Stout Hearts

“At last a book has been written that forensically examines how the British Armed Forces fought its way through Normandy. Ben Kite compellingly demonstrates that these forces were highly effective, well trained, motivated, and superbly equipped, capable of taking on and beating the Germans. Combining painstaking research with his own practical appreciation as an active soldier, the result is an important and utterly absorbing book that will be read and studied for decades to come.” ~James Holland, bestselling author

"Ben Kite has clearly used his widespread experience of seeing a modern Army in action on operations to think carefully about the anatomy of a military force and how each of component elements can work together to produce victory. He has succeeded in getting beyond the narrative of events and explains clearly how and why units function as they do, using first-hand accounts of participants to bring the text to life wonderfully.”" ~Dr Rob Johnson, Director Changing Character of Warfare programme, University of Oxford

“Those with an interest in studying the Normandy campaign in 1944 will certainly devour this splendid heavy-weight books….. It is a book packed with facts and details, and carries an impressive wealth of useful appendices and images. It is certainly a ‘must have’ book if one wishes to study the Normandy campaign in any depth”. ~Britain At War

“ … Ben Kite provides the reader with an excellent insight into the details of how each separate part of the British and Canadian Armies in Normandy worked. I have read many books on this campaign, and this really does offer something new to the reader - an excellent combination of first hand accounts and operational details.” ~Recollections of WW2

“ … one of the best recent books which explain how a fighting army actually functions and is recommended purely on that, and for much more therein.” ~Society of Friends of the National Army Museum

“ … Ben Kite has crafted a remarkable study of the experiences of the men and women of British and Commonwealth armed forces in their bitter fight against a dug in and determined Wehrmacht … Ben Kite has provided a much needed corrective to the idea that the British-led armies fought poorly during the campaign …” ~Michigan War Studies Review

“Former career British Army officer Kite takes an intimate look at British and Canadian forces in the Normandy Campaign, a subject generally neglected on this side of the pond. He does so in an interesting fashion, not only telling us what took place, but also how it took place… This is excellent stuff, well worth a read for anyone interested in World War II, or in how an army functions.” ~The NYMAS Review