Eben Emael - Pevnost jako monument marnosti – Junek Václav (2018)

Not only France relied on its concrete fortresses and systems of fortification at the beginning of World War II. The Belgians also embarked on this path with their magnificent fortress known as Eben Emael. The massive fortress was a loose continuation of the Maginot Line and met the same fate as the entire fortified system. It became the scene of the first major operation of the German airborne forces (including the first use of gliders), which literally overnight took control not only of the fortress itself but also the entire surrounding area, thereby accelerating the advance of the German Nazi troops further into Belgium and France. Václav Junek's book focuses on the fortifications of Eben Emael, the connections with other fortifications, the inadequacy of such structures for defense in modern warfare, the operation itself, and the overall situation in Belgium at the beginning of World War II. The book is supplemented with a number of period photographs and illustrations, as well as the author's own photographs, who personally visited Eben Emael several times.