Operation Cobra and the Great Offensive

THE BEGINNINGS OF VICTORYShortly after the D-Day invasion, the Allied forces in Europe had stalled. A limited operation was set in motion to punch a small hole in the enemy defenses, starting on July 25, 1944. It was called Operation Cobra, and it would become one of the greatest offensives in all of military history.In the sixty days following the launch of the operation, the Allies -- commanded by Dwight Eisenhower and led by men such as the irascible General George Patton and General Omar Bradley -- attacked the enemy relentlessly. And what began as a desperate attempt to break a stalemate turned into an unstoppable armored juggernaut that swept the Germans out of virtually all of France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Here is a penetrating account of that incredible feat of military skill, bravery, and daring that changed the course of the war, and signaled the end of Germany's domination of Europe.

Bill Yenne is the acclaimed author of more than a dozen books on military and historical topics, including Aces: True Stories of Victory and Valor in the Skies of World War II, Black '41: The West Point Class of 1941 and the American Triumph in World War II, and Superfortress: The B-29 and American Air Power in World War II. He is a member of the American Society of Journalists & Authors, and was commissioned by General Dynamics Corporation to write a history of their Convair Division, their airplane manufacturer, which was entitled Into the Sunset. He lives in San Francisco.