Utah Beach: The Amphibious Landing and Airborne Operations on D-Day, June 6, 1944

Omaha and Utah Beaches

by Joseph Balkoski

"Balkoski is in top form in this groundbreaking analysis of the other half of America's D-Day."--Dennis Showalter, author of Patton and Rommel

Although the assault on Utah Beach ultimately became one of the most successful military operations of World War II, its outcome was anything but certain. Not only was Utah the most isolated of the five D-Day beaches, but the airborne assault was of unprecedented size and complexity. Despite the perils, American troops confidently cascaded into that far corner of Normandy and contributed decisively to the Allied triumph on D-Day. With verve and authority, Balkoski describes how that victory was won.

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction, War, Military Fiction, American History, Military History

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 10, 2005

About the author

Joseph Balkoski is one of the world's leading authorities on the D-Day invasion of Normandy. He currently serves as Command Historian for the Maryland National Guard and for more than thirty years has chronicled the WWII history of the 29th Infantry Division.

Reviews

[Robert Snow]

Back in 2007 I spent a week in Normandy touring the Beaches, in preparation for the trip I read 10 books over a 6 month period. I read both of Joseph Balkoski's books and found them invaluable resources. The Normandy invasion is an easy subject matter to get overwhelmed with because of its vast geography and huge numbers of men and material involved. I am fully convinced after almost 70 years that we haven't begun to scratch the surface of story of D-Day invasion. Having said that, I found Joseph Balkoski's book a great way of bringing the story down to a specific area and to the ordinary soldiers story. He has interviewed many of the participants and gone to great detail adding maps so that the reader can grasp the full extent of the operations on and around Utah Beach. This is a must book to read for the D-Day history buff or any lover of good history.

[Linda]

Absolutely essential reading for anyone who wants to really understand what happened before, on and after D-Day. Joseph Balkoski's painstaking research has unearthed details that have never been reported before. His interviews of the men who were on Utah Beach give an unparalleled account, hour by hour, of what went down on what many consider to be the most important day of the 20th century.

[Jesper Jorgensen]

One of the better books of many good books I have read about D-Day.
The idea of 'breaking down' the narratives to the different landing sites makes it a bit more manageable to read.
I'd say that this is a 'must read' for individuals interested in the D-Day landings.
Can't wait to read 'Omaha' from the same author

[Betsy]

Rounded up from 4.5 stars This book seeks to give the Utah Beach aspect of D-Day its due appreciation. Often overshadowed by the tragedy that was Omaha Beach, Utah wasn't even part of the original plans for D-Day. There were only 3 beaches scheduled, but Utah and Sword, on the flanks, were added for good reasons mainly at the insistence of Montgomery and Eisenhower. As a result, the planners had only a few months to pull together all the ingredients to make a success invasion of Utah Beach.

One of the obvious elements that has received much attention is the use of the 82nd and 101st Airborne to take and hold vital areas of the Cotentin Peninsula. If you have seen 'Longest Day', you probably remember seeing the fight for St. Mere Eglise. Many of the paratroopers missed their drop zones on the 5th, resulting in bloody losses. The use of airborne was a fairly new way to fight. Previous landings had been haphazard, but it was decided that the need to take the Cotentin was worth it with Cherbourg being the final goal.

With the actual landings of the 4th Infantry Division on the 6th, the fight for Utah Beach took on new aspects as they were supposed to get off the beach and join up with the Airborne as fast as possible, especially since the 82nd was still isolated.

All in all, Utah Beach was a great success, but it was no cakewalk. Many good men were lost. I'm glad I read this book because it gave me a new appreciation for what those men went through. One of the most famous was Theodore Roosevelt Jr. who was a supernumerary with the 4th Division.
Roosevelt, 56, was a man with arthritis who didn't have to be there, but felt it was his duty to encourage his men. When his men were landed a mile south of where they should have been, he took it upon himself to lead them off the beach. A month later he died of a heart attack.

D-Day is a never-to-be-forgotten event in history. Utah Beach was only part of the fight for freedom, but an integral part and should remembered that way.

[Robert]

Good summary narrative history

This is the companion to Balkoski's Omaha Beach and deals with the landings in France on D-Day of both the infantry divisions that arrived by sea as well as the paratroopers who dropped onto the Contentin Peninsula at the west end of the invasion. Like Omaha, this book gives a good overview of this portion of the landings but does not overwhelm with too much detail. There are plenty of anecdotes and quoted primary source materials that add some details and further the narrative.

I recommend this for anyone who wants to get a summary narrative of the Utah Beach end of the Normandy invasion on D-Day. From this it is easy to move on to other, more detailed accounts of the action.

[Brad Smith]

Masterful account of the Utah Beach invasion on D-Day, including the planning and lead-up to the event. Balkoski provides a plethora of first-hand accounts and details that bring to life the difficulty of conducting such a risky endeavor. By the end of the book, it's clear that the invasion's success was built upon the use of airborne parachute and glider forces that sowed chaos throughout the German lines behind the beach.

Despite some accounts that couch the event as an easy walk-in for the American troops, there is enough evidence here to dispel that myth. Though American casualties were certainly lower than those suffered on Omaha Beach, the risks of the Utah operation were no less than those taken further east in Calvados.

[Van Gonzalez]

An incredibly detailed and well written timeline of the Utah Beach invasion on D-Day. If you're interested in the topic, or WWII in general, this will surely be a great read. The inclusion of firsthand accounts from soldiers, officers, and leaders adds a valuable layer of perspective that would otherwise be lost to history. The inclusion of these firsthand accounts, spread out within each chapter, makes the book flow well and will keep you engaged. Every aspect of the operation is reviewed, including the planning, preparing, and of course, execution. It was also nice to see so many photos that happen to reside at my former duty station in the U.S. Army Signal Corps Museum. It's a quiet testament to the 55th Signal Company that was so instrumental in documenting battles throughout WWII.

[Jim]

This is a great book on the Utah Beach portion of DDay. It is really quite good. It is not a cheerleader book but does conclude that Utah Beach was well planned and executed but by no means a cake walk. Casualties were about 75% of Omaha Beach numbers. Interesting discussion about the interaction between ground troops, paratroops and gliders which did not exist at Omaha Beach. Also interesting discussion about how things could have turned terribly bad at Omaha Beach if Utah Beach had not been added in January 1944. Great excerpts from battlefield letters by Ted Roosevelt, Jr., just a few weeks before he suffered a fatal heart attack. JIM

[Steve]

Excellent book covering the Utah Beach portion of the D-Day invasion. Balkoski covers the planning of the Overlord operation and the revisions made by the SHAEF leadership that added the Utah Beach to the D-Day roster. The book contains many first hand accounts from the generals to the privates, sailors and pilots, who went through those 24 hours that was D-Day. He includes lots of maps which highlights the obstacles that the invading armies encountered. It was a great read.

[Paul Gomez]

Great insight into the Longest Day on Utah

Once again Balkonski puts you on the beach next all our brave men who participated in the greatest invasion of our lifetime. Using both narrative and first hand accounts helps to give the reader a better feel for what really occurred that longest day.

[Austin Gisriel]

Utah Beach is every bit as informative as Omaha Beach. It was just as well-written and just as well-researched. Taken together, these two volumes make clear the when and where of what happened. Balkoski begins at the planning stage--necessary background to understand the why and how of what unfolded. Can't recommend Utah Beach highly enough for history buffs, especially those who love WW II.

[Dean Mundy]

A great, detailed book about the section of the Normandy invasion at Utah beach. Many prime sources used. Great for someone who wants to know about that portion in great detail. Going to read the book on Omaha next.

[Amber Dawn]

History

This is an accounting of the planning and execution of the attack on Utah Beach. An interesting read with military reports, personal letters, and photos to add to the narrative.

[Rhonda Ketterling]

I didn’t think this was quite as good as his book on Omaha Beach but it was still worth my time. Lots of first hand accounts of the D-Day strategy. As someone who hopes to visit that beach soon I learned a lot.

[Kevin]

The author repeats himself quite often in this book, but the information is so detailed that it’s hard to care. This is an essential book if you want to understand this particular component of Operation Overlord.

[Sandi]

This is a good story about D Day and the trouble with happened

[Fred Wilhoft]

Excellent bird’s-eye view of this underreported portion of the Normandy invasion.

[Thequaminator]

Very good, but a little repetitive

[William]

I learned a lot.

[Richard K. Smith]

Very informative. I enjoy Mr. Balkoski’s books on WWII, and this is no exception.

[Jeff]

Very informative

[Pmuldary]

Utah Beach

Excellent review of the importance of this invasion and of its vital support to the success of the invasion of Omaha Beach.

[James Howald]

Having read several members of the 101st stories, I was determined on my first trip to Normandy to visit Utah Beach and see some of the sites of their experiences. While telling my brother this he recommended I read this book he found at a local bookstore's going out of business sale. After reading it, I paid full price to get my own digital copy to take with me on the trip.

The book does a great job of walking you through the high level planning from the beginning of the insertion of Utah Beach in the greater invasion plans down to memories of specific soldiers who even now believe some of their actions to be on the unbelievable side. It does a good job of laying out why Utah Beach was one of the more successful of the D-Day actions and why it's complexities, dangers, and accomplishments are often overlooked in the bigger picture.

The author does his own scholarly research to put together the overall book. But in each section he pulls from military unit histories, soldier's diaries, interviews/books/newspaper articles with those involved, or official orders from the commanding officers to give you the part of the research he pulled from in the original source's own words.

Very much appreciated his attention to details, his ability to show several sides of the same story, and tie everything together. For instance, I'd read histories of paratroopers talking about their pilots on that day dropping them off target out of fear of the anti-aircraft fire. He explains how from the paratroopers perspective it would seem that way, but gives numbers on how many drops were within a mile of their target along with the various natural obstacles that caused pilots often to have to find that spot with between 1-3 minutes while being fired on, flying hazardously close to other plans, and having nothing but their own eyes to locate the right area with. He even tells the story of one pilot who found out not everyone jumped and turned around to go right back into the fire to deliver his soldiers.

Overall, one of the best books for giving a big picture with a little personal first hand account flavor as well. I'll have the digital copy with me as we drive through the area in a little under a month!

[J]

8/10 I really like this book. It's straightforward without a lot of extra fluff (although I admit skipping the first chapter because introductions to WWII get tedious to read in multiple books). There are plenty of personal stories combined with a good focus on objectives and the timeline of activities.

I like the structure which is a narrative often immediately followed by a blocked off quote supporting the narrative. Some might find it repetitive, but I prefer it the alternatives of quotes embedded in paragraphs or footnotes.

The only thing preventing a higher rating is the almost complete lack of perspective from the German side. Now and then this book speculates what the Germans were thinking and doing which makes this reader of history think, "Well, you know, the Germans were known to write things down. You could probably find out what they were thinking and tell us".

[Wade]

A detailed and meticulously researched account of the planning and execution of the Utah Beach invasion. Early in the book, I felt, at times, that Balkoski was a little too detailed in his descriptions of military techniques or regimental hierarchy (to take just a couple of examples). But as the book progressed, and the narrative of the invasion developed, his lengthy exposition proved its value in connecting the various, and complex aspects of the invasion. It felt like reading a minute-by-minute account of the Cotentin Peninsula operations, from all angles. A rewarding and enlightening read all around.

(Full disclosure: I was predisposed to be interested in this book, as my grandfather was part of the 90th Infantry's D-Day efforts on Utah Beach.)

[Richard]

Excellent analysis of the Utah Beach D-Day landings. Balkoski makes many solid points that have been overlooked previously. Losses at Utah Beach were considered to be less than bloody Omaha, however once the paratroop losses of the 101st and 82nd airborne are added in, the casualty figures are similar. Since the paradrops were intended to make life easier on the beach, mission accomplished, however these losses need to be considered in the overall evaluation.

The planning period of D-Day gets extensive treatment in particular the addition of two landing zones to include Utah.

Altogether this is an excellent modern update using primary sources to get at a better overall picture of this day.

[Mikeshuler]

Balkoski covers the airborne landings of the 82nd and 101st divisions as well as the seaborne invasion of the 4th division and provides reasonable detail of both the planning and execution of the assault at Utah. He weaves 1st person accounts and adequate maps with his own narrative to create a good albeit short history of the "Day of Days". The book does suffer from an anti-German bias and a one-sided Allied viewpoint of the story. The German units engaged are identified, but little detail is provided. Having read most of the popular histories of D-Day and some of the unit histories, there was still quite a bit of new information provided and most readers will benefit from this slender volume (400 pgs).

[Joel Toppen]

An absolutely gripping account of the Utah Beach invasion of Normandy. Honestly, I didn't think this book would be nearly so interesting as it turned out. It is absolutely filled to the brim with first-hand accounts, from the generals at the top to the individual soldiers on the ground, this book has it all. Omaha gets a lot of attention (and justly so). But the Utah Beach sector was no cake-walk. Anyone interested in World War 2, combined operations, and/or the Normandy invasion should definitely check out this very well researched book.

[Travis]

This was an important book for me to read, as all of my knowledge about the events that took place at Utah Beach during the Normandy invasion was previously cobbled together from the more broad study of the full scope of the landings. This book filled in a lot of holes in that knowledge, reminding me that there was no place to hide on D Day. Any man setting foot on any of the five Allied invasion beaches did so at risk of his life. There was no safe or easy landing.

[Bill V]

I like this book more than the previous Balkoski book I read, "Omaha Beach". The author employs the same writing style but the overall story seems more interesting. Either that or I've become used to his style. This book covers the naval, paratrooper and air aspect as well as the beach landing. The other book was focused too much on the beach itself. Both beaches were not the same and Omaha Beach was mostly about the beach landings but nonetheless Utah seems more interesting to me.