Maginot Line: History and Guide

A totally fascinating read on an area of French and world history which throughly deserves the spotlight and insight provided by the author. The stories around how the various attacking forces including the German army and later the American army dealt with the various fortifications was enlightening. The detail on where and how the various fortifications have survived was also very interesting. Overall a very worthwhile buy.

This is a fine history and guide to a legendary--and controversial--fortification system. Designed in the late 1920s and early 1930s, then built during the Depression (thus providing work, though at a massive overall cost), the largely underground border forts (ouvrage) faced both Germany and Italy. Behind their seeming impregnability the French military dozed, sadly convinced they merely had to occupy the gros (large) and petite (small) ouvrage to hold off any fascist invasion. Indeed, we speak of the "Maginot mentality" to this day to denote something providing false security.All of this is discussed and assessed here, but the real appeal of this book is just how much detailed information is provided. I especially like the 3-D diagrams of the various Maginot ouvrage, as they offer a solid sense of each underground fort layout and its relationship to local terrain. I began with those ouvrage that I've seen in the south of France---and they bring back that visit of 15 years ago with their clarity. Furthermore, they make clear just how much variance there was in this massive construction project--all of it designed and built with nary a computer in sight.The literature on Maginot's line is substantial---but much of it is quite understandably written in French. Works by Mary and Truttman, to name two of the best French authorities, are invaluable and offer excellent illustrations. But if you can't read the French captions and text, naturally much is lost. The Kaufmann's book provides a concise history as well as the all the context that anyone could need to visit the sites today (more of them are opening all the time). At the same time, it provides something of an English "key" to all those French volumes. I know that I will use both together from now on.I strongly recommend this well-conceived and illustrated book. For the price, you will not find a better guide to and history of a fascinating fortification.

Some nice 3D drawing of gros ouvrages but, unfortunately like most books on the subject it lacks useful maps or fort layouts. The CORF atlas remains my reference.

We visited The Maginot Line eight years ago with our two sons. We bought the book to give to one of them for Christmas, and he has started to read it. He said that it's very hard for him to stop. reading. My husband and I looked it over before we sent it and were thrilled to see it. It brought back memories of our trip and the little train ride we took underground in the Maginot Line.

Excellent book, perhaps a must for afficionados. Very well researched and documented. Defiinitely a work for military history buffs. Seems to leave no stone unturned. As yet, I am only 3/4 of the way through it, but recommended as a well written, all round history of the line, its construction, and effectiveness in 1940 &1944/45.Of equal value is the section, yet to be read, but glanced at, (of course), detailing what still remains to day, and which sections can be visted.