Stout Hearts, The British and Canadians in Normandy 1944 by Ben Kite.
Review by Mark J
I have been a lover of books for as long as I can remember and very much love the fact that books really help me play better games on the tabletop. The research part of our hobby is one of my favourite parts. Learning about a battle, campaign and the men and women that fought brings the historical game narrative to the tabletop.
I’m always on the lookout for a good book that helps me create and run better games. Ben Kite’s Stout Hearts fits the bill perfectly. Easy to read, covering British and Canadian armed forces that fought to liberate France in 44. I’ve used this book to create an Op Bluecoat game at the club next year. Here’s my take on the book.
Stout Hearts is an impressive, deeply researched analysis of British and Canadian operations in Normandy, offering a refreshing counterbalance to long-standing myths about Allied performance. Ben Kite blends operational history with tactical detail, drawing heavily on primary sources to show how units fought on the ground. His writing is clear, measured, and avoids the polemics that so frustratingly often colour Normandy historiography.
Kite’s great strength is his ability to contextualise British and Canadian actions—explaining doctrine, logistics, training, and the battlefield environment—to illustrate why commanders made the choices they did. The book challenges the idea that the British and Canadians were slow or lacking aggression, showing instead a professional and adaptive army grappling with a formidable German defence and extremely difficult terrain.
While occasionally dense due to its technical depth, Stout Hearts is accessible and is packed with valuable insight for wargamers, military historians, and anyone interested in the Normandy campaign. One of the most balanced and authoritative studies of Allied performance in 1944 I’ve read in a long time.
If you want to view the book on Amazon you can find it here. The club earns a small referral if you purchase it which we put towards our website fees.
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