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

I've read several of Mr. Ambrose's books and they do what popular history needs to do in the best way possible. Without being didactic or overly academic and detailed, Mr. Ambrose conveys both the strategic and tactical objectives sought on D-Day, peppered throughout with excerpts from oral histories of those who were there to keep the reader involved on several levels.As a war history buff, I bounce between scholarly works and popular takes on any given subject in order to gain an overall narrative into which the deeper studies can then be fitted. I think Stephen Ambrose is an excellent source for such narratives, and this one I went through quickly and with great enthusiasm.Having visited Normandy just a month ago, it was a particular joy to actually be able to put place names in the book to those villages, bridges, and beaches I had visited.Well worth the time!

This is a big work about a long, critical history-making day. That day saved our civilization and altered the course of history. In the main, Ambrose did a “page-turner” job of telling it.Never mind for a moment that his own legacy is tainted by multiple claims of plagiarism in some of his many books. By reading this book and following along using satellite maps, the reader can really get a feel for the scope of this day in history.However, as the husband of a Canadian native and son-in-law of an RCNVR sailor on convoy duty, one short chapter devoted to Juno Beach and Canadian sacrifice seems limited. Lesser treatment, though a bit more, was given to British sacrifice.Ambrose was an American Southern professor who spent much of career in New Orleans, where the Higgins landing craft were invented and built. He was a big reason, I believe, for the National D-Day Museum being sited in that city. So perhaps his American-centric viewpoint isn’t surprising.I learned a lot from this book, but I’ll be looking for other viewpoints to broaden my understanding.

I first read this book 20 years ago when it first came out. It gripped me to the core. I would read 100 pages a day and not want to put it down. It gripped me the same now as it did then. This is an amazingly detailed view of the Allied buildup, training, crossing, and landing on the Normandy beaches. The detail of the Omaha Beach landings is the most prevalent part of the book, told from the perspective of the grunts who did the fighting. This is definitely focused on Omhah Beach, but there is plenty of good information on the other four beaches as well as the Airborne operations. Excellent reading. Put this in your library, you will not be disappointed.

I work for the airlines so was able to hop on a flight to Paris, drive four hours to Normandy all with Ambrose's book in tow. Started at Utah Beach and worked my way down the coast. His book was my bible and brought everything to life. Accurate to a "T." It brought that harrowing invasion to a new found realization. A 'must read' for anyone who ever plans to go there. His stories, coupled with historic markers, museums and displays made an indelible and lasting memory of a trip of a lifetime. What a memorial to those who were there, and a reminder to those of us living.

It is a long book (583 pages); however, it's worth the effort. I read it in preparation for a trip to Normandy in the fall. Generally, I'm aware of what happened on D day; however, I was unaware of the details. This book filled in all the gaps. It gives a good description of everything from Utah Beach on the right flank to Sword beach on the left.As with his other books, Ambrose provides a good description of the big picture, I.e., the strategic view as well as what is going on at the foxhole level. This book helps the reader get at least a hint of what was going on during that momentous day. We sometimes lose sight of the fact that events like this are made up of the thousands of actions of individuals. The author helps us see that and see how it all fits together. For anyone who truly wants to understand what happened on D day, there is no better source than this book!

Ambrose is great at focusing in on first person accounts that are right in the thick of the action, and then he pulls back and focuses on the big picture of planning and staging the largest amphibious invasion in human history. He moves back and forth between these two micro and macro perspectives, without staying too long, and getting bogged down on either one. He's a very good, very readable historical writer. I would recommend this to people who want a thorough telling of this battle. If you're looking for more of a summation, this might be too much book for you. For me it was perfect!

The author extensively researched thousands of interviews to come up with a first person narrative on D Day. He systematically looks at the battle from all perspectives (Allies, German and civilian,) including an account of each of the 5 landing beaches Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword, Gold and the pre dawn paratroop drops that went so badly. It is a compelling book to read and gives insight to one of the greatest events in human history. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in World War II history. The book ris a study in perseverance, determination and the will to overcome whatever obstacle that one may face.

The chapter on naval operations sums up this book. The actions of each American warship is described almost shell by shell. This is followed by the statement - there was also a heavy bombardment of the British beaches. The vast majority of warships on D Day were RN.

A really detailed book on D-Day

Really good read. It was a starter point for me to source other books that documented the action of British Forces (in particular 9th Battalion Parachute Regiment) on D-Day and The Battle for The Roer Triangle during the Ardennes Offensive.

The book follows the mainly American soldiers on D Day, well written with lots of experiences related.

Good book if into WW2 historyFound it a bit long going in places