Best books on D-Day and the Normandy Campaign?

ordered d-day landings

gd reviews

 

I have got the D-Day Experience, Richard Holmes & IWM. Sort of a interactive exhibition for the home! loads of really interesting facsimilie stuff, plus the usual photos, stories, maps etc. Is a really easy dip and and out and I think it would easily get others interested if you just happened to leave it lying about on the coffee table!

ISBN 0740745093



I have also got a proof of 'The Boys Crusade', an account of the Americans in Europe buy a GI severely wounded in 1945. Covers the fact the Americans were not prepared militarily or psychologically for the realities of this war and devastating examples of friendly fire, fiascos etc. This sounds really good and I think will be my next read as its quite small in comparison with other tomes!

ISBN 0297646931



Ryan

 

Fussell is a controversial figure whose previous works on World Wars One and Two have come under heavy fire from figures as diverse as John Terraine and George MacDonald Fraser (in his classic war memoir about Burma 'Quartered Safe Out Here'). He tends to go against the 'greatest generation' interpretation of World War II which has taken hold in America since 'Band of Brothers' and similar works appeared in the 1990's.

 

Originally posted by Mark Hone@May 5 2004, 07:24 AM
Fussell is a controversial figure whose previous works on World Wars One and Two have come under heavy fire from figures as diverse as John Terraine and George MacDonald Fraser (in his classic war memoir about Burma 'Quartered Safe Out Here'). He tends to go against the 'greatest generation' interpretation of World War II which has taken hold in America since 'Band of Brothers' and similar works appeared in the 1990's.
Thanks - Sounds all the more interesting Mark!!!

 

Originally posted by Lee Wisener@Apr 20 2004, 10:27 PM
Just got this:

2. Decision in Normandy - Carlo D'Este

Just need the time to read it.
This is an example of a book which has remained in print and available, but which I have not seen in the bookshops since I bought my copy in 1994. I see it is back now, so snap it up.

Montgomery in particular does not emerge from this book unscathed, but it is the best critique of the direction of the Normandy campaign I have seen and an essential read for anyone who really wants to understand the issues at stake.

 

Originally posted by angie999+May 7 2004, 11:17 AM-->(angie999 @ May 7 2004, 11:17 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-Lee Wisener@Apr 20 2004, 10:27 PM
Just got this:

2. Decision in Normandy - Carlo D'Este

Montgomery in particular does not emerge from this book unscathed, but it is the best critique of the direction of the Normandy campaign I have seen and an essential read for anyone who really wants to understand the issues at stake. [/b]I agree with this. D'Este gives Major Gen Belchem's Victory in Normandy a hammering for being far too supportive of Monty over Monty's intentions to capture Caen/subsequent failure/Goodwood etc. Belchem was Montys Chief Of Staff so this is perhaps not surprising. However, D'Este shows how Monty did go out of his way to distort things after the war to try to give the impression that everything in Normandy had turned out as planned.

D'Este's strikes me as being a very fair and balanced book - giving credit to Monty where it is due, but also not being shy of criticising him where he deserves it. I find him fair on the Americans too - e.g. criticising them for mistakes made at Omaha, but rightly applauding the breakout.

Max Hastings Overlord is excellent - coming in at a lower level (in the political/strategic sense) than D'Este. Hastings is better on the things that mattered most to the front line soldier (e.g. weaknesses in allied tank design, absence of APCs etc)

General WGF Jackson's 'Overlord': Normandy 1944 is also excellent on the strategic decision making that led to D-Day e.g. the British favoured Mediterranean strategy vs the US favoured Overlord and Anvil/Dragoon strategy.

I've just picked up Charles Messengers The D-Day Atlas which is a useful reference book. It is good to have all the maps in one place.

 

I have just started Juno Beach, part of the Battlezone Normandy Series from Sutton.



First class is all I can say - I shall be arming myself with this in June...(along with the rest of the series). I think this echoes Paul Reed's sentiments of an earlier title in the series...

I also intend to read D-Day by Martin Gilbert before I go ISBN 0471423408



Ryan

 

There's also a 2 book set by the authors of the Then and Now series of magazines and is an excellent investment if available. Might be a bit pricey but IMHO worh it.

 

Originally posted by 292956@May 11 2004, 05:55 PM
There's also a 2 book set by the authors of the Then and Now series of magazines and is an excellent investment if available. Might be a bit pricey but IMHO worh it.
One for xmas! its about £70 new - could try S/H market tho'

Ryan

 

What are the opinions on 'FIGHTING THEM ON THE BEACHES - The D-Day Landings June 6,1944' by Nigel Cawthorne.

It has been re-released as a 60th Anniversary edition 'D-DAY, DAWN OF HEROES'

Contemporary release and interested in the reviews from readers.

spider

 

A new book shortly to be released is D-day Bombers: The Veterans' Story: RAF Bomber Command and US Eighth Airforce Support to the Normandy Invasion 1944 by Stephen Darlow (Grub Street, £20).

I have a copy on order from Amazon (cheaper from them) and will be happy to post a short review when I have read it.

 

I have just added some D-Day book pages to my website covering a few established but mainly new & forthcoming titles.

Enter via the book section or D-Day 60th page.

Ryan

 

In 1998 I inherited, from my grandfather, a copy of Normandy to the Baltic by F.M. Montgomery.
It was written in 1946 and it has it's full compliment of 46 maps and 3 diagrams (stored in pockets on the inside of the front and back covers).

WWII is totally new to me (although I dabbled over 20 years ago) so I don't know if this book is a good reference book or just an attempt by Monty to get his story down on paper before anyone can do likewise; any comments?

 

Originally posted by Lee@May 29 2004, 08:40 AM
In 1998 I inherited, from my grandfather, a copy of Normandy to the Baltic by F.M. Montgomery.
It was written in 1946 and it has it's full compliment of 46 maps and 3 diagrams (stored in pockets on the inside of the front and back covers).

WWII is totally new to me (although I dabbled over 20 years ago) so I don't know if this book is a good reference book or just an attempt by Monty to get his story down on paper before anyone can do likewise; any comments?
Definitely Monty's version, but certainly worth reading if you want to understand some of the points historians are making about him in other books.

The earliest version of the Monty line was published as a supplement to the London Gazette on 3 September 1946 and is entitled "Operations in North-West Europe from 6th June 1944, to 5th May 1945". It was originally submitted by Montgomery to the Secretary of State for War as a despatch on 1 June 1946. It was republished by HMSO as a facsimile edition in 1994 and may still be in print. It only runs to 21 pages, but it sets out the line quite clearly.

 

Angie999 - Many thanks for that. I had a sneaking suspicion that it Monty's attempt to get his own version of what happened published ASAP.

Running the risk of highjacking this thread slightly, are there any books covering the British attack on D-Day and the Battle of Arnhem that just tell it as it was without the author taking sides?

 

You could try 'Battle Zone Normandy Series' - couples history, orders of battle and tours in one.

Gold Beach - 075093011X
Sword Beach - 0750930195
Orne Bridgehead - 0750930098

Then I would recommend 'To The Victor, The Spoils' by Sean Longden.

"D-Day to VE Day, the reality behind the heroism: Covers the reality of life for the soldiers of Monty's 21st Army Group following D-Day". 1844370380

I only got it yesterday but a quick flick through and its looks quite an eye opener.

Ryan

 

Ryan - You're as good here as you are on the GWF, many thanks mate

 

This morning, May 30th, in the "Culture" section of the "Sunday Times" is an item called "The greatest of gambles"

"In advance of next week's 60th anniversary of D-Day, John Crossland selects the best accounts of the Allied invasion of Europe."

 

This is online from the Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/secondworldwar/d...1216111,00.html

 

Originally posted by Lee@May 29 2004, 11:14 AM
Angie999 - Many thanks for that. I had a sneaking suspicion that it Monty's attempt to get his own version of what happened published ASAP.

Running the risk of highjacking this thread slightly, are there any books covering the British attack on D-Day and the Battle of Arnhem that just tell it as it was without the author taking sides?
If I had to choose one book for each covering the events, they would be:

Hastings, Max: Overlord, which covers the whole Normandy campaign and includes US operations, without which the story would be incomplete. Not sure who published the edition currently in the shops, but it is readily available. Hastings has the advantage of being a good writer, not something you can say about all historians.

Middlebrook, Martin: Arnhem 1944, (1994), published in paperback by Penguin, 1995. This does not cover the whole of Operation Market Garden in any detail, but is extremely detailed on the British 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem.