Published in 1983. This is a book about the German `West Wall' and the effort made by Allied soldiers to breach it. It touches on the political considerations as to why the various army commanders were dealt their tasks. One wonders whether, if General Patton had been in charge of the Northern end of the Western Front, he might have succeeded in having greater backing than Montgomery to take the Ruhr before the end of 1944. That said, that end of the front was pretty much waterlogged, and the winter weather made it less than fun. The book does not mention that Montgomery's strategic aim had been to take the Ruhr with the object of ending the war months earlier than it did. There are plenty of examples of heroism and sacrifice and the sheer waste can only be imagined. It is an interesting read.