by the Allies, the Americans began an assault in June 1944 against the Germans still holding out there (as per Hitler's orders). The US Army's Ninth Infantry Division raced across the Cotentin, replacing the hapless 90th ID. Having effectively been cut off from the rest of their forces, the Germans had no choice but to do what he ordered, until General von Schlieben surrendered the city to the American army. The writing is good and the photos also well done. There is a good mix of photos taken during the battle and photos that show the same areas today. The book is not overly long, but gives a good concise history of how Cherbourg fit into the overall picture in the campaign and is an easy read. Maps are also well done and give the reader a good sense of where the action the author discusses is occurring. My grandfather fought with an infantry regiment in the 9th, and through this book I was able to follow him as he fought his way across France. I highly recommend it to those looking for a history on just one of those many smaller battles that made up the great campaign in Normandy.