May 1940: The Battle for the Netherlands: 57 (History of Warfare, 57) - Tapa dura

"This edited volume is a fascinating read from beginning to end. ... Fully footnoted and benefiting greatly from an annotated bibliography, the source material is in itself a valuable resource enhancing greatly the detailed narrative and analysis found within the main body of the text. The translation is of the highest quality and amply demonstrates the considerable time and effort that this must have taken. The range of photographs is extremely impressive and really helps to illuminate the story not just of the invasion and defense, but also the events leading up to the start of the
European war. Especially noteworthy are the thirteen color maps at the book's beginning, which are later reprinted within the main text in monochrome. This is indeed a most commendable military study, one of the best that this reviewer has ever received, and would grace any bookshelf". Andrew Stewart, Defence Studies Department, King's College London, in Global War Studies 8 (2) 2011, 98-100
DOI http: //dx.doi.org/10.5893/19498489.08.02.10

In May 1940, the Netherlands were overrun by German armed forces. The five-day campaign might seem to be a prime example of Blitzkrieg, which led shortly afterwards to the rapid and unexpected overthrow of France. This book, based on the newest scholarly research, argues that this is too simple a view. Even though the German assault on the Netherlands made use of tanks, aircraft and airborne troops, it was still a classic campaign against a weak opponent in a theater on the margins of Fall Gelb. In many instances, artillery and infantry were the decisive factors and it is debatable whether the bombing of Rotterdam can be seen as a precursor to the aerial terror campaigns against civilian populations that marked the later stages the Second World War.