Dunkirk
The Real Story in Photographs
By: Tim Lynch, Mirrorpix
About This Book
Operation Dynamo, and its rescues from beaches and harbour, has gone down in history as a victory from certain defeat. Here Tim Lynch presents the true story of this miraculous event using stunning, rare images from the Mirrorpix archive.
AI Overview
Book Title: Dunkirk: The Real Story in Photographs by Tim Lynch, featuring images from Mirrorpix.
Key Themes:
- Historical Event: The book focuses on the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II, highlighting the miraculous rescue of Allied forces from the beaches of Dunkirk.
- Photographic Documentation: It uses stunning, rare images from the Mirrorpix archive to tell the story, providing a visual narrative of the events.
- Military Strategy: The book delves into the mobilization, Phoney War, and the brief Blitzkrieg of Spring 1940, illustrating the return to manoeuvrist warfare after the stalemate of the Great War.
- Evacuation Operation: It details Operation Dynamo, the massive evacuation effort that saved over 300,000 men, despite initial estimates suggesting only 45,000 could be rescued.
Plot Summary: The book recounts the dramatic events of May 1940 when the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was isolated and encircled by enemy troops. The German forces halted briefly, allowing the BEF to retreat to the beaches of Dunkirk. The British forces fortified the beaches while Churchill mobilized any available seaworthy vessels to rescue the troops. Over 900 vessels participated in the rescue, saving more than 300,000 men. The rearguard troops who remained behind suffered heavy losses, but their sacrifice ensured the survival of the BEF to fight another day. The book debunks the myth of the RMS Lancastria cover-up and highlights the difficulty in finding motor transport for the BEF, contrasting it with the use of horse transport by German forces.
Critical Reception:
- Goodreads: The book has received positive reviews, with an average rating of 4.07 out of 5 stars based on 14 ratings.
- Barnes & Noble: The book is praised for its selection of relevant photographs and its ability to tell the Dunkirk story in a fresh and compelling way.
- ARRSE Community Review: The reviewer notes that while the Dunkirk story has been told many times, Tim Lynch's selection of photographs is good and the book provides a useful addition to the historical record. The reviewer also appreciates the quality of the images and the text.
Book Details:
- Author: Tim Lynch
- Publisher: Featuring images from Mirrorpix
- Publication Year: 2017
- Pages: 95 pages (varies slightly depending on edition)
- Format: Paperback
Overall, "Dunkirk: The Real Story in Photographs" by Tim Lynch offers a unique visual perspective on one of the most pivotal moments in World War II history, using rare and stunning images to tell the true story of the Dunkirk evacuation.