Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful history of D-Day
Review: I found this book to be a real page turner. The stories of the men involved made it feel as if you were there on D-Day. Definitely recommended for anyone who wants to learn about D-Day.
Rating: 
Summary: SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT TO READ
Review: Mr. Ambrose did an excellent job interviewing veterans and including their harrowing stories, many of which were very touching and amazing. However, I had a hard time following the chronology and placing the battle geography. I understand that maps and photos increase the cost of a book, but there were too many references to towns and roads that I couldn't place, and it soon all became meaningless. The landing was detailed just as the movie "In Search of Private Ryan" depicted.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad History
Review: This terrible book's problems begin with its title
and don't get a bit better.For the reviewer who cannot understand how anyone could flunk this book, it is called KNOWLEDGE and OBJECTIVITY. The book is flawed in its understanding of troops involved (of ALL nations), their training, motivation, experience levels. It is flawed in what so many others have pointed out as ethnocentricity....the author just cannot stand it that there were other, non-American participants in this action. It IS a decent collection of first-person accounts from American soldiers, but beyond that it is ... as factual history. The reviewer who bought this after seeing "Private Ryan"....I think it is wonderful that someone is motivated, for any reason, to pick up history books....not enough of that in the USA today...but please realize that, for the most part, both the movie and this book are largely fiction. Well, cold and unfeeling as it may be, at least this guy can no longer write trash like this any longer.
Rating:
Summary: Biased and jingoistic...
Review: ...All non-American combatants are ripped apart by Ambrose's pen, while the American GI is elevated to mythical heights. Nevermind the fact the British and Canadians stormed three of the five invasion beaches. Their contribution is glossed over as a near afterthought, while the bulk of the text centers on Omaha. ... It was Britain's refusal to give in and instead stand firm against the Nazi onslaught throughout 1940 and 1941 that ensured the future liberation of Europe. The British people endured six years of air raids and rocket attacks. To call them "gutless" is an insult of the most tasteless kind. He bad-mouths the British effort to take Caen, not once mentioning they faced the majority of German Panzers in Normandy (including Panzer veterans of the Eastern Front) at the time. He states the German soldier was inferior to the American GI in every way. He completely ignores the fact that by the time the Western Allies landed on French soil, the cream of the German armed forces had been decimated in Russia. Page after page he spews John Wayne-type bravado that does nothing to enhance any true understanding of Operation Overlord. ...
Rating:
Summary: The art of brilliant story telling
Review: This book proves that Stephen Ambrose is a brilliant story teller. What's so amazing about "D-Day" is despite the fact that readers know how the story comes out (I hope I'm not giving too much away by saying: we win!), he keeps them on the edge of their seats. One of the best books I've ever read about WWII (and folks, I've read a lot of 'em).
Rating: 
Summary: Overwhelming and Fascinating
Review: With my interest in the D-Day invasion peaked, after seeing the wonderful film "Saving Private Ryan," I purchased Mr. Ambrose's account of that incredible day. As a Gen-Xer, I grew up with a view of war as a fundamentally evil thing created by those who had allowed their arrogance and righteousness to lead to a tragic mistake in Vietnam. Mr. Ambrose, while often criticized for it, educated me on the heroic cause and accomplishment that was D-Day. I now have a new found understanding of the true power and capacity that a free people possess. I can also fully appreciate the commitment of those who fought to defend our democracy. Having said that, I found D-Day both fascintating and overwhelming. The complexity and size of the D-Day operation was mind boggling. The individual sacrifice was inspiring. However, reading it in this account was, at times, difficult. Ambrose valiantly describes a multitude of simultaneous events. The airborne missions, the points of attack on each of the beaches, the air support, and the bombardment of the beachhead by the Navy could each make up a single book on the day. To comprehend it in one account can be a challenge to the reader. In the end, D-Day is still a marvelous book that, if the reader is patient, will expand their understanding and appreciation for a turning point in American History.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book on the Biggest Battle!
Review: I can't believe their are people who would actually give this book anything less than 4 stars. I first found out about this book when I was doing research on the Allied invasion of Europe in WWII. I had written a paper on the Allied strategy used for the invasion in an advanced history course in college. I recieved the paper back with a B grade. My professor wrote a little note one the back of the paper telling me that I could have gotten an A on the paper if I would have included Stephen Ambrose's D-Day as part of my research. I used 20 different books for this paper, but D-Day alone is a more valuable resource on this topic. For those who like to criticize Ambrose for not mentioning the British or the Canadians enough, well they must realize that the Americans did play a larger role in the invasion than Great Britain, Canada, and the other Allied countries involved. That's just fact. However, I feel that Ambrose is very fair at mentioning the role the Canadians and British played. Five chapters from the book are completely about the role the British and Canadians played on June 6, 1944, and there are at least ten other chapters that tell of the interaction between the Allied Armies, from the commanders to the planning to the training to the execution of the plans. To the reviewer who thinks Ambrose is anti-British, did you read a book on D-Day, or the War of 1812? Yes, Ambrose criticizes General Montgomery, but what historian hasn't. Ambrose clearly tries to point out that the British and the Canadians were very important in the invasion. Ambrose showed the importance of the "mulberries" and "Hobart's Funnies" (which he pointed out that the Americans should have used after the British used them with such success). He also points out the importance of the British Airborne troops who took Pegasus Bridge, in fact he has written a whole book on this subject. That doesn't sound very anti-British to me. Anyway, the book is fascinating and clearly points out the hardships faced by Allied soldiers on the Normandy beaches from none other than the personal accounts of those who witnessed them.
Rating:
Summary: Ambrose a serious historian? HAHA!!!
Review: ...This guy started out okay with "Band of Brothers" years back but tried to cash in on the 50th anniversary of WW2 (and the interest generated by same) a little too easily. Not well researched at all, this is an interesting collection of personal vignettes, but nothing more. That in itself would be tolerable (though better titled "Brief Personal Vignettes of Americans on D-Day"). But this 'author' spins so many fables it becomes embarrassing to carry a US passport!! What an ethnocentrist!! I'm no big fan of the UK or anything, and I do not consider operations of UK ground forces in the ETO to have been outstanding in many areas....but this guy might as well say that only Americans made a difference...he practically states that the Brits were dead weight around the allied war effort's neck (wonder how he feels about the Soviets??!!!??). As for the Germans. Okay they were the enemy and they lost the war....two strikes against them. And the German military machine had a lot more flaws than many writers choose to dwell upon. BUT this author's understanding of Wehrmacht training, doctrine, etc. is practically nil.....maybe that too would be forgiven if he titled his book "A History of the US Forces in Normandy, But not of the Germans"...or maybe "This Book Would Be Thicker But I Have Chosen To Blow Off The Wehrmacht". So who was up on those bluffs, anyway, Stephen? As others have pointed out, Ambrose misses the landing craft on a lot of small details, but also on some really big ones; this is good fluff stuff for the casual reader, especially post 9/11 when everyone wants to wave the (US) flag but to anyone who wants to understand what went down in Normandy I would not recommend this book unless your car breaks down in the middle of a desert on a weekend and your only other companion choice would be Dr. Laura. As for being the 'climactic battle' of WW2......where does that come from (other than a marketing strategy)?? An aside.....when traveling in France we met an English couple and had dinner with them; they related a story they swore to be true, having happened to them only days before: They were visiting Utah beach and met an American woman who turned out to be a teacher (Junior High I think)....she had NO IDEA that UK troops, or Canadians, had fought on D-Day.....I wonder if Ambrose had been her professor???????????????
Rating:
Summary: Well Written But Biased
Review: Having now read three Stephen Ambrose books (Band of Brothers, Wild Blue & D Day), I can acknowledge that these are well written and accessible books. However, they are flawed by an unfortunate bias which makes them less credible. Every history book is likely to take the side of the country in which it is written; Ambrose is keen to promote the US case, but also seems to be very anti-British. Wild Blue explains that the Americans adopted precision bombing; whereas the British were guilty of "terror bombing". It conveniently ignores the Blitz on Britain by the Luftwaffe, or the American incendiary "Terror Bombing" of Japanese cities. D Day adopts a more Anti-British approach. The British were "too timid", suffering continual defeats until the arrival of the Americans. The British are accused of continually delaying the invasion of Europe. The shortages of landing craft and the need for an invasion victory at all costs are conveniently ignored as the main factors in delaying Overlord to 1944, but are then mentioned later without reference to the British. The Mulberry Harbours are only mentioned as a way to "keep the British on track", but provide ports on the European mainland, and free up landing craft from resupply to Op Dragoon. Numerous other slights are made throughout the book, with only grudging, and rare, compliments. I don't know what Ambroses' agenda actually is. Whilst you would expect an American to highlight their undoubted massive contribution to Victory in Europe, it seems strange to belittle the contribution of others. Is he too Pro-American, or simply Anti-British? A little bit more balance would make these books work so much better.
Rating:
Summary: Informative, To Informative
Review: I think that the title of this review says it all, it is informative. I have read other books by Stephen Ambrose like Band of Brothers, and The Wild Blue, and i must say that both of these while shorter, and focus on a smaller group, are overall a better book. Dont get me wrong, I would suggest this to anyone intrested in World War Two, But to the average reader, you may want to read some of his other books first. The first thing that Ambrose did was to add too many trivial things. I understand that small things make the big picture, but I dont need to know how many packs Eisenhower smoked a day. I think that he should get more in depth on the stories, whitch he dose, but later in the book. So in conclusion, if your a beginner of Ambrose books, looking for an intresting read on World War Two, I highly suggest Band of Brothers. But if your looking for an in depth view on the planning, of d-day then this book might be for you.
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