Operation Torch

Breuer has written a blow-by-blow account of the Allies' first major amphibious invasion in French northwest Africa in 1942. This brief clash between the Allies and the forces of Vichy France has been overshadowed by more critical battles with Axis forces, but the author properly stresses the useful lessons learned by the inexperienced Americans in this campaign. The invasion was marked by sharp fighting and sharper political intrigue (the latter between pro-Allied and pro-Vichy French). Breuer is at his best in his graphic descriptions of the former; his handling of the political and strategic situation is less certain. This volume is valuable for its recounting of an almost-forgotten operation.