Princess Fuzzypants here: I am always intrigued by first hand accounts of WW II particularly ones from the British Home Front. I have read oodles of books on the Blitz and all sorts of other areas of the war but this one was especially interesting. Naturally we all know about the Phoney War before the Nazis blitzkrieged through Europe but it is a misnomer if you think about the coasts of Britain. They were involved in some dangerous and active confrontations.

Knowing that when an invasion came, wherever that invasion came, it would be coastal Britain which would bear the initial brunt. Between trying to secure safe places for civilians, preparing defences or risking attack every time they went to sea, they were already at the Front Line. The book is filled with personal accounts of the various people and places involved. It was a fascinating book that filled in some hitherto unknown bits of history.

It covers from those first moment of war to the immediate threat of invasion to taking the battle back to Europe but still being in the cross hairs thanks the V1 and V2. While they may not get the lions share of the ink, they too served and served well. Four purrs and two paws up.

Author and historian Neil R. Storey published the book “Britain’s Coast at War: Invasion Threat, Coastal Forces, Bombardment and Training for D-Day” in 2021. Mr. Storey has published more than 20 books.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this book as ‘G’. The book tells the story of Britain’s Coast at war during WWII. Included are all sorts of activities on or near the coast.

The book covers many different aspects of the British coast at war. The coastal response to Operation Dynamo, the Dunkirk evacuation, has a prominent place. Next comes the preparations made to repulse the expected Nazi invasion. The cross-channel artillery duels between occupied France and Britain are covered. The impact of the many Luftwaffe air raids on British ports is described. The author discusses the impact of the German vengeance weapons, the V1s and V2s. The role of the British lifeboats and rescue craft are covered. Also included are the contributions by the minesweepers. Finally are the preparations made for the landing in Normandy.

I enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 272-page WWII history. The book includes several first-hand accounts. It is a very readable history though it contains many details. The book is an interesting and different look at Britain at war. I like the selected cover art. I rate this book as a 4 out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

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An interesting look at the coastal war in Britain during WW2. Good first hand accounts and stories makes this a good historical read.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

History buffs will know that there is so much more to understanding the events of WWII than what we see in popular films and documentaries. The impact was so far reaching, both in terms of geography and human experience and it is hard to imagine an impact area which has not been explored. England was devastated by the war and the impact was felt beyond the battlefields of Europe. This book shines a spotlight on the impact on the coastal regions of England and the people who lived, and died there. The author does a good job in presenting this perspective in such a way as to make it both an interesting one off read for any reader as well as a detailed exploration for the WWII history buff. Great job.