Product Description

I have decided to prepare a landing operation against England, and if necessary to carry it. - Adolph Hitler, 16 July 1940.Immediately after the fall of France in June 1940, Hitler ordered his generals to organize the invasion of Britain under a plan codenamed Operation Sealion. The objective was to land 160,000 German soldiers along a forty-mile coastal stretch of south-east England.Prior to the invasion, a complex set of documents had been drawn up, consisting of maps, aerial photographs, a physical description of the British Isles - region by region, statistics about roads, lists of strategic targets, and a short phrase book for the invading forces when it became necessary to fraternize with the local populace.This book brings together a selection of these documents and reproduces them in a handy-sized format. It includes aerial photographs of strategic sites, maps of the main urban centres (with identified targets), a detailed listing of British roads, advice for officers about how to mount an attack on each county, a brief description of the social composition of Britain, and a dictionary and phrase book. It also includes an introduction setting the material in its historical and military context.These invasion plans survive in very few numbers. This is the first time that a selection has been brought together, giving a remarkable insight into how the German army planned to invade Britain.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #118630 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 88 pages

Customer Reviews

False Advertising?
Now, when i saw this book sitting on the shelf in Waterstones, the title triggered visions of detailed plans of possible troop movements, pinpointed landing sites, logistical data and generals drawing arrows on maps. I foresaw this as a long-awaited, unabridged copy of the invasion plans for Great Britain as seen by Hitler and his war cabinet in 1940.
However, it was much to my consternation when i read through this book and discovered that it is actually not plans at all, but more of a collection of pre-war data about Great Brtain; even a travel guide, if you will.
The book, broken down into 3 parts; Analysis and vital statistics, Strategic and military assessment, and Military and geographical phrases, is very intersting and features some fascinating photos of Britain before the war, but nowhere is there printed a single sentence that suggests what the German high command planned to do on the ground. The Wehrmacht, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe are given no mention, and the logistical feasibility of implementing a sea-bourne invasion is not brought into question.
One can almost see this text being handed to German field-officers as a form of guide book to Britain, and what to expect in terms of infra-structure and population distribution, prior to an invasion.
I have to admit that i am disappointed overall, and feel almost cheated by the title. It seems a little too much hype went into the naming of this book.

Michael Jones

Misleading title, very disappointing
I have to agree with Jonesy's review of this book.
The title made me think of the arrows from the Dad's Army intro sweeping inland toward London from the south coast and details of where the Panzers would be concentrated, instead I got information about the various types of road surfacing and the percentage of goods carried by canal.

A more apt title for this book would be "Dull statistics of the British Isles, 1940". German invasion plans? Who do you think you are kidding Mr. Bodleian Library?

I agree with the above
This was a dull unenlightening read...to the historian researching WWII from a german perspective it is probably deeply intriging, but as a read unto itself i wouldn't bother. I have read others in this series of reprint and found them interesting, but this simply looks better than it is.