Ian Daglish's study of Operation Epsom makes a complex Normandy battle legible through formations, terrain, and shifting offensive and defensive roles. The introduction presents Epsom as the point at which the German army in Normandy lost the strategic initiative and describes inexperienced British troops standing against strong German formations. The book then supports a broader leadership point: officers and politicians often model themselves on the historical figures they know. Historical writing influences memory and the mental picture of what a leader ought to do.
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Operation Epsom and the leadership stories history creates
Operation Epsom shows why the way historians frame an operation can shape later officers' ideas about leadership.