יום הפלישה - D-Day

by Giles Milton, סמדר אביב (Translator)

הצנחן קן ראסל נחת על מגדל כנסייה ונותר תלוי באוויר במיתרי המצנח שלו. הגנרל וילהלם ריכטר טרק את הטלפון בפניו של קצין שדיווח לו על תחילתה של הפלישה לנורמנדי. הגנרל אייזנהאואר העביר את ליל הפלישה בעישון סיגריות צ'סטרפילד. היטלר ישן. פֶ רנאן אולאר בן החמש כבש את פניו בכרית והתייפח. לויטננט־קומנדר היינריך הופמן יצא בראש שלוש טורפדות לעצור את הארמדה של בעלות הברית. זמן קצר לאחר שנחת בחוף יוטה, גילה הגנרל רוזוולט שהוא ומאות אנשיו נחתו קילומטר וחצי מדרום למקום שבו היו אמורים לנחות. מלקולם בראנן רשם לזכותו את קרקפתו של הגנרל הגרמני הראשון שנהרג ביום הפלישה. ביל מילין צעד הלוך ושוב לאורך החוף, פגזים מתפוצצים סביב, וניגן בכל כוחו בחמת החלילים שלו. \

יום הפלישה של בעלות הברית לנורמנדי היה לא רק הפלישה הימית הגדולה בהיסטוריה ואחד הקרבות החשובים במלחמת העולם השנייה. הוא היה גם מעשה תצרף שהתרחש על שטח עצום ושהשתתפו בו מאות אלפי בני אדם: חיילי בעלות הברית שנחתו בנורמנדי, החיילים הגרמנים שניסו להדוף אותם, וגם טייסים ומלחים, אלחוטניות ואחיות, אזרחים ואנשי מחתרת צרפתים. בספרו יום הפלישה מציג ג'יילס מילטון את סיפורם של עשרות רבות מהאנשים האלה, שנמצאו בצמתים המרכזיים של יום הפלישה, ושוזר את הסיפורים שלהם ליצירה מטלטלת, שבה העצים הרבים אינם מעלימים את היער.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Historical, War

448 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2018

About the author

British writer and journalist Giles Milton was born in Buckinghamshire in 1966. He has contributed articles for most of the British national newspapers as well as many foreign publications, and specializes in the history of travel and exploration. In the course of his researches, he has traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East, Japan and the Far East, and the Americas.

Knowledgeable, insatiably curious and entertaining, Milton locates history's most fascinating—and most overlooked—stories and brings them to life in his books.

He lives in London, where he is a member of the Hakluyt Society, which is dedicated to reprinting the works of explorers and adventurers in scholarly editions, some of which he uses in his research. He wrote most of Samurai William in the London Library, where he loves the "huge reading room, large Victorian desks and creaking armchairs". At home and while traveling, he is ever on the lookout for new untold stories. Apparently he began researching the life of Sir John Mandeville for his book The Riddle and the Knight after Mandeville’s book Travels "literally fell off the shelf of a Paris bookstore" in which he was browsing.

Copyright BookBrowse.com 2007

Reviews

[Giannis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ο Μίλτον συγκέντρωσε μαρτυρίες, από δεκάδες στρατιώτες και αξιωματικούς (και των δύο πλευρών) που συμμετείχαν στη πασίγνωστη απόβαση της Νορμανδίας, και τις "έραψε" με έναν περίτεχνο τρόπο ώστε να δημιουργηθεί η απαραίτητη αίσθηση της "ροής" και της "συνέχειας". Ο τρόπος που το έκανε είναι πραγματικά αξιοθαύμαστος, ΑΛΛΑ κατά τη ταπεινή μου άποψη, δε χρειαζόντουσαν τόσες πολλές εξιστορήσεις καθώς σε σημεία πλάτειαζε. Στο πρώτο μέρος με τους αλεξιπτωτιστές που έπεσαν πίσω από τις Γερμανικές γραμμές, είχε έναν πολύ ωραίο ρυθμό, αλλά στο υπόλοιπο βιβλίο που μας περιέγραφε τα γεγονότα της απόβασης στις παραλίες, οι πληροφορίες ήταν υπερβολικά πολλές και τα μπρος πίσω στις πέντε παραλίες που αποβιβάστηκαν οι Σύμμαχοι, με μπέρδεψαν και με κούρασαν.

Παρ' όλα αυτά, θα πρότεινα το βιβλίο σε όποιον θέλει να μάθει για τα γεγονότα της D-Day. Μάλιστα, οι περιγραφές είναι τόσο σοκαριστικές και ωμές που ένιωθα πως η πραγματικότητα ξεπερνάει κάθε φαντασία. Θάνατος, πόνος, κραυγές, αίμα, διάσπαρτα ανθρώπινα μέλη και πολύς… εμετός, ήταν το «ρεζουμέ» από τα δραματικά γεγονότα που αποτυπώθηκαν στις μνήμες όλων αυτών που επέζησαν. Αυτός είναι ο πόλεμος.

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nonfiction historical novel that meticulously details the events leading up to and following the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The narrative unfolds through the eyes of the actual soldiers who experienced the harrowing moments of that fateful day.

"The first sight of the Allied fleet terrified the German lookouts. ‘There must be ten thousand ships out there!’ said one. ‘This must be the invasion.’"

Reading about the horrific realities faced by the soldiers during D-Day left me with a profound sense of sadness and depression. The author's vivid descriptions, coupled with firsthand accounts, painted a somber picture of the sacrifices made by these brave individuals, particularly at Omaha Beach. So many lives lost for nothing. The writing, while emotionally charged, maintained a balanced and accessible tone, complemented by thorough fact-checking and even though at times, I felt like Milton went a bit overboard with the similes, but nothing to be worry about and be taken out of the reality that is war.

“As he stared at the murky horizon, he noticed that everything had turned hazy. It was as if a milky-white mist had settled over the water. And then, to his astonishment, he spotted a single plane ‘crawling out, under the white blanket’. This was the very moment, as he followed the plane’s trajectory, that the terrible truth dawned. It was laying a smokescreen over the sea. Someone had something to hide.”

One of the book's moments that will make you angry but of course not shocked about, is on the soldiers' experiences and the stark contrast between their sacrifices and the actions of those in higher ranks who claimed credit while the low ranks did everything and pretty much all the work. The narrative powerfully conveyed the wrongness of war and the senseless loss of innocent lives.

The vivid portrayal of the Omaha Beach battle, with all its horrors, created a lasting and memorable impact that I was actually shocked reading of all the terror they went through, that even those who survived that day, I'm pretty sure they left their soul and humanity back there and as a soldier quoted in the book that even injured, going back home the men who fought and survived were coming to terms with wounds that would never heal. And not just physically.

“The first American troops to wade ashore on Omaha Beach were jokingly known as the suicide wave. ‘We all expected to come back,’ said one. Almost none did.”

While the initial pace may have been slow, the narrative gained momentum as it approached the morning of D-Day. From that point onward, the story unfolded with compelling urgency, making it difficult to put the book down.

This book is a tragic account of a historical day that shaped the course of human history. The book serves as a powerful reminder of the profound costs of war and the sacrifices made by countless individuals, leaving readers with a deep sense of sorrow for the lives lost.

True courage is found in those who believe that there are things in life that are worth fighting for and worth dying for.

[Christopher L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Milton has composed a superlative narrative history book. In taking the voices of so many, from all sides, he has been able to conjure up a masterful collage of experiences about D-Day. It feels that no group's experiences has been neglected.

It was especially saddening to hear, in their own words, of the trials and tribulations of the often forgotten French population while hearing things from the German perspective adds clarity and a roundedness to what is usually painted as a one sided picture. Additionally, I liked the emphasis on the experiences of lower ranks on all sides; Mr. Milton creates a real immediacy as to how it must been for the fighting man.

This is in no way a history book such as Beevor, Atkinson, Roberts, Hastings et al might write but it is excellent in its own right and deserves to be recognised as a valuable contribution for those who are interested in D-Day or, indeed, conditions and stories of battle in general. It is a very easy book to read and compared to some narrative history is streets ahead in its execution, presentation and content.

This one is very easy to recommend!

[Ian Willey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clearly Giles Milton does not understand his subject at the level that such a book requires. His constant reference to the German 88 mortars when he actually meant AA guns is just one basic error. Yes the book was interesting but the many simple errors and his dramatizing of events such as the artists last canvas was his own blood on the beach really turned me off this author and I will not touch another of his books.

[Nikos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μια πολύ καλή έρευνα και απόδοση της εικόνας απο τον Μίλτον για την απόβαση της Νορμανδίας μέσα απο τα μάτια των στρατιωτών.Ο τρόπος αφήγησης που επέλεξε ο συγγραφέας δεν κάνει βαρύ το ανάγνωσμα και δίνει μια πλήρη και διευκρινιστική εικόνα για τη μεγαλύτερη απόβαση στην ιστορία.

[Howard Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. This has, at times, been an uneasy read in that it gives true, accurate but graphic details of what happened within a few short hours in June 1944.
The style of the author's writing has made it an impelling read, made all the more so as I have read most of it whilst visiting many of the sites referred to in the book and that special time in history.
There have been gruelling facts - all backed up with accurate archive references - interspersed with humour which, hard to understand as you read, must have been one of the driving forces seeing those brave men through those harrowing times.
The book has successfully brought my knowledge of that time up to date and I have been so fortunate to read it and immediately view many of the scenes personally. One of the most moving of the places visited must be the Commonwealth Cemetery at Bayeux.
A big thank you to Hannah for buying me the book, to the author for his time researching and putting it together and of course a heartfelt gratitude to those men, and boy who gave their lives for us. Not forgetting of course, the many thousands who went on to suffer for the rest of their days and to the countless civilians who died, caught up in the conflict.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 24 hours of D Day pieced together with hundreds of individual stories from both sides. (Despite the title, these are not only soldiers but also sailors, airmen, nurses, servicewomen, French civilians and generals and politicians on both sides). The author also does a good job of explaining how the individuals stories fitted in to the overall strategy (useful maps provided). So much went wrong. So many horrible ways to die. A very sobering book, but also gripping and dramatic.

[Gareth Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the account of D-Day I’ve enjoyed reading the most. To read it during D-Day week made it more real.

[KIRIAKI(Dominica Amat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://dominicamat.blogspot.com/2019...

Μπορεί να βρεθεί κάποιος που να εξιστορήσει τα γεγονότα της απόβασης στη Νομαρδία καλύτερα από τους ίδιους τους πρωταγωνιστές κι επιζήσαντες; Προφανώς κι όχι... Γι'αυτόν τον λόγο ο συγγραφέας Τζάιλς Μίλτον στο νέο του βιβλίο με τίτλο ''D-Day, Απόβαση στη Νορμανδία'' αποφάσισε να αποτυπώσει στο χαρτί την ιστορία μέσα από τα λόγια καί την προσωπική εμπειρία των ανθρώπων που την έζησαν κι όχι απλά να στηριχθεί σε γνώσεις που μπορεί να λάβει κάποιος από βιβλία ή τηλεοπτικά ντοκιμαντέρ.
Πρόκειται για ένα βιβλίο καθηλωτικό από την πρώτη έως καί την τελευταία του σελίδα. Ένα βιβλίο γεμάτο πόνο,δίψα για ελευθερία,αγωνία,θάνατο καί την φρίκη του πολέμου. Δυστυχώς,αποδεικνύεται ότι η ελευθερία καί η ειρήνη,όσο κλισέ κι αν ακούγονται σε κάποιους ως έννοιες,πάντα θα είναι η κινητήρια δύναμη για τους ανθρώπους. Για να τα κατακτήσουν είναι ικανοί να πέσουν πρόθυμα στο πεδίο της μάχης όποια ηλικία κι όποια θέση ή καταγωγή έχουν. Τότε όλοι οι άνθρωποι γίνονται μία γροθιά καί συσπειρώνονται κάτω από ένα κοινό σκοπό,ξεχνώντας οτιδήποτε άλλο.
Λένε ότι οι εικόνες αποτυπώνονται πολύ έντονα στην μνήμη μας καί δύσκολα ξεχνιούνται. Συμφωνώ με αυτήν την άποψη αλλά μετά την ανάγνωση αυτού του βιβλίου,πιστέψτε με θα έχετε ακριβώς την ίδια αίσθηση. Οι περιγραφές των εικόνων καί των γεγονότων που έλαβαν χώρα εκείνη την πρώτη μέρα της απόβασης δίνονται από τον συγγραφέα τόσο παραστατικά,που θα νομίζετε ότι ζωντανεύουν μπροστά σας καί είστε κι εσείς μέρος της ιστορίας.
Το βιβλίο το διάβασα τμηματικά σε τρείς ημέρες. Ήθελα να είμαι πλήρως συγκεντρωμένη σε αυτά τα οποία διάβαζα γιατί υπάρχουν πολλά πρόσωπα καί πολλές καταστάσεις που αναφέρονται. Το ίδιο θα συνιστούσα να κάνετε κι εσείς. Αφιερώστε του χρόνο καί προσοχή καί θα σας ανταμείψει.
Σε αυτό θα σας βοηθήσει καί ο τρόπος με τον οποίο είναι γραμμένο το βιβλίο. Ο συγγραφέας το έχει χωρίσει σε οκτώ μέρη συν τον επίλογο,καθένα από τα οποία λειτουργεί σαν ένα βήμα προς την τελική επίτευξη του στόχου. Ένα βήμα κάθε φορά προς την πολυπόθητη ελευθερία.
Δεν πρέπει όμως ποτέ να ξεχνάμε καί τον άμαχο,αθώο πληθυσμό που έχασε την ζωή του τόσο άδικα κι απάνθρωπα στην διάρκεια των πολέμων... Ευελπιστώ πως θα έρθει κάποια μέρα που δεν θα ευχόμαστε να έχουμε ειρήνη αλλά να υπάρχει παντού καί να έχει εξαλειφθεί ολότελα η έννοια του πολέμου.
Θεωρώ ότι δεν χρειάζεται να σας πω παραπάνω λόγια. Για πολλοστή φορά κατάλαβα την αξία της ελευθερίας καί της ειρήνης καί την ασχήμια του πολέμου. Αξίζει να το αναζητήσετε καί να το διαβάσετε το βιβλίο. Θα εκτιμήσετε πολλά πράγματα που έχετε τώρα στην ζωή σας.
Καλά σας αναγνώσματα!

Υ.Γ. Μέσα στο βιβλίο θα βρείτε ασπρόμαυρες φωτογραφίες,που τραβήχτηκαν εκείνη την ημέρα,καθώς καί πρωταγωνιστών της ιστορίας.

[Phil Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read dozens of books on D-Day and some of the very best follow a personalised chronological narrative of the day, and this one is no different. Of course titles like this do suffer from the fact that you quite often only dip in and out of a particular individuals account and don’t return to them, and this suffers from that weakness. I also wasn’t impressed with the small number of photographs which were not of a very good quality. However, this is nitpicking - overall the book is excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

The usual suspects are all mentioned as you would expect, such as Lovat and Millin, Otway and Howard. Pips Priller and Pluskat are the usual German suspects as well. However, there are lots of voices from combatants I have never heard of before, and they are preferred over the high commands of either side. There were a few odd exceptions; virtually no mention of the Ruperts for example which so often figure prominently in other titles. But to counterbalance this there were interesting sidelights that I had not read about before.

As usual there is heavy emphasis on Omaha, much less on any of the other beaches, but as the day moves towards late afternoon and evening the voices of the British and Canadians are heard much more often. It’s an easy read and you get drawn along with the events of the day in refreshing style. I liked it a lot, and this is certainly a good choice if you want a personal account of the battle rather than from an overall strategy and tactical approach.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly moving and brilliantly written.

The book shows D-Day from many perspectives on all sides: infantry storming the beaches, pilots, radio operators, high command, navy, engineers, resistance fighters and french villagers.

Even though it is written following specific people it does an excellent job of showing the overall picture of D-Day from the paratrooper landings to the reinforcements coming across the channel.

The book was very moving especially when showing the horror of those storming Omaha beach or the french civilians trying to help those caught in bombing raids. Nothing compares to the human approach when describing the sacrifices of D-Day.

[Lindsay Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many books about D Day and the events of World War 2, but this is written from the perspective of just the single Day of the first landings, and very clearly tells the stories of individuals - Allies, Germans and French. The carnage of the battles - big and individual - is well described, as well as the random nature of who lives or dies. Very many of those involved fought with great bravery, even if they had no option, and the book brings their stories to life. A timely reminder of how we kept our freedoms.

[John Muers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. No Strategic rubbish.
The battle where it really happened. With the Soldiers on the ground.
Couldn't put it down.

[John Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although at times over-dramatised, this is an absorbing story of the activities on D-Day. Reading about the horrors, the small gains, the losses, the terror, and the mistakes, it's hard to believe all this covered a period of just one day, the 6th June 1944. We get views from soldiers of both sides, although I guess it is inevitable that bias crept in. There aren't a lot of statistics, which is probably a good thing, and I didn't do any fact checking. This isn't a major historical novel, it's been written to entertain, if that word can be used for the horrific subject matter. Anyone looking for in-depth analysis should look elsewhere. In my case, I got it from the library around the time of the memorials of this event, and I've not read a lot about this previously. It was compelling reading, and I finished it in three days. It is basically a chronological account of the day, told from the various soldiers' viewpoints. I would recommend this to anyone who doesn't already have a lot of knowledge about Operation Overlord, and only wants to obtain some of the flavour of the day's activities.
Rating 4.0

[Thekirkiepirate · Rating 4 out of 5]

After watching some documentaries around the 80th anniversary of D-Day, I was keen to learn a little more. This book provides a very comprehensive coverage of the first 24 hours from a variety of perspectives - soldiers, ancillary staff and some from a German viewpoint. I would have liked to read more about the German soldiers' views, but suspect that there is not quite so much material here to draw upon.

I was astonished at the bravery displayed on that day and doubt that I could have matched it. As at that time we did not know about the atrocities carried out in the concentration camps, I was even more in awe of the courage displayed. My only disappointment with the book was that I felt that the author had a tendency to lapse into rather gung-ho language at time, which I found disappointing as we were dealing with individuals losing their lives. I can quite understand that those with first-hand experience may wish to talk in those terms, but for those who report, more respect should be shown for the dead of both sides.

[Stew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant. Milton has the ability to bring to life numerous real life people who were there on D-Day. He quickly portrays there character and details why they were there, what they did and why. You feel as if you are part of the action of the day seeing it from the perspectives of many different participants whether it be Georges Gondrée, the café owner at Pegasus Bridge or 19 years old Wally Blanchard, one of the frogman trying to defuse often unstable under water mines so that the ships bottoms would not be blown to pieces. What he did with his American Remington waterproof carbine gun, well I'll let you read ...

[Steve Dempsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book containing references and information from widespread sources. Whilst concentrating mainly on the allies, it contains useful elements from a German perspective and some French civilian input. Although there are only 3 maps, these are invaluable and put all the incidents in the book into perspective. I have never read a book where the maps are so reflective of the text and help put all the action in the right place. Definitely a book to read again.

[Mark Kozurek · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me, one of the greatest war episodes in military history is often missed. Even before the 6th June 1944, so much happened. Inside this book you will be faced with horrors, adventures, sad and happy tales, bravery and the list goes on. For any World War buff, grab this on your book shelf now. You will be placed straight on the battlefield so be well equiped for a momentous journey.

[Ian . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and easy reading. My first book that describes the war events in such details. Covering the stories of Allies, Axis and the local French people that got caught in the action. All chapters were mostly written through the eyes of real people who were there themselves. All the suffering that time makes you appreciate how lucky we are in this time of relative peace, at least in the West.

[Jc · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an interesting idea to view this memorable day through hundreds of testimonies of all sorts of participants. It certainly was an incredible work of research compilation and present it in a legible manner. The result is fascinating although it gives a disjointed picture and, at times, a bit boring.

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! Great for anyone interested in the War, but not wanting a school textbook. No punches pulled - but bursts of humour and heroism interspersed to relieve the obviously dark events. I savoured it, and can't wait to read more from Giles Milton. HIGHLY recommended!

[Nick Burdett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and insightful book. I always find with books on this subject (of which I've read a lot) you learn a new snippet of information in each new reading.

With this it felt less factual, less heavy, than something like Stephen Ambrose's 'D Day' but still stitched the day together perfectly.

[Vivek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing page turner and a true and heroic story. Well researched and referenced her not made academic. The author has a good storytelling skill bringing in the personal stories well of the people involved in the D-Day landings.

[Harry Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dad lent me this book after highly recommend it! And I can see why, by highlighting numerous accounts of D-Day, you feel you have an understanding of how events unfolded for both sides, definitely worth the read If like me you want a greater understanding of what happened on that day.

[Rachel Rawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided this year to fry and read some non fiction and I absolutely loved this book about thenD-Day landings. I thought it was really interesting it told different perspectives from English soldiers, American to Germany and French citizens giving a new insight to what happen.

[Meegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It wasn’t a page-turner but it did really bring home just the sheer loss of human life on D-Day. I had never read anything about D-Day before and Milton’s telling is as rousing as it is tragic.

[Mark Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book.

[Alex Canna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing research, turned into a powerfully gripping page-turner.

[Luke Elgar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some amazing individual stories. Great insight into Rommel's character plus other unknown characters

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s ok but way too many errors and commando comics style narratives. Couldn’t finish it - 76% read.