Books on D-Day & Overlord

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks Jim for the books. I would think Nigel Hamilton was an interesting chap to talk to.

[Jim]

Geevee wrote: "Thanks Jim for the books. I would think Nigel Hamilton was an interesting chap to talk to."

He was indeed...Carlo D"este ( a great guy), Nigel and I went out to yak for awhile...it is when he did his first book on JFK and was in the U.S for his book tour...the Kennedy family did not like that book

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

I have most of Mr Hamilton's books and believe he provides a very fair assessment on Monty.

[Jim]

I have read many books about Montgomery over the years, including his own writings..they played for a while when I was a boy the series where he talked about his role in WW II. Many Americans carry the onslaught of anti-Montgomery baggage that began during the war and carried into the post war with the first books published.
Hamilton's three volumes were written with the cooperation of Montgomery's family. His father ,Denis, became the editor of the SUNDAY TIMES and later REUTERS.
Nigel told me his family had socialized with Montgomery and he knew him as a boy...his father was a infantry officer in the ETO in WW II.
That gave him access to the papers.

Reading all three volumes does give you a better perspective about Montgomery than reading some of the Monty versus Ike books..which I have also read.

A good book to read in conjunction with the Hamilton volumes is Russell Weigley.

Eisenhower's Lieutenants

fashioned after the classic books by Douglas Southall FreemanLee's Lieutenants: A Study In Command

This is a good start... I always learn alot when I go over this subject matter

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks Jim I shall look out for by Russell F. Weigley

[Colin]

Russell Weigley was my graduate thesis supervisor and mentor at Temple University. He was an amazing intellect indeed, and I miss him very much.

[Jim]

Great Colin...I have a few friends who also had him too...must have been a wonderful experience. I like Gregory Urwin who replaced him a lot.

[Colin]

Thanks Jim, Weigley taught me a lot, and I dedicated one of my books to him.

[Huw]

I have just finished reading "From the City, From the Plough", a semi autobiographical account of the events leading up to and following the June 6th landings.

My review of it is here;

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36...

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thank you Huw, a good review and a book I shall look to read.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Good review Huw, thanks for sharing the details of the book, it does sounds quite interesting.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Another new title covering aspects of D-Day that may interest some members:


by Steven Zaloga
Description:
A fresh look at D-Day, one of World War II's pivotal battles, in time for its 70th anniversary in June 2014.

Explains why the U.S. Army suffered enormous casualties on Omaha Beach focuses on Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, who oversaw German defenses in Normandy.

Covers little-known aspects such as the German patrols tasked with shooting down the pigeons the French Resistance used to send messages to the Allies.

Relies on original research, including recently discovered German artillery maps Zaloga's well-supported conclusions are sure to spark debate.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

This new book which is due for release in May 2014 is sure to be of interest to a few members here in the group, I know I'm interested!

by John C. McManus
Description:
white-knuckle account of the 1st Infantry Division’s harrowing D-Day assault on the eastern sector of Omaha Beach—acclaimed historian John C. McManus has written a gripping history that will stand as the last word on this titanic battle.

Nicknamed the Big Red One, 1st Division had fought from North Africa to Sicily, earning a reputation as stalwart warriors on the front lines and rabble-rousers in the rear. Yet on D-Day, these jaded combat veterans melded with fresh-faced replacements to accomplish one of the most challenging and deadly missions ever. As the men hit the beach, their equipment destroyed or washed away, soldiers cut down by the dozens, courageous heroes emerged: men such as Sergeant Raymond Strojny, who grabbed a bazooka and engaged in a death duel with a fortified German antitank gun; T/5 Joe Pinder, a former minor-league pitcher who braved enemy fire to save a vital radio; Lieutenant John Spalding, a former sportswriter, and Sergeant Phil Streczyk, a truck driver, who together demolished a German strongpoint overlooking Easy Red, where hundreds of Americans had landed.

Along the way, McManus explores the Gap Assault Team engineers who dealt with the extensive mines and obstacles, suffering nearly a fifty percent casualty rate; highlights officers such as Brigadier General Willard Wyman and Colonel George Taylor, who led the way to victory; and punctures scores of myths surrounding this long-misunderstood battle.

The Dead and Those About to Die draws on a rich array of new or recently unearthed sources, including interviews with veterans. The result is history at its finest, the unforgettable story of the Big Red One’s nineteen hours of hell—and their ultimate triumph—on June 6, 1944.

Also posted in the New Release thread.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

This publication is due out in May 2014 and may interest some members of this group:



by Gary Sterne
Description:
The Rangers’ mission was clear. They were to lead the assault on Omaha Beach and break out inland. Simultaneously, other Ranger units would scale the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc to destroy the ostensibly huge gun battery there and thus protect the invasion fleet from being targeted. But was the Pointe du Hoc mission actually necessary? Why did the Allies plan and execute an attack on a gun battery that they knew in advance contained no field guns? And more importantly, why did they ignore the position at Maisy that did? Using personal interviews with the surviving Rangers who fought on the beach and at Pointe du Hoc, The Cover-Up at Omaha Beach presents exceptionally detailed new research that takes the reader into the middle of the action with the Rangers.

Gary Sterne has made a painstaking study of what the Allies actually knew in advance of D-Day, including what was known about Maisy Battery. Maps, orders, and assault plans have been found in US, UK, and German archives, many of which have only been recently released after having been classified for more than sixty years. Radio communications of the Rangers as they advanced inland have been found, and Royal Air Force intelligence evaluations of bombing missions directed at the site have now been released. All these combine to make The Cover-Up at Omaha Beach one of the most up-to-date references on the subject.

Also posted in the New Release thread.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Another May 2014 release by a well known author. I am sure this book will end up on a few members wish lists!


by Craig L. Symonds
Description:
On June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along 50 miles of French coastline to battle German forces on the beaches of Normandy. D-Day, as it would come to be known, would eventually lead to the liberation of Western Europe, and was a critical step in the road to victory in World War II. Yet the story begins long before the Higgins landing craft opened their doors and men spilled out onto the beaches to face a storm of German bullets. The invasion, and the victories that followed, would not have been possible without the massive naval operation that led up to it: NEPTUNE.

From the moment British forces evacuated the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940, Allied planners began to consider how, when, and where they would re-enter the European continent. Once in the war, the Americans, led by George Marshall, wanted to invade in a year's time. The British were convinced this would be a tragic mistake. Allied forces would be decimated by the Wehrmacht. When Operation Overlord -- the name given to the cross-Channel invasion of Northern France -- was finally planned, it was done so only in concert with the seaborne assault that would bring the men and equipment to the Normandy coast. Symonds traces the central thread of this Olympian event -- involving over six thousand vessels and more than a million military personnel -- from the first talks between British and American officials in the winter of 1941 to the storming of the beaches in the late spring of 1944. He considers Neptune's various components, including the strategic unity, industrial productivity, organizational execution, and cross-cultural exchange on which the Allies depended. Portraits of key American and British figures, from Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Eisenhower to Admiral Ernest J. King and his British counterpart, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, combine with an intimate look at men up and down the chain of command.

Neptune was the pinnacle of Allied organization and cooperation. From the suppressing of the U-boat menace in the Battle of the Atlantic, to the establishing of camps and training facilities near the English coast, to the gearing up of the American industrial machine to produce the ships, tanks, and tools of war that would make an invasion possible, Symonds' riveting narrative uncovers the means by which Neptune was brought to fruition, and presents the first comprehensive account of the greatest naval operation in history.

Also posted in the New Release thread.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Rick your post reminded me of this book which I read on this subject: Neptunus Rex: Naval Stories of the Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944, Voices of the Navy Memorial by John Prados

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Another good book to add to the list Geevee!

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Here is a new release that is due out in May this year and offers something a little different in regards to D-Day:


by Max Arthur
Description:
On 6 June 1944 Britain woke up to a profound silence. Overnight, 160,000 Allied troops had vanished and an eerie emptiness settled over the country. The majority of those men would never return.

This is the story of that extraordinary 24 hours.

Using a wealth of first person testimonies, renowned historian Max Arthur recounts a remarkable new oral history of D-Day, beginning with the two years leading up to the silent day which saw the UK transformed by the arrival of thousands of American and Canadian troops. We also hear the views of the American troops, who quickly formed strong views of both the British military and civilian populations.

Then, on that June morning, many British people woke up to discover that vast areas of the country, which had throbbed with life only the day before, were now empty and silent. Civilian workers found coffee pots still warm on the stove but not a soul to greet them. Many women - and children - felt bewildered and betrayed.

Then, throughout that day and the days that followed, the whole population gathered around wireless sets, waiting for news. There are powerful testimonies from families of who lost loved ones on the beaches of Normandy, and dramatic personal accounts from young widows who had never had the chance to say goodbye.

The Silent Day is an original and evocative portrait of a key event in world history, and a poignant reminder of the human cost of D-Day.

Also posted in the New Release & Home Front threads.

[Mikey B.]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Here is a new release that is due out in May this year and offers something a little different in regards to D-Day:


by Max Arthur
"

Definitely sounds interesting and from a new perspective - added to my list... Thanks!
(will I ever get to read ALL that stuff on my list??)

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Interesting subject title as my father has profound memories as a 8 year old of D-Day morning and on throughout the next few days as hundreds and hundreds of aircraft flew over his house in Peacehaven. Not so much silence at first but more one of emptiness as the Canadians that had lived in their camp in the field behind his house, and who had made friends with him and treated him so well, had all gone.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

This has to be the book for you then Geevee :)

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Aye another for the tottering TBR Rick :)

[Jill]

Bodyguard of Lies: The Extraordinary True Story Behind D-Day by Anthony Cave Brown

I loved this book.The title is taken from a quote by Churchill...."In war-time, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies". And this book is about those lies that were used to mislead, betray, and sacrifice during the time leading up to D-Day. The London Controlling Section (LCS) took the lead in creating full scenarios of battles that never happened and troop movements that were non-existent. They flooded Europe with rumor in bits and pieces that were intended, when taken as a whole, to convince the Nazis of operations that were fictional. For the most part it worked but it was a tricky business since double agents abounded and the LCS was never sure who to trust.....and that included the Russians. The great coup, of course, was the breaking of the Enigma code and Operation Ultra located at Bletchly Park was reading almost all of the Nazi communications. To keep Ultra a secret, Churchill had to make some heartbreaking decisions, such as not warning the city of Coventry when he knew that the horrible fire bombing was going to occur. Men's lives were sacrificed to protect the secrets of the coming invasion of Fortress Europa and where it would occur.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Good add to the thread Jill, thanks for posting the details on the book.

[Jill]

Is it acceptable to post the details or should I just recommend a book and leave out the synopsis? I do not use the synopsis from GR but post my own thoughts.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

You can do whatever you think is best Jill. I usually add a description/synopsis but there are no hard & fast rules on it, it's what you like/prefer doing :)

[Colin]

In my book Night Fighters the Germans interviewed discussed the probably compromise of Enigma. The navy changed its code system, the Luftwaffe did not.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Jill wrote: "Bodyguard of Lies: The Extraordinary True Story Behind D-Day by Anthony Cave Brown

I lov..."

One of the most popular comments in this group comes to mind here: I have that book on my shelves...unread.

[Jill]

Geevee wrote: "Jill wrote: "Bodyguard of Lies: The Extraordinary True Story Behind D-Day by [author:Anthony Cave Brown|..."

The other one that comes to mind is "My TBR pile is getting totally out of control!!!"

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Aye true :)

[Karl]

For oral history on D-Day I recommend Russel Miller's 'Nothing Less Than Victory' and Gerald Astor's 'June 6th 1944'.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Good recommendation Karl, I am yet to read my copy, soon I hope!

[Paul]

I was at the bricks-and-mortar (not the WW2 variety of mortar) version of Barnes & Noble yesterday and saw that where they have their discounted books near the front of the store, they have "The Bedford Boys" for $7.98 (U.S.). I'm not sure whether that is true at all B&N locations (and I didn't check their website), but it was a great book for that price. I just thought I'd let everyone know.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Thanks Paul, always good to share possible bargains especially when they are in a physical bookshop.

[Paul]

Geevee wrote: "Thanks Paul, always good to share possible bargains especially when they are in a physical bookshop."

And it was a mighty fine book, too.

[Dachokie]

This should be arriving in the mail today:
The Normandy Battlefields: D-Day and the Bridgehead

Hoping this is more than the general tour-guide type of book.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Let us know what you think Dachokie once you have had a good look at the book.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Sounds interesting Dachokie and hope it is what you expect.

[Dachokie]

Yes! I was exactly what I was hoping for. The book breaks down all facets of the invasion (air, sea, land) and has chapters that individually address each of the five landing beaches, the glider and airborne assaults. It is a treasure trove of maps and photos (most I've never seen before), including my favorite: then/now comparisons. Photo captions are explicitly detailed and often identify individuals in the photos. Very thorough and While I may never get the opportunity to actually visit the Normandy Beachheads, I at least have a book that somewhat let's me see the things I would want to see if I could go.

[Geevee, Assisting Moderator British & Commonwealth Forces]

Ah that's good and sounds like a nice addition to your books.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Sounds like you picked up a pretty good book then Dachokie :)

[carl]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Sounds like you picked up a pretty good book then Dachokie :)"

yes good info on that Dachokie. Have been
looking for a book with that kind of info.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

A different look at D-Day; D-Day Through French Eyes: Normandy 1944.


by Mary Louise Roberts
Description:
Like big black umbrellas, they rain down on the fields across the way, and then disappear behind the black line of the hedges. Silent parachutes dotting the night sky - that's how one woman in Normandy in June of 1944 learned that the D-Day invasion was under way. Though they yearned for liberation, the French in Normandy nonetheless had to steel themselves for war, knowing that their homes and land and fellow citizens would have to bear the brunt of the attack. Already battered by years of Nazi occupation, they knew they had one more trial to undergo even as freedom beckoned. With D-Day through French Eyes, Mary Louise Roberts turns the usual stories of D-Day around, taking readers across the Channel to view the invasion anew. Roberts builds her history from an impressive range of gripping first-person accounts of the invasion as seen by French citizens throughout the region. A farm family notices that cabbage is missing from their garden - then discovers that the guilty culprits are American paratroopers hiding in the cowshed. Fishermen rescue pilots from the wreck of their B-17, only to struggle to find clothes big enough to disguise them as civilians. A young man learns how to estimate the altitude of bombers and to determine whether a bomb was whistling overhead or silently headed straight for them. In small towns across Normandy, civilians hid wounded paratroopers, often at the risk of their own lives. When the allied infantry arrived, they guided soldiers to hidden paths and little-known bridges, giving them crucial advantages over the German occupiers. Through story after story, Roberts builds up an unprecedented picture of the face of battle as seen by grateful, if worried, civilians. As she did in her acclaimed account of GIs in postwar France, What Soldiers Do, Roberts here reinvigorates and reinvents a story we thought we knew. The result is a fresh perspective on the heroism, sacrifice, and achievement of D-Day.

(Also posted in the New Release thread.)

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I started reading this new book on D-Day on the 70th anniversary of that climatic event:

by Jonathan Mayo

It was an excellent book full of first-hand accounts that took me from 5th June 1944 to midnight on the 6th. Many of the accounts can be found in other books but the author has put them all together in this one book as we follow these men and women through the Normandy landings. I couldn't put the book down at times as I wanted to keep reading to see what happened to these people even though I already knew!

Anyhow here are a few quotes from the book, this first one is for Geevee:

"Ernest Bevin, the Minister for Labour, is watching the Durham Light Infantry embark at Southampton. A soldier shouts to him, 'Ernie, when we have done this job for you, are we going back on the dole?' Bevin's eyes fill with tears."

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Another one:

"Twelve-year-old Peter McElhinney is standing in a Portsmouth street watching the troops march by. A young GI empties all his money and cigarettes out of his pockets and pushes them into the astonished boy's hands.
'Here, kid, take this. I won't be coming back from where I'm going.'

Another soldier in a truck passing Portsmouth throws a football to some boys in the street. On it was written, 'We have no further use for this and I hope it will give you a lot of pleasure'."

[Kenneth]

Frightening stuff. These accounts send shivers down the spine; knowing you may not return, knowing who you were going up against. It's never wise to underestimate any enemy, but I believe on this occasion both sides had an iron respect for one another, and as such made the fighting all the more vicious.
This book looks at the German view of D-Day. I've been sourcing the enemy's accounts of actions in WWII, as these are usually less referenced and heard. The victor writes the history books, etc. Kershaw also writes some great accounts from German eyes; Barbarossa, Market Garden etc.

Wn 62 Erinnerungen An Omaha Beach

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I have seen that book mentioned before Kenneth and I'm glad you mentioned it again. Do you know how many pages it is?


by Hein Severloh

It would make very interesting reading indeed!

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

I have read this account somewhere before but can't recall in which book however I am sure a few folks here will enjoy the story:

"A landing craft full of US troops is being lowered over the side of HMS Empire Windrush, but it's become stuck directly under the outflow from the ships head (toilet). Despite the shouts and yells from the GIs, for half an hour they are covered in urine and excrement.

One American officer recalled, 'The bowels of the ship's company made the most of an opportunity which Englishmen have sought since 1776'."

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Here is a new book due out in a month or two covering a different aspect of the Normandy landings:


Stopping the Panzers: The Untold Story of D-Day by Marc Milner

[Kenneth]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I have read this account somewhere before but can't recall in which book however I am sure a few folks here will enjoy the story:

"A landing craft full of US troops is being lowered over the side ..."

Think there's 150 pages Rick.