Operation Torch: The Allied Gamble to Invade North Africa

Operation Torch: The Allied Gamble to Invade North Africa by William Breuer.

One might assume that all the major World War II campaigns involving American troops had been thoroughly covered by now, but here's one that has received comparatively little attention. Although Breuer's workmanlike account of the Allied invasion of North Africa goes far to fill the historical gap, the fact remains that the campaign was relatively uninteresting, even though such dynamic figures as Eisenhower, Clark, Patton and Doolittle were centrally involved. The most interesting sections of the book have to do with the delicate and complicated diplomatic negotiations between the Allies and the French, whose cooperation was essential to the follow-up campaign against the Germans in Tunisia. Photos. Military Book Club selection.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Breuer has written a blow-by-blow account of the Allies' first major amphibious invasion in French northwest Africa in 1942. This brief clash between the Allies and the forces of Vichy France has been overshadowed by more critical battles with Axis forces, but the author properly stresses the useful lessons learned by the inexperienced Americans in this campaign. The invasion was marked by sharp fighting and sharper political intrigue (the latter between pro-Allied and pro-Vichy French). Breuer is at his best in his graphic descriptions of the former; his handling of the political and strategic situation is less certain. This volume is valuable for its recounting of an almost-forgotten operation. Military Book Club selection. Bruce Hulse, Brown Univ. Libs., Providence, R.I.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.