The Normandy Invasion, June 1944: Looking Down on War

by Roy M. Stanley II

The Normandy Invasion literally takes a different view of D-Day and just beyond, showing the well-known events using aerial photos.This is what anxiously waiting senior officers knew about progress in the early hours of 6 June 1944. The RAF and USAAF imagery used is almost entirely from long dormant U.S. Department of Defence Intelligence files. Examining the invasion scene beach-by-beach,the eyes of a trained, experienced photo interpreter uncover details a layman would certainly miss. This overview of Normandy landings and subsequent combat shows the scope and sweep of battle and helps explain why some objectives were reached, why some units forged ahead where others were stalled. We see the beaches as never before; their width at low tide; the support vessels off shore and equipment moving inland; formidable beach obstacles, and pre-invasion aerial reconnaissance. Think of this book as an adjunct to all the ground-level photos you have seen of men leaving landing craft or crouching beside sea walls - a different perspective on one of the momentous military actions of the last hundred years. Refer to this book when you read about D-Day and actually see what other authors have written about.

Genres: Military Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2013

About the author

Colonel Roy M. Stanley II USAF (RET.)

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

De belles photos aériennes montrant les plages avant et après le débarquement.
Par contre il y a des erreurs de traduction ("le débarquement VUE du ciel" sur la tranche du livre pour la version française), des erreurs dans conversions de tonnages et dans les légendes aussi... Se tromper entre Omaha et Utah, et nous vendre une photo de la Pointe du Hoc le 6 juin alors que la photo a été prise pendant l'entraînement, c'est très moyen. En conclusion livre bof bof je pense que l'on peut récupérer les photos aériennes sur les sites d'archives.

[James Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some great images - a very interesting book. Some of the commentary could have been a little more detailed, but certainly there are inherent limitations to interpretation of the images. Definitely worth reading as it is a different perspective from other books on the Normandy invasion.