Rating: 
Summary: Garbage written by an ethnocentric egomaniac
Review: Ambrose's book "D-Day..." is very possibly the worst on this topic I have ever read. I have noted other reviewers state that "Americans will love this book"; THIS American DOES NOT. The author belittles just about everyone involved, unless they were born here. The Brits were slow and silly, the Canadians just slow, and the Germans....well they may well have not shown up at all! Without doubt, the courage of US troops on the beaches and w/ the airborne was incredible. BUT....he fails to indicate any examples (unless I missed one) of any GI failing to do his assigned duty, a bit difficult to believe in an operation involving tens of thousands. Not only that, but he indicates that the democratic principles and background made them (especially the Americans) better fighters than their opponents. That's a silly notion. Did not Churchill wonder just a couple years before if the Sons Of Democracy were really up to beating the Sons Of Authoritarianism? (of course, I guess he was referring just to Brits, who Ambrose obviously feels were practically useless allies).One can no longer turn on a TV set without hearing this author, our nation's 'finest' WW2 historian, repeating the same fallacies, propaganda, and plain old lies that he writes in this book. Obviously the self-appointed spokesman for America's Greatest Generation, it would be nice if he learned about little things such as tactical and operational doctrines of the combattant powers, military hardware, orders of battle, etc. But I suppose that might make his 'fluff' history (or his 'understanding' of it) too difficult. Conclusion: Buy the book....and line your cat box with it!!!
Rating:
Summary: D-Day June 6 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War Two
Review: What did I find wrong with this volume? Let me count the ways!
This author gets many of his facts incorrect and makes statements that are pure fantasy. Here are only a couple: 1) The only US divisions committed to the Normandy order-of-battle with previous battle experience were the 1st and 82nd. This ignores the highly-veteran 9th Infantry Division and the 2nd Armored as well.
2) The British Army forces assigned to the campaign were "battle-Weary".Wrong. Some of the units involved had not seen action since 1940, while others had fought in the Western Desert but had many fresh officers and men.]
3) Had the young junior officers on Omaha beach been German and not American, they never would have possessed the personal initiative and decision-making abilities to extricate their troops from a bad situation. Wrong again. No officers of any combatant nation of WW2 had better training in these very areas than the Germans. Although products of an authoritarian state, this had no impact upon their abilities to 'think on their feet'; this was proven again and again when even in the very last days of the fighting, German officers and NCOs often demonstrated tactical and operational excellance well beyond that of many Allied counterparts (and I am NO Germanophile). Finally, the title: 'The Climactic Battle of WW2"; taking nothing away from the efforts of the men who made such an incredible contribution to Allied victory, to state that D-Day was more "climactic" than Stalingrad, or Operation Bagration,is absurd. I cannot recommend this volume to any serious historian.
Rating: 
Summary: Great
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very detailed, very interesting and a rather quick read. The wealth of information is staggering as are the personnal accounts of that day. Recollections by veterans are priceless. A sobering reminder of the price of freedom, a price we will be called upon to pay from time to time...
Rating:
Summary: This is a wonderful historic novel! Read it!
Review: Stephen E. Ambrose contributes a vast amount of knowledge involving the
accounts and experiences concerning one of the world's most memorable
battles. Ambrose provides facts referring to the planning and preparing up
to the point of the end of D-Day. He informs his readers of the invasion
plans for the Ally troops and of the defense tactics of German soldiers.
Ambrose draws his readers' interest by sharing interviews of personal
encounters and of the downfall in preparation of men and equipment
during this warfare. Stephen E. Ambrose reveals how the Allied soldiers passed the test
when it came to planning and preparing, training, and invading Normandy
on June 6, 1944 so that democracy would prevail over totalitarianism. The
masterminds had to come up with a perceptive plan that would be effective
in surpassing the enemy. The Allies put a huge emphasis on training, while
the Germans focused on obstacles for the attackers. The invasion would
begin by cracking of the Atlantic Wall by the pathfinders over Normandy in
the night air. The planning and preparing of D-Day would be one of the most
critical assets of the war. As stated in the book, General Eisenhower said,
"Before the battle is joined, plans are everything." The officers would be
planning this war as a victory without alternatives. The Germans would not
be able to plan, for they did not know when and where the Allied forces
would attack. They only had the choice of preparing. The Allies would have
to plan around the obstacles placed in their paths. The defenders wanted
an Ally soldier wounded before he got to the shingle. If he was not
wounded, made powerless by fear. In spite of insufficient supplies, the German Battalion could have
been made more mobile through training. Rommel, the German
commander, stressed to his men to build obstacles for the Allied troops.
As quoted in the book, Rommel ordered, "I hereby forbid all training, and
demand that every minute be used for work on the beach obstacles. It is on
the beaches that the fate of the invasion will be decided, and what is more,
during the first hours." The Allied forces knew that the Overlord project
would fail if the assault platoon did not push forward. The Allied troops
would undergo training camps in which they would learn weapon training,
physical conditioning, familiarizing with numerous landing craft, and
combat exercises. On the early morning of June 6, 1944, the Germans were overtaken
by surprise. The Allied troops would take advantage of the hours of
darkness and try to seize the key points and objectives. The purpose of the
flying divisions were to upset and bewilder the Germans so as to prevent a
centralized counterattack against the soldiers at sea. The attack at land
would follow. By the end of D-Day, the Allied troops had taken prisoners,
advanced boldly, and were waiting for counterattacks. Stephen E. Ambrose allows his readers to visualize the situations
that both Allied and German forces underwent during combat. One's
opinion of D-Day might be shaped differently after reading this book.
Ambrose acknowledges the actions of the soldiers who fought on June 6,
1944 to preserve our freedom. After reading this book, one may truly ask,
"When can their glory fade?"
Rating:
Summary: Compelling account of a momentous day
Review: Stephen Ambrose's "D-Day" is a gripping account of one of the most exciting days in modern history. He weaves together thousands of first-hand accounts of the action on that momentous day into a comprehensive and compelling read. After setting the scene of the planning and preparation, he traces the action of all the myriad forces involved - paratroopers, bombers, naval crews of all sizes and the invading infantry - on each of the five invasion beaches. The book includes helpful charts and maps of both the original objectives and the actual action. The individual stories powerfully convey the emotions and challenges faced by the troops. The majority of the book focuses on the American forces, but the Canadians and British forces are adequately addressed. Ambrose does a wonderful job of explaining the military strategy and technical details without compromising the momentum of the story. All in all, an exciting and highly readable account of a pivotal historical event.
Rating:
Summary: A great way to appreciate the cost of war
Review: ... I started reading this after having read Undaunted Courage, I had actually purchased it at a used bookstore several years ago hoping to read it at Yellowstone, but never got around to it. See my general comments in the review of that book regarding Ambrose and his style of writing, they apply to this work as well. World War II is a subject that Ambrose knows well. His "big break" came as a biographer for General Eisenhower, the supreme commander of allied forces at D-Day. Ambrose was also the technical consultant for Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. Rich anecdotal evidence and a tapestry of understanding place you squarely in the action. The long preparation's, the tedious and detailed planning. The drawn out anticipation of the day. Finally the culmination is the detailed commencement of the attack: division by division: 1st and 29th, 82nd and 101st, beach by beach: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword, branch by branch: Air Force, Navy, Army and country by country, America, Britan, Canada. Once again the stark revelatory insights make the the history memorable Men sinking under the weight of their own equipment as they hit the waters. Infantry making their own way to the bluffs and up the cliffs with very little organized direction and few appointed leaders, but many men of the hour. The endless flotilla of landing craft. The destructive power of the "big guns", the US Navy's 14 inch gun's and the German's 88s (millimeters). Highly recommenced as an appreciative understanding of the human cost of war and the force of organization.
Rating:
Summary: A moving and gripping tribute to thousands
Review: I purchased this book during the school year. I usually try to do most of my "fun" reading during my breaks and during the summer. I made the "mistake" of reading the preface when I brought it home. I was hooked. Mr. Ambrose hooks the reader with poignant stories of the individuals who sacrificed their lives in the wee hours of the day. This book humanizes several interesting aspects of that day, that year, that war. Mr. Ambrose reveals the ineptitude of the Nazis by simply reporting their movements prior to the attack. He tells this story through the thousands of voices who participated. He certainly does not sugarcoat the realities, however, he does not shy away from the realities of strangers fighting strangers in a strange land. I was particularly touched by the allied soldier who faced the enemy in a hedgerow. Face to face, they stared at each other, long enough to realize that they were just kids who would be two more wasted lives. Both turned and walked away. On June 6th of every school year, I interrupt my scheduled lesson and read the excerpts to my 10th graders in our world history class. When I read, they are transfixed, much like I was. It is not unusual for my tears to brim, as I read. It is not unusual for their eyes to brim as well. Often, they know I am the only one who sees how they are affected by the words conveyed by the vets and written by Mr. Ambrose.
Rating: 
Summary: Read this book!
Review: I'm not sure what the grumbling is about Ambrose's objectivity concerning American v British troops. Frankly, I knew that this book was written from the American Point of view so it didnt bother me. And its impossible for an historian to not be a little slanted in his view. I would think that if a writer were to write from more then one perspective it would make the book too bulky and unwieldy. Amborse does not glorify the American Soldier too much. He goes out of his way to say that oftentimes the German Soldiers the GIs faced were not thier equal because of conscription, the two front war, etc. The more important point that Ambrose makes is that the German command structure was the main reason for the German failure. A wonderful book, very comprehensive. I've found that it has wheted my appitite for more specific themes and books, such as his Band of Brothers. It is true that it can at time overwhelm a reader with facts. It would serve a reader well to only read a couple chapters at a time and even purchase an Atlas of World War II so that you can use the maps to piece together the story. You will be the better for reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Why the hype?
Review: Professor Ambrose writes history by anecdote. While he is a master at recounting the first-hand experiences of the men who were there, his analysis of historical fact is poor. Many reviewers on this site seem to take offense to some of the criticisms others have dished out towards this work. It is true: Ambrose's pride in America results in smeared objectivity. Yes, the British were slow to advance in some places. On the flip side of that coin, US forces suffered a dissertion rate of 10 percent on the frontline. (Read Mark Arnold-Foster's updated edition of The World at War). None of the Western Allies were without their flaws. To call any of the men who stormed the beaches that June morning 'gutless' is a disgrace--American or British--especially when coming from a man considered this country's top WWII historian. There are many excellent reads on D-Day that cover the matter in an objective manner and include all the participants who fought that day. Try John Keegan's astounding 'Six Armies in Normandy' or Carlos D'Este's 'Decision in Normandy.' ... Then compare them to Ambrose's work.
Rating:
Summary: Patriotic Overkill
Review: While I'm proud to be an American, Ambrose's triumphalist approach to history is annoying at best. He lets his love of country and admiration for Eisenhower get in the way of objectivity. He smears all non-American participants, while elevating the American GI to mythical heights. Some of his comments regarding the British are out of line. We should all remember that Britain stood alone against the Nazi onslaught for two years. Their refusal to give in ensured the future liberation of Europe. To treat them as anything less than warriors is a grave disservice. He claims the Germans were 'soundly whipped' whenever American troops went up against the Wehrmact. He then points out the Battle of the Bulge (the Ardennes Offensive) as an example. Nevermind the Germans had no aircover, had over-stretched supply lines, had meager fuel supplies and were using second-rate troops. Regardless of what Ambrose says, the troops faced by the Western Allies were not Germany's elite. They were all wiped out on the Eastern Front. His claims about British surrendering are absurd ('many German sources). He quotes one official document and cites 'many German sources.' He doesn't mention the British faced the vast majority of tanks in Normandy during their attack on Caen. ...
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