On June 6, 1944, American and British troops staged the greatest amphibious landing in history to begin Operation Overlord, the battle to liberate ...
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reviews
Dec 02, 2008
Rod
rated it: 
Another outstanding work by Hastings on a WWII campaign, which in this case includes the Normandy invasion through the Breakout, approx. Jan-Aug 1944.
As always the author is extremely detailed. This is particularly valuable when he compares and contrasts opposing weapons (more below). It does become a little wearisome to follow as, it seems, every battalion-level or below action during the campaign is described. But this is only a minor complaint.
Hastings maintains tha More...
As always the author is extremely detailed. This is particularly valuable when he compares and contrasts opposing weapons (more below). It does become a little wearisome to follow as, it seems, every battalion-level or below action during the campaign is described. But this is only a minor complaint.
Hastings maintains tha More...
Mar 01, 2009
Steve
rated it: 
A good battle book. What distinguishes Hastings’ book from some earlier efforts is his unwavering insistence that the German army was the best army on the field. He doesn’t dismiss the American, British, and Canadian forces, but simply sees them for what they were: conscript armies from western democracies with huge advantages in supplies and air power. This emphasis blunts some of the criticism of Montgomery, and implicitly suggests, pomposity aside, that for the most part Montgomery made t
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Jun 18, 2010
Andy
rated it:
Another excellent book from Max Hastings. He spares no punches in detailing the weaknesses of the allied armies, and how they still succeeded in spite of them. Issues he addresses include command, the willingness to take casualties to achieve objectives, and training and preparation of the individual soldier. In particular, he details the inability to of the allied armies to "go for the kill", even when they had the advantage. However, he also details how we succeeded and the stren
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Nov 13, 2009
David
rated it:
This is a fantastic account of the invasion of Normandy that, unlike some other accounts, does not skimp on the contributions of the Allied forces and includes first-person commentary from the German side.
I find a lot of high-level WWII books to be heavy on the strategy, filled with lots of bewildering maps of infantry and tank movements. Hastings' account made me consider angles of the battle (hedges, tank technology, high level strategy and politics) that I hadn't quite grasped bef More...
I find a lot of high-level WWII books to be heavy on the strategy, filled with lots of bewildering maps of infantry and tank movements. Hastings' account made me consider angles of the battle (hedges, tank technology, high level strategy and politics) that I hadn't quite grasped bef More...
Dec 23, 2010
Robert
rated it: 
How can you make D-Day boring? Ask Max. Tedious detail without the strategic or moral imperatives makes for sleepy reading. This book would appeal more to military historians than to readers looking for the human angle.
Jun 01, 2010
Nathan
rated it: 
All the raw material is in place for an illuminating study of D-Day. Hastings has assembled an interesting and impressive body of knowledge, much of which I was not privy to. For instance, he includes an analysis of the aerial situation prior to and during D-Day, and goes over specific weapon types used by both sides.
This detail feels oddly misplaced, however, because the broader narrative is so vague and confusing. Told in a stiff, starchy style, the story of D-Day itself is nearly lost More...
This detail feels oddly misplaced, however, because the broader narrative is so vague and confusing. Told in a stiff, starchy style, the story of D-Day itself is nearly lost More...
Oct 24, 2008
John
rated it:
A very well researched book that is full of detail and opinion. Max Hastings, as usual, tries to be thorough, and succeeds.
He does, however, have the tendency to be very dry and could lose those with only a passing interest to the subject.
It is an excellent reference book, but many of the veteran comments come second hand. Indeed, I shall be taking this with me on my Remeberance Weekend visit in November.
It's a story we all know, so I suppose it's difficult for Has More...
He does, however, have the tendency to be very dry and could lose those with only a passing interest to the subject.
It is an excellent reference book, but many of the veteran comments come second hand. Indeed, I shall be taking this with me on my Remeberance Weekend visit in November.
It's a story we all know, so I suppose it's difficult for Has More...
Nov 15, 2009
Rod
rated it:
Well worth reading for the author's opinions and detailed descriptions, including many eye-witness accounts. This book brings home to the reader what a bloody and difficult fight the allies had following D-Day and tends to emphasise that the British and Canadian armies faced the best of the German soldiery. Their opponents were good, and the best of them were superb. If it had not been for allied air superiority and the quantity of weoponry at the allies disposal to replace losses then the outco
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Feb 06, 2012
Sean
rated it:
So far this is my favorite book on the subject because Hastings does not favor any side in his analysis. Instead, he points out mistakes made by all sides. The reader comes away with the idea that the Germans were masters of the tactical battlefield, but strategically incompetent.
Aug 24, 2007
Michael
rated it:
a good balanced history of the battle for normandy, seems quite evenhanded
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