Ultra in the West

Ultra in the West is a major work in the field of Second World War literature. Originally published in 1979, it told for the first time Ultra's contribution to the liberation of Europe. At every point from the Normandy landings to the German surrender eleven months later Ultra in the West offers a unique analysis. It shows, for instance, how Montgomery was able to note the astonishing success of the deception plan which kept men and tanks away from his front in the dangerous early days of the build-up and held them idle round Calais, waiting for an assault the Allied Command never intended to make. Not all decodes were put to such good use. Ultra gave warning of Panzer divisions in the Arnhem area before the air landings of Operation Market Garden. If read correctly they would have warned that the German concentrations opposite the lightly-held Ardennes in November and December 1944 meant attack not defence. As the review in the Economist said, ' . . . his important summary makes a