Storming the Reich (After Dunkirk, 8)
The latest edition of Lee Jackson’s After Dunkirk series follows the fictional Littlefield family (three sons and a daughter) through their WWII adventures during the last six months of 1944, shifting between the European and Pacific theaters of the war, where the Littlefields’ stories are woven in with actual historic events, battles and real people. The depth of Jackson’s meticulous research and attention to detail is extraordinary here, and he skillfully weaves his characters into the major events of this time period – making the history more engaging when interspersed with character development.
The progress of the war after the Allied invasion of Normandy in early June 1944 through the end of that year was extremely busy and chaotic, and ranged across multiple fronts – from the brutal battles in the Pacific, bomber missions in Norway, the Allies’ westward advance across France through the Siegfried Line toward the heart of Germany, and the failed attempt to seize the bridge at Arnhem in the Netherlands. So this is a very dense book, but Jackson does excellent work in extracting the highlights of the various battles and the historical figures involved in an entertaining style while never losing sight of the human dimension; he tells these intriguing war stories through the lens of the various Littlefields, with their hopes, fears and emotions on full display.
While it seems incredulous that a Littlefield family member was involved in every important battle, the individual stories within this novel are superbly written and entertaining enough to look past this and enjoy the read. I look forward to the rest of the After Dunkirk series and recommend it to any WWII history and historical fiction buffs.
