The Miracle of Dunkirk: The True Story of Operation Dynamo

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written and researched book on Dunkirk. Walter Lord did a very convincing job of telling the story and delved into many of the facets that I had PRE-existing questions about such as 1) why did the panzers halt, 2) what happened to the BEF and French divisions covering the retreat, 3) how did they organize so many non-Navy boats so quickly, 4) where were the Spitfires and Hurricanes and 5) how did they get so many troops off the beaches/docks in so short of a time period and during Stuka attacks?I had just finished Horne’s “To Lose a Battle” so this was the perfect follow-up, especially as this book (and the Dunkirk movie a few years back) was a bit light in Operation Dynamo although it did cover the Encirclement very well. This book covered exactly what I wanted to know in regard to where the troops were and where the ships and planes were during during the 26 May-4 June time period. It also got into the key personalities involved from Churchill to Ramsay, Gort, Clouston, Wake-Walker, etc.I also wanted some of the detail on important facts like weather and tides and the impact on evacuations. I like the ship by ship research as the role played by smaller ships was incredible, especially on the beach loadings. The German decision-making was very interesting from how the panzer divisions were deployed to how the Luftwaffe was used and also the increasing focus on the Somme and Paris which seemed to snub the huge momentum to the coast that Guderian and Rommel has following the Meuse break-out.The role played by average citizenry during this operation was amazing and deserved to be told and told again. Many rushed to aid an army that needed them most at this critical juncture. Also, the French covered the BEF in a manner that has been rather unsung compared to the Maginot collapse. Key units played critical roles during this week and despite the British attempt to evacuate as many French as possible, between 30-40,000 were left behind. I also appreciated the role played by the BEF rearguard and the elite units that came out last like the Coldstream Guards and Green Howards. The French paid a larger price but they were directly fighting for their country. The BEF and Allies with Free French would regroup but it would take time. The Alliance was tricky to manage at times but personalities such as Eisenhower and Churchill were able to hold it together.The what Ifs surrounding Dunkirk are huge. What would have happened if Germany closed the noose right away and the impact on the overall war effort well before D-Day was even a thought. Germany would have been able to focus more solely on the Eastern Front. Many large questions to ponder. I wholly recommend this book for a top to bottom look at Dunkirk and why it probably deserves more attention for military historians and others who just like to read about ‘miracles.’

This is great reading for the history buffs (especially WWII). Mr. Lord has done massive research (once again) to provide both the big picture, by interviewing and researching the various government sources, and the up close 'personal' stories from those 'on the ground' who were most affected by this massive event. The many triumphs and tragedies involved are uncountable; but Mr. Lord provides more than enough personal stories from both the 'rescuers' (many/most of whom were actually civilians) and the 'rescued'.Also there is very interesting information presented from the German records and some surviving military men. This presentation of historical events from both sides provides much needed information and helps explain how certain key things happened (especially Hitler's famous 'halt order') that helped tens of thousands more men to be rescued.It will be interesting to see how the new movie portrays all this, since it is impossible to cover any event of this magnitude in anywhere near complete fashion.

This is going to be a short review. If you want to know how harrowing it was for the French, British and Belgian forces who made the “miracle” possible, this is a great work. Unlike the movie Chris Nolan attempted to make, this is the true story of heroism, girt and cooperation. Many times, through history, the French Army hasn’t been shown in, shall we say, a great light. During the encirclement, if it weren’t for their steadfastness in holding the outer perimeter defenses as the BEF withdrew to the beaches, perhaps only half of those trapped would have been rescued.One of the most fascinating portions of the story is the utter lack of sleep of those who were holding off the Germans and those who were in charge of the evacuation. I don’t ever remember reading any story were those involved lived on as little sleep as the men and women who manned the lines.Another item I wasn’t familiar with was the mutinous acts that occurred in the navy. The crew of three destroyers refused to return to Dunkirk. Their nerves were frayed and the lack of sleep was too much to deal with. Instead of being courts martialed, the Admiralty found other men to man the ships and send them back one more time. In a normal scenario, one would call them cowards. After reading this account and the harrowing trips across the channel, one can empathize with their plight.Unlike the move this is a five star work!

I enjoyed this book it was well written and engaging for the most part,, but was hoping for a little more clarity. Perhaps I'm being naive as we all know that Dunkirk is the original definition of SNAFU, but I found the long steam of disconnected anecdotes confusing, hard to follow and not necessarily relevant. I think the book would have benefited from more and better graphics. I would have like to see where the Allied units were when the collapses and withdrawal started and how the German units pursued them. I would have also liked to have more information on the dynamo office and what they did/tried to do. I think I got more out of Lord Brooke's Memoir that this book.

At the time of "Dunkirk", I was a High school student in Canada. I thought our media had fully reported it, but I see now that there was a lot more fear of failure at the time than was apparent. This book is a very complete story of the miracle that was the evacuation of a major portion of the British Expeditionary Force (later revealed to be the almost complete British Army at the time), and a large group of the French. The near minute-by-minute descriptions of the parts played by about anything afloat, and the courage of their mostly part-time crews became better reading than most fine fiction. Its a wonderful read and will become an exhaustive resource for anyone who searches the names of participants, boat-identifications, Military unit activity, etc., all in great detail. One doesn't often get a chance to look behind history's curtain to see the interior workings of a great Miracle. Here's a fine chance to do so.

Walter Lord has written a detailed account of the famous evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force (and substantial French forces) from entrapment at Dunkirk near the start of World War II. First, Lord's account is an enjoyable and relatively easy read. The story is bracketed mainly from May 24th to June 3rd, 1940; and is an hour-by-hour account of the fighting, retreat, and seaborne extraction. Lord's descriptions of the chaos, desperation, frustrations, and tragedies associated with war seem to be spot-on; and paint vivid pictures for the reader. He uses numerous short personal stories of the individuals involved (from interviews, diaries, letters, family accounts, etc.) to drive the points home. The willingness and heroics of ordinary British citizens to come to the aid of their armed forces is truly amazing. And Lord pulls no punches, with accounts of cowardice as well as heroism. His research was extensive and expert.Lord's account will give you great insight into the British psyche. He was a prolific and award-winning history author, with books about the sinking of the Titanic, Pearl Harbor, the Alamo, an others. I truly recommend the book to anyone interested in this period's history, or World War II.

I can't add much to a book that's been lauded so much already, but I will say that it's in my opinion right up there with other great historical accounts by authors such as Stephen Ambrose. The chaotic mix of moments and shorter timeline might also bring to mind books such as Blackhawk Down. Either way, as a student of history and much of WWII I must admit that we American readers rarely have heard much about Dunkirk, other than as defeat or failure of the country's preparations. I picked this book mostly to get a handle on the background facts in preparation for the forthcoming movie by Christopher Nolan on Dunkirk. I got that and a whole lot more! Both an inspiring narrative and an important correction in my own understanding of how things played out. The author misses no opportunity to make a moment personal, whether it is from the point of view of a soldier, a sailor or a civilian volunteer, including quite a few humorous ones.

I knew what happened at Dunkirk, but I did not know the details. With the release of the movie “Dunkirk,” I decided to read more about it before watching the movie. I selected “The Miracle of Dunkirk: The True Story of Operation Dynamo” by Walter Lord since it was the book that came most highly recommended by reviewers.Initially, “The Miracle of Dunkirk” was a bit confusing. As an American, some of the military terms, acronyms, and colloquial British words and phrases had me confused. Walter Lord was also able to transfer the utter confusion and chaos of the British military and political leaders about Dunkirk to his readers. After a few chapters, my confusion about what was happening turned into organized chaos and the events at Dunkirk became clearer.The fact that 338,000 British and French troops were rescued is a “miracle”. The details that Walter Lord gives puts the readers in the midst of the chaos. There were heroes. There were cowards. The fog of war caused numerous friendly fire casualty. The execution of British POWs by the Nazis did not surprise me. I was, however, surprised at the recounting of British officers shooting and killing their own men who deserted their defensive position.The evacuation of Dunkirk is seen as a British “miracle,” but Walter Lord’s portrayal of the French troops and their commanders gives a good background on their important contribution to the “miracle.” Without the French troops delaying the German advance, the “miracle” would not have happened. The image of all the French troops abandoned on the beaches of Dunkirk as the last rescue ships leave is haunting.I haven’t yet seen the move “Dunkirk,” but I think I will appreciate and better understand what happened more now that I’ve read Walter Lord’s “The Miracle of Dunkirk.”I read the Kindle edition. The maps, diagrams, and photos on the Kindle edition don’t have the best resolution so they're hard to read.

Having seen the new movie Dunkirk I decided there were too many gaps in my knowledge of what really happened at Dunkirk. This book has certainly given me much more insight. It is very thoroughly researched and put together in a very scholarly fashion while still retaining the best qualities of a well-told story. There are numerous first-hand accounts and even humour in what can only be described as organised chaos. I'm sure I'll forget most of it but the main thesis will remain - that the miracle of Dunkirk' was more than the small boats evacuating British troops. Well worth the read.

The Miracle of Dunkirk provides a clear look at how military personnel, government officials, and civilians alike coped with the challenges of the Dunkirk evacuation. The book is smoothly written and well-paced, avoiding sensationalism or unfair criticism. Instead, it simply recounts the events as they happened.

Well written and very interesting.

A very interesting read. Some I already knew off but quite a lot not heard or read about before. Well worth reading.

I don't think it was a miracle but several issues combined to make it a literal life-saving event for 360,000 soldiers whom otherwise would either die or be in the bag. The miracle I think was at first keeping this near disaster from the British people. The French claimed the Brits deserted the French but 120,00 French soldiers were saved and the French had collapsed in defeatism.