D-Day : June 6, 1944 -- The Climactic Battle of WWII

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Summary: In the heat of Battle
Review: I'm a college student and for pleasure the only book that I requested sent down by my parents was D-Day June 6, 1944. It is probably my favorite book of all time, which beats out Good Night Moon. I am reading it now for the third time because every time you read it over you pick up on something else. You pick up more of the terror of war. You pick up more of the scared fealing that the paratroopers must felt as they fell right into the german muzzles. You picked up on the sensation of of being right next to a budy who just got his head blown off. One word for this book, INTENSE.

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Summary: Captivating book for anyone interested in WWII
Review: This was actualy my first stephen Ambros book, and man am i happy i read it. I found myself reading this book often for hours straight because every line was so vividly detailed and captivating. I actualy finished this 600 page book in a little less then 2 weeks. This is great because most books dont interest me and take at least a month to finish because i just dont feel like reading them. From the first day of planning until the last event of D-day this book will tell you everythign that went on. Highly recomended for anyone who is interested in the normandy landings or even WWII overall.

Rating:
Summary: Climactic ? Really ?
Review: I would have given this book 4 out of 5 if not for the author's desire to give Western Front more than it deserves. Climactic battle ? Most important day of the XX century ? Please. War was decided in steppes around Kursk and around Stalingrad. Invasion of Normandy was a last nail in Hitler's coffin but there is no way it changed the course of the war. Books like these promulgate the miopic views expressed by some of the reviewers: "of the war in Europe rode on an Allied victory in France", " the battle that would turn the tide of World War II", and etc. I understand that we all want to honour the sacrifices that were made during the war, but remembering that 4 out of 5 German soldiers were killed in the Eastern front, I cannot comprehend such sentiments.

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Summary: It takes you in, wave after wave!
Review: I must admit. Before Abrose's oral history, I had largely rendered D-Day to my early childhood years of "playing Army" in my backyard. I am a professor of sociology and I read mainly highly theoretical (jargon-ridden?) interpretations of events--both contemporary and historical. Yet, to read Ambrose's book and the multiple voices of the Vets of the event, brings one right into the waves and the horror and confusion. The movie, Private Ryan, while graphic and moving, does not come close to capturing the "reality effects" of Ambrose's writing. His command of oral sources and their use in narrative is remarkable. I have since read most of his other WWII books and I'm going down to the bookstore for his new release of Wild Blue. I am sure that my political stance is left of Stephen Ambrose's, but I'd like to thank him for making me feel patriotic again. And I would like to thank all of those men that died, and those still living, for giving me the opportunity to realize my dreams and to take a stance, right or left. And thank you Dr. Ambrose.

Rating:
Summary: Another from the best
Review: Just like a Jimmy Buffett album, Ambrose doesn't know how to do a bad one.

Rating:
Summary: D=Definitive
Review: If you are interested in what D-Day was really all about, why the allies won this decisive battle, and how the Germans lost it, this wonderful work by Ambrose is the definitive book on the subject. Ambrose's major insight is one I hope this country never loses sight of - the battle of the Atlantic Wall was won by junior officers in the field who stepped up and made decisions when their superiors went down. The fact that these boys (and most were boys) in itself emphasized a basic difference between a totalitarian state, in which no one could make a move without approval from their superiors, and our democracy, where the opposite was the case. Ambrose believes strongly that it was our democracy - our form of government - that created the culture that allowed this to happen, thereby laying the foundation for our victory in this decisive battle. Our massive bureaucracy of today would be well advised to recall this virtue. (It seems as though these days no one can make a decision in government without approval from Washington). Besides being a wonderful history of the event, this book is a great traveling companion for anyone planning a visit to Normandy.

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Summary: Captivating book... but a little too American
Review: The book gives quite a detailed account of the preparation for D-Day and of the battle itself. Particularly well documented are the personal accounts that Ambrose has spread throughout the book.
Sadly however, it is written with an extremely American bias. It is a shame that Ambrose discounts the impact that the British, Canadians and others had during the invasion by glossing over their contribution during the final chapters. It seems as though Ambrose pushes for the case that the American's were not only the deciding factor - which I and most others can agree to - but the only factor in the outcome of the invasion.

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Summary: D-Day, The Climactic Battle of World War II
Review: For anyone interested in getting real insight as to what it took to successfully invade France during WW2, this is the book. Ambrose takes all necessary attention to explaining the massive preparation that made invasion possible. While he misses none of the political and logistical points, he also manages to bring the reader on board the Higgens boats, C-17s, and gliders. The tension of those moments fills the reader. Ambrose never loses the notion that each man who fell had a life and wanted to keep it. A wonderful book. I have given four copies to friends as gifts. Three never before read historical non-fiction. All four have continued on to buy other books by this gifted writer.

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Summary: A Detailed Account of D-Day
Review: I am an avid reader of military history. I mainly concentrate on the WWII Pacific Campaign. I am planning a trip to Normandy and thought that I would get schooled up by reading Ambrose's D-DAY. Overall, I thought that the book was excellent. There are a few tips that I have for readers. First off when you buy this book be aware that it is very detailed -which is good if you want a play by play of the initial D-day landing. But if you are just looking for an overall summery you may want to find a book that is less detailed. Another piece of advice that I have is to make a photocopy of all the maps to have on hand while you read the book. Ambrose gives some very informative and worthwhile maps in his book. By copying them you can have them beside you if you need to refer back to them -it will save you some time rather having to flip back through the book. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants a more detailed look at D-DAY rather than just an overview.

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Summary: Please don't bash us
Review: It's really great that so many outside of the usa choose to review this book to bash us Americans. Well, Steven Ambrose is an American and is writing for presumably an American audience. I think that I read this book just after or before I saw "Saving Private Ryan". Of course, it totally illuminates the first sequence on the Normandy invasion in that movie. The book really brings home the emotional toll that was inflicted on the healthy survivors of the battle. I am a fan of military history, and to me it is very interesting that very little is ever written about PTSS (post traumatic stress syndrome) in World War II american veterans. I guess the vets who came home alive felt that nobody wanted to hear about their combat experiences so they kept it all to themselves. It has just been recently with so many WW II vets passing away that many of them have started to discuss their experiences with curious family members. (What happened to you during the war, daddy?) I suspect that most of the experiences would be similar to ones described in this book rather than the experiences portrayed in movies like "Sands of Iwo Jima"