Tragedy at Dieppe: Operation Jubilee, August 19, 1942

by Mark Zuehlke

Overview

With trademark vibrant style, the tenth volume in Mark Zuehlke's Canadian Battle series tells the story of the 1942 Dieppe raid. Nicknamed “The Poor Man's Monte Carlo,” Dieppe had no strategic importance. The decision to assault it with the largest raid mounted to that date was political. Britain was under intense pressure to launch a major cross-Channel attack against France and, since 1939, Canadian troops had amassed and trained there for the invasion of Europe that would finally occur in 1944. But the Canadian public and many politicians were impatient to see Canadian soldiers fight sooner. Drawing on rare archival documents, personal interviews, and other sources, Mark Zuehlke examines how the raid came to be and why it went so tragically wrong. From the clash of personality and ambition between those masterminding the raid to the experiences of the common soldier left to carry it out, Zuehlke tells the story vividly and uncompromisingly. Ultimately, Tragedy at Dieppe honors the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought and died that fateful day and is a fitting tribute timed to commemorate the raid's 70th anniversary.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771620161
Publisher:	Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd.
Publication date:	05/06/2014
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Mark Zuehlke is hailed as Canada’s leading popular military historian. He was shortlisted for the 2007 Pierre Berton Award for popularizing Canadian history and is the author of more than 20 books, including nine devoted to military history. Also the coauthor of The Canadian Military Atlas, he lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 1

Preface 3

Maps 6

Introduction: A Crescendo of Activity 13

Part 1 The Twisting Path to Dieppe

1 A Boldly Imaginative Group 25

2 For the Sake of Raiding 37

3 A Fantastic Conception 53

4 Of Considerable Difficulty 68

5 Trial and Error 83

6 These Are Anxious Days 100

7 What a Blow! 112

Part 2 Rebirth

8 A Brainwave 125

9 Fraught with Alarming Warnings 139

10 Our Historic Task 155

11 The Die Was Cast 168

12 The Most Remarkable Thing 184

Part 3 The Raid

13 Good Luck to All of You 201

14 Smash and Grab 214

15 The Real Thing 227

16 Hell of a Fix 243

17 Such a Carnage 258

18 Murderous Crossfire 275

19 A Death Trap 287

20 Situation Very Grim 305

21 Pretty Shaky All Around 321

22 Very Heartbreaking 334

23 Sorry, Lads 349

Epilogue: Dieppe in Memory 365

Appendix A Principal Politicians, Commanders, and Units Involved in the Dieppe Raid 374

Appendix B Allied Order of Battle, Operation Jubilee 376

Notes 381

Bibliography 414

General Index 421

Index of Formations, Units, and Corps 433

About the Author 437

Editorial Reviews

★ 12/23/2013
On August 19, 1942, Allied troops landed at Nazi-held Dieppe and the subsequent carnage, particularly Canadian, so faithfully portrayed in this book, continues to shock, appall and disturb decades later. Zuehlke (Juno Beach) analyzes this infamous day using period documents and personal records to accurately place Operation Jubilee in the greater historical context. With exquisite detail and methodical description, Zuehlke plows through the months of enthusiastic staff reshuffling, chaotic planning, tedious drilling, desperate political juggling and hasty training prior to that fateful dawn. Following the names of all the major and minor players is dizzying at times, but readers will become well-acquainted with every level of personnel involved, from Lord Mountbatten to Major General "Ham" Roberts to Canadian privates. Each come to life through Zuehlke's often pithy depictions, which lead readers to identify with the characters and anxiously follow the soldiers' collision course with destiny that ended on a rocky French beach. On the beach itself, no detail is spared, as Zuehlke chronicles the Dieppe raid from every agonizing perspective. This testimony is a brilliant combination of scholarly analysis and emotional human breath. Readers who thought they knew Dieppe will be contrite, astonished and, above all, deeply moved. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly