"British, Canadian and Polish Operations at the end of WW2" Topic

I have just finished reading Peter Caddick-Adam's book '1945 Victory in the West'. I was expecting a detailed account of the final 100 days of the War. However, to my deep disappointment, whereas there was lots of details about what the Americans and French got up to in the south, there seemed very little about the British, Canadians and Poles in the north. It seemed to be summed up by, 'Look at all the Americans did! Oh yes, the other allies did some stuff elsewhere.'.

Anyway, what I wanted to ask is what would TMP'ers recommend as a good book on the final operations of 21st Army Group in the final days of the War starting with the crossing of the Rhine? The Caddick-Adams book is superb in the south, but I want to know more about the north.

amzn.eu/d/9CYq7ox is a fascinating glimpse at the men of 21st Army Group.

I believe Mark Zueklke's [sp?] books might be more what you want.

I've ordered this one, but not got it yet:

The Noise of Battle: The British Army and the Last Breakthrough Battle, 1945 (Tony Colvin)

The Noise of Battle isn't bad but it's the author's first (only?) book and I found it a bit heavy going in places, it could really have done with some better editing.

First half is an account of 3rd Division and 6th Guards tank brigade's actions in February and March 1945. Second is about the various units involved both British and German. The third part tries to explain what went wrong and how the British army should have operated in the Authors opinion.

Cinderella Army is a great book about the Canadian Army in NW Europe including their operations in the Netherlands and the Rhineland

link

First Canadian Army was the smallest of the major Allied armies in the campaign but one of the hardest hitting – 3rd Canadian Division and 2nd Canadian Division suffered the highest casualties in 21 Army Group, probably a reflection of the number of days that they were engaged in combat

Worth a read I reckon

For a memoir, Peter White "With the Jocks" is hard to beat.

I recommend the author Mark Zuelke. You get good detail on Canadian WWII campaigns. I just finished his book on the Scheldt campaign. I need to read his next one, Forgotten Victory (winter of 1944-45), then On to Victory (Netherlands March-May 1945).

"The Battle for the Rhineland" by Thompson might be worth a look as a general summary.

There specific works looking at the battle of the Reichswald and Operation Veritable, and these often crop up to in both personal and formation histories as well as the advance into Germany, but I'd struggle to list individual ones.

Thanks everyone. Lots of good recommendations.