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Summary: If you thought you knew alot about D-Day, think again....
Review: I consider myself a military historian in a general sense. When it comes to WWII and D-Day I could probably teach most history classes of today...this book taught that I know next to nothing. It is full of new (to me), exciting information about what is arguably the most important day in modern history. The eyewitness accounts from both sides of the Channel were excellent and provide an insight into this battle that I found priceless. It has rekindled my desire and interest in war from an historical point of view. If you want to know the who, what, why, where and when of D-Day, this is the book to read.
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Summary: astonishing account of courage, bravery, horror under fire
Review: This book is an awe inspiring account of the Normandy invasion of June 6th, 1944 and the men from the United States, England, Canada, France and other countries composing the Allied forces. The book of 580 pages gives an account of events leading to the D-Day invasion and varying accounts of the invasion with personal perspectives of many of the Allied and German soldiers involved in the action. The book contains two sections of black and white photos of the invasion troops, the beaches, ships and equipment. Recounted incidents of hundreds to thousands of men killed directly on the beach, others wounded and the heroics, panic, and horror of that day are mind-boggling. I have a much greater sense of respect for the men of that invasion after reading of what they went thru to stop Hitler and the Nazi forces. Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in WWII history.
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Summary: Expert descriptions from a great historian
Review: The first book I ever read from Stephen Ambrose was his 1962 biography of Henry Halleck and he has matured considerably since then. His skills as an historian have deepened and broadened in the intervening years throughout his tenure as director of the Eisenhower Papers project. This examination of June 6, 1944 is the best book he has ever written, exceeding his works on Ike, Nixon or Lewis and Clark.I grew up steeped in the lore of World War II from my parents, who had lived through and experienced these tumultuous years. I have also known several brave men who were present on Omaha and Normandy beaches at D-Day plus 2. Their heroism and self-sacrifice exemplifies why Tom Brokaw calls them the best generation. After reading Ambrose's book, there is no doubt this is an accurate call. Ambrose describes in riveting detail the preparations for D-Day, painstakingly devised by Eisenhower and his staff. Ike was a desk general, but a highly competent one who masterfully juggled the dueling egos of Patton and the insufferably priggish and overrated Monty. The stress he was under is mind-boggling and Ambrose never neglects the fighting man in his story: their anguish at never knowing when they would be called upon to finally invade Hitler's Fortress Europe. Ambrose's description of the Atlantic Wall and its construction reveals some new material: the Germans poured enough concrete for six Hoover Dams in constructing the wall that ultimately just wasn't good enough. The highlight of this book is the actual description of the boys hitting the beaches at Normandy, Omaha, Gold, Sword, Utah and Juno. It's a visceral reading experience and sobering to know that 4,400 brave young men died in the span of four hours. There are no words to describe their valor in defense of their country and the Allied cause. God bless them all. Stephen Ambrose has done them proud.
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Summary: The D-day on a personal scale
Review: Having read Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day, I had a feeling that surely someone must have written stories on a more personal scale and this book came in, perhaps I'm ignorant or what but I had never came across another single book that depicts that fateful day on such a personal basis. Bitter stories revealed that the invasion might have failed if not for the valor and valient efforts from isolated, singular units fighting their own war to make the invasion a success. Screw-ups were not hidden. The Germans at the invasion beaches provided firsthand accounts and experiences which were uncommon in other books. Well laid-out, the preparations by the Allies and Germans (in lesser detail) were well described and preliminary actions (mainly the airborne forces) adding to the details. Chapters were dedicated to most 1st wave regiments/battalions, some were left out but war stories can never be complete. German small unit actions were described in much lesser details, and the breakdown of higher commands were only mentioned briefly, which I attribute as a major component to the invasion success. A separate volume, Citizen Soldiers, on surface seems to talk only about the Americans but is acually an excellent followup to this book, read the reviews in detail.
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Summary: Outstanding book about the most decisive day in our history.
Review: Stephen Ambrose writes one of the best books about D-Day...ever. He combines first hand accounts with factual information that keeps the reader going. Everyone who reads the book knows the ending, but to read what some soldiers went through to get to that ending is unbelievable. A must read.
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Summary: Fantastic Book
Review: As most work by Ambrose, this book is fantastic. He does a great job of combining historical detail with personal accounts. You gain a real understanding of the analysis that went into the decision of where to make the invasion, as well as when to make it. The personal accounts keep it interesting. There is also a good deal of information about Eisenhower. Since Ambrose has the best biography of Eisenhower, he is well prepared to discuss Ike's leadership in the preparation for D-Day.
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Summary: I'm a proud gutless Limey
Review: Hmmmm, I am a brit, and have to say, I was disappointed with this one. My grandfather took part in D-day (got injured a couple of times too), and I wonder what he would think. This book, however, should not be totally dismissed because of the easily accessible, first hand accounts of the fighting (albeit from an American viewpoint). Many american historians have criticised Britain after D-day, and I am not sure it is justified. Any impartial observation would have to conclude that Britain had fought the Germans for longer than the US. It had endured WW1 only 25 years previously (so young were many of the troops involved in this devastating conflict tha a sizeable number would have been young enough to fight WW2). To give you some idea of the scale of Commonwealth (not to mention french) losses in WW1, try to imagine Omaha beach - taking place every day for over 4 years. It probably is true that Commonwealth troops advanced more slowly than the Americans. This had nothing to do with guts, or some sense of manhood. This was Britain's last great army. Our manpower reserves were drained. Had it been slaughtered, then we would have been emptying hospitals and prisons to fill the spaces. In short, you would have been on your own. Monty's plan was to hammer away persistently in the East, whilst the Americans advanced rapidly in the West. Too cautious? Who knows, but it worked, and the Commonwealth armies suffered over 30,000 casualties, the Americans about 40,000. Our population is smaller than yours by a factor of about 5. There is some evidence Commonwealth troops faced harder German divisions and more tanks. Before slagging the dead off, remember that we won, against the odds, and with no American support, the battle of Britain. Had we lost that, Hitler would have have been teaming up with Hirohito and you would have been next on the menu. Who knows what they might have done. Curbed your trading power in exchange for a guarantee of peace? Demanded protection money from you? Invaded? Perhaps the Axis might have left you alone, but this seems unlikely (just think Pearl Harbor). The guys who really won this war were the Russians, like it or not. They endured an unimaginable time, and ultimately broke the German army simply through weight of numbers and willingness to shed blood. In many senses, this book does a diservice to the Russians, who, by destroying the elite core of the German army at enormous cost, ensured that we were facing demoralised, green young soldiers with air superiority on our side. Had we been facing sizable numbers of SS Panzer units, things would have been really tough. This book goes into no analysis of this. In short, 1st hand accounts are good, but any analysis and overview is simply flag waving. America did not save Europe or Britain. It was a team effort. The fact that we stood together ensured that no one country ever had to stand up to one of the most ferocious military regimes in history alone (Oh, apart from...yes, you guessed it, Britain - at least in the West).
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Summary: good on allies analysis, but unbalanced-
Review: this book has given fairly good account from allied perception, but is very unbalanced as its analysis from the german point of view is very biased, as a good history book views should be taken from both sides in the battle, e.g. it has ignored many important points that contribute to allied success, such as the crippled german command hierarchy, intervention from hitler, the seriously delayed preparation of german defence; i would recommend the author to do more research to give a 2nd edition of this book, especially the report and plan from field marshall rommel, i personally think that rommel had splendid view and plan for the defence of coast, especially his ideas on panzer deployment and defence fortifications, which readers will find it totally rewarding and worth, fortunate for the allies, rommel did not have real authority and did not take over the command until too late before the invasion take place
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Summary: An easy and wonderful read
Review: For 50 years now contoversy had raged around D-day...what they should have done different, who deserves criticism, who deserves praise, etc. Historians tend to line up along nationalistic boundaries with Brits and Americans glorifying their own countries contributions and ignoring the others'. While Ambrose does fall into this tendency a bit it does not take a thing away from this book. If you are an American and want to find out what your country did and what it was like to be crawling through the surf at Omaha on June 6, 1944 then this is a must read. Do not worry about other critics from other countries criticizing this book as American Propoganda. It is simply a history of Americans, by an American and for Americans. If you are from England and want a brit colored history of d-day try Wilmott's 'Struggle for Europe', but if you are an American and want our side then pick this one up...you won't be sorry!
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Summary: An Impressive Historical Account
Review: Ambrose paints a vivid and dramatic picture of the events leading up to and the battle of Normandy. While many reviewers have been critical of his ommissions and "slant", it is important to remember that Ambrose pays homage to those who served in one of the greatest American battles in history. In fact, his greatest achievement in this work is that he lets the participants primarily speak for themselves. While he does frame and editorialize, it is the personal accounts of so many of the soliders themselves that give so much texture to this book. Ambrose painstaking recounts all of the various divisions, factions and politics that shaped the planning and execution of the Overlord campaign. If nothing else, he captures the gravity that Eisenhower had to grapple with in the years and months preceding the invasion. Ambrose is able to transfer to the reader the anxiety and uncertainty that all of the Allied commanders and soliders faced prior to the landing on Omaha, Utah, Gold and Sword beaches. While many reviewers have viewed Ambrose's work as biased to the point of hyperole, remember that his greatest accomplishment is the capturing of the accounts as seen through the eyes of the soliders who were actually there. By preserving these first hand reports and melding them in a cogent narrative, Ambrose does more than wave an American flag, that unfairly simplifies this work, he brings the grittiness and horrors of war to those who have never experienced a battle that changed the world.
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