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D-Day: Minute by Minute
Told in a purely chronological style, this fascinating account vividly details the authentic stories of regular people caught up in the historical events of D-Day.
June 6, 1944 was a truly historic day, but it was also a day where ordinary people found themselves in extraordinary situations...
Lieutenant Norman Poole jumped from a bomber surrounded by two hundred decoy dummy parachutists. French baker Pierre Cardron led British paratroopers to his local church, where he knew two German soldiers were hiding in the confessional. Southampton telegram boy Tom Hiett delivered his first "death message"; by midday. At the sound of Allied aircraft, Werner Kortenhaus of the twenty-first Panzer Division ran to collect his still damp washing from a French laundrywoman. And injured soldiers wept in their beds in a New York hospital, knowing that their buddies lay dying on the Normandy beaches.
Drawing on memoirs, diaries, letters, and oral accounts, D-Day is a purely chronological narrative, concerned less with the military strategies and more with what people were thinking and doing as D-Day unfolded, minute-by-minute. Moving seamlessly from various perspectives and stories, D-Day sets the reader in the midst of it all, compelling us to relive this momentous day in world history.
June 6, 1944 was a truly historic day, but it was also a day where ordinary people found themselves in extraordinary situations...
Lieutenant Norman Poole jumped from a bomber surrounded by two hundred decoy dummy parachutists. French baker Pierre Cardron led British paratroopers to his local church, where he knew two German soldiers were hiding in the confessional. Southampton telegram boy Tom Hiett delivered his first "death message"; by midday. At the sound of Allied aircraft, Werner Kortenhaus of the twenty-first Panzer Division ran to collect his still damp washing from a French laundrywoman. And injured soldiers wept in their beds in a New York hospital, knowing that their buddies lay dying on the Normandy beaches.
Drawing on memoirs, diaries, letters, and oral accounts, D-Day is a purely chronological narrative, concerned less with the military strategies and more with what people were thinking and doing as D-Day unfolded, minute-by-minute. Moving seamlessly from various perspectives and stories, D-Day sets the reader in the midst of it all, compelling us to relive this momentous day in world history.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 3, 2014
45 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Mayo
18 books23 followersJonathan Mayo joined the BBC in 1987, first working in radio and then television, where he won awards for his documentaries. In 2011 he became a freelance producer, director, and writer. He is the author of The JFK Assassination: Minute by Minute (Short Books, 2013). He lives in Surrey with his wife and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 24, 2014
The events of D-Day are truly historic, it was one of the most well known operations of the war, and as such, it has been depicted in many books and movies, Saving Private Ryan being one of the most well known. With so many sources for information on the event available, there's always the question of how reliable it is, particularly fiction and movies. Minute by Minute has got to be one of the most accurate and factual accounts I have read, while still keeping you engaged and interested.
Minute by Minute isn't all about the strategy and the tactics and everything, it's an overview of everything that happened, the entire scene and event. Minute by Minute is packed with plenty of detail, some you kinda wish you didn't know and wish you hadn't read while you where eating, and some that's incredibly fascinating.
The problem with a lot of history books are that they may be factual, but they're hard to slog through and concentrate on. Minute by Minute is presented fantastically, it's easy to read and follow and you don't struggle to read or keep reading or to concentrate on it.
This book isn't just for hardcore history nerds, it's for teenagers, adults, anyone with a passing interest who just wants to know a little bit more about D-Day or to find out how much of the information that's out there is true.
Minute by Minute isn't all about the strategy and the tactics and everything, it's an overview of everything that happened, the entire scene and event. Minute by Minute is packed with plenty of detail, some you kinda wish you didn't know and wish you hadn't read while you where eating, and some that's incredibly fascinating.
The problem with a lot of history books are that they may be factual, but they're hard to slog through and concentrate on. Minute by Minute is presented fantastically, it's easy to read and follow and you don't struggle to read or keep reading or to concentrate on it.
This book isn't just for hardcore history nerds, it's for teenagers, adults, anyone with a passing interest who just wants to know a little bit more about D-Day or to find out how much of the information that's out there is true.
April 20, 2023
I loved this book. It gives you the whole picture and it helped me understand what was going on on both sides. It's filled with small stories that are more significant than you would think. One problem I had is I would have to go back to the beginning of the paragraph to figure out if it was about the allied side or the German side. It was annoying but it wasn't difficult to distinguish.
October 13, 2022
“Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force:
You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months.
The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.”
Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, speech on the eve of D Day.
Military history accounts of D Day are not hard to come by. However, the real hook of this book is weaving stories of servicemen, ordinary civilians, generals, statesmen and the miscellaneous. The miscellaneous includes genuinely intriguing anecdotes such as the part one of the biggest toy manufacturers played in assisting the Allied Forces during the D Day landings.
To do this book justice, it still communicates to the reader layer by layer accounts of the different parts of Operation Overlord, including the paratrooper experiences, the air forces, naval forces and of course the forces landing on the 5 beaches. One of the most fascinating stories I heard was about the British Royal Navy crews in the tiny 5 men-crewed X Type submarines that hid just off the coast of the British Overlord beaches, preparing to guide the landing crafts in. I had the pleasure of seeing one when I visited the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport. It is hard to imagine that 5 men were crammed in there taking turns to sleep in shifts of 4 hours.
There were also fascinating accounts of the seemingly small but significant (and risky) actions members of the French resistance performed in order to help support the D Day landings. The book also sensitively recalls the heavy death toll the Allied air raids, as part of Overlord, took on the French civilian population. The city of Caen in particular paid a heavy price for it’s liberation.
The cast of real-life characters featured is long and varied. Photographers, landing craft conmen and even a future cast member of Star Trek feature among others.
Overall, this book has impressive scope. I would recommend for those really interested in D Day and the wider Normandy campaign should consider reading “D Day” by Anthony Beevor, because both books compliment each other. But even though this book doesn’t have a singularly military focus, the research on this side appears to be solid. Perhaps obviously, I found the Omaha beach accounts especially moving. Loss of life is described as frankly, swiftly and brutally as it happened.
I had a particular privilege to visit the D Day Story Museum at Portsmouth recently. Reading this book and visiting there has given me a big appreciation for the sacrifice the Allied servicemen gave us.
You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months.
The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.”
Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, speech on the eve of D Day.
Military history accounts of D Day are not hard to come by. However, the real hook of this book is weaving stories of servicemen, ordinary civilians, generals, statesmen and the miscellaneous. The miscellaneous includes genuinely intriguing anecdotes such as the part one of the biggest toy manufacturers played in assisting the Allied Forces during the D Day landings.
To do this book justice, it still communicates to the reader layer by layer accounts of the different parts of Operation Overlord, including the paratrooper experiences, the air forces, naval forces and of course the forces landing on the 5 beaches. One of the most fascinating stories I heard was about the British Royal Navy crews in the tiny 5 men-crewed X Type submarines that hid just off the coast of the British Overlord beaches, preparing to guide the landing crafts in. I had the pleasure of seeing one when I visited the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport. It is hard to imagine that 5 men were crammed in there taking turns to sleep in shifts of 4 hours.
There were also fascinating accounts of the seemingly small but significant (and risky) actions members of the French resistance performed in order to help support the D Day landings. The book also sensitively recalls the heavy death toll the Allied air raids, as part of Overlord, took on the French civilian population. The city of Caen in particular paid a heavy price for it’s liberation.
The cast of real-life characters featured is long and varied. Photographers, landing craft conmen and even a future cast member of Star Trek feature among others.
Overall, this book has impressive scope. I would recommend for those really interested in D Day and the wider Normandy campaign should consider reading “D Day” by Anthony Beevor, because both books compliment each other. But even though this book doesn’t have a singularly military focus, the research on this side appears to be solid. Perhaps obviously, I found the Omaha beach accounts especially moving. Loss of life is described as frankly, swiftly and brutally as it happened.
I had a particular privilege to visit the D Day Story Museum at Portsmouth recently. Reading this book and visiting there has given me a big appreciation for the sacrifice the Allied servicemen gave us.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2017
Painstakingly compiled from dozens of sources and featuring various characters from the crucial events of D-Day, D-Day: Minute by Minute is a detailed account of the events that took place as the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Gold, Omaha, Sword, Juno and Utah in a last ditch effort to defeat the Nazis. From the decisions of people in high positions like Eisenhower and Churchill to soldiers charging on foot, the scope of the events covered is large and takes you right into the heart of the action.
Apart from the normal statistics of the number killed and wounded, the book takes you into small details like how the soldiers became sea-sick on their boats or would die from accidental causes like paratroopers blown off course and soldiers drowning alive in tanks that failed to float. Any idealisation of war that you might have possessed before reading this book is quickly destroyed as civilians, POWs and even soldiers of other nationalities forced to serve the Nazis all end up dead from intentional and unintentional fire.
The main gripe I had with this book is the sheer amount of characters or people that are mentioned in this book makes it hard to keep track of who is who. Some are relegated to a single paragraph while others keep popping up at various points in time as we keep track of their adventure. It can get confusing and disorientating as Jonathan Mayo attempts to build as complete of an account as possible of the events on D-Day.
Overall, this was a great account of what happened on D-Day, just that perhaps more structure in terms of people in the book could have been provided. 3.5/5
Apart from the normal statistics of the number killed and wounded, the book takes you into small details like how the soldiers became sea-sick on their boats or would die from accidental causes like paratroopers blown off course and soldiers drowning alive in tanks that failed to float. Any idealisation of war that you might have possessed before reading this book is quickly destroyed as civilians, POWs and even soldiers of other nationalities forced to serve the Nazis all end up dead from intentional and unintentional fire.
The main gripe I had with this book is the sheer amount of characters or people that are mentioned in this book makes it hard to keep track of who is who. Some are relegated to a single paragraph while others keep popping up at various points in time as we keep track of their adventure. It can get confusing and disorientating as Jonathan Mayo attempts to build as complete of an account as possible of the events on D-Day.
Overall, this was a great account of what happened on D-Day, just that perhaps more structure in terms of people in the book could have been provided. 3.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2021
This is the story of D-Day, the beginning of the end of WWII, from different accounts throughout that momentous day.
There are a great many books (many still being written today) about WWII and especially D-Day. I'm glad this is the one I picked up. As it says in the title this is a minute by minute account of that fateful day. It is not an historical narrative. Though a unique format, it works very well.
The story follows quite a few participants, organizers, civilians, and even quotes from Anne Frank's diary. One might think this different format may force the reader to struggle to experience the horror and dreadfulness of the day. But that would be wrong. There are several perspectives shared that have you taking deep breaths to continue reading.
What makes this book so good is the German perspectives throughout. Because at the end of it all their perspectives are also worthy of being known and shared. The chaos, the confusion, the desperation, and even the realization that the war could not be won. The author gives all of that from the Germans.
After reading this I may look into a more traditionally written account of D-Day, but I don't feel it's at all necessary if I decide not to.
A unique and gripping account of mankind's greatest day. 5 stars.
There are a great many books (many still being written today) about WWII and especially D-Day. I'm glad this is the one I picked up. As it says in the title this is a minute by minute account of that fateful day. It is not an historical narrative. Though a unique format, it works very well.
The story follows quite a few participants, organizers, civilians, and even quotes from Anne Frank's diary. One might think this different format may force the reader to struggle to experience the horror and dreadfulness of the day. But that would be wrong. There are several perspectives shared that have you taking deep breaths to continue reading.
What makes this book so good is the German perspectives throughout. Because at the end of it all their perspectives are also worthy of being known and shared. The chaos, the confusion, the desperation, and even the realization that the war could not be won. The author gives all of that from the Germans.
After reading this I may look into a more traditionally written account of D-Day, but I don't feel it's at all necessary if I decide not to.
A unique and gripping account of mankind's greatest day. 5 stars.
October 25, 2021
D Day brought to life
This is not a weighty tome of heavy military strategy and tactical planning and analysis. It is not a weighty account of the extensive training, approach and every beach assault on D Day.
It is a snapshot, minute by minute of events and voices who bore witness to the most pivotal episode in World War 2. But it is not superficial and light. It is an excellent overview, with meticulous research and detailed where necessary.
The short paragraphs follow with rapidity, illuminating the horrific, courageous and extraordinary events and the bravery of ordinary men in the face of brutal sustained bombardment and constant hostile fire. It also shows the ordinary, as well as bizarre events in a fast changing landscape. Focussing on both Allied and German first hand accounts, this book is invaluable in providing a comprehensive overview and a sense of what D Day was, how it resonates still and should never be forgotten.
This is not a weighty tome of heavy military strategy and tactical planning and analysis. It is not a weighty account of the extensive training, approach and every beach assault on D Day.
It is a snapshot, minute by minute of events and voices who bore witness to the most pivotal episode in World War 2. But it is not superficial and light. It is an excellent overview, with meticulous research and detailed where necessary.
The short paragraphs follow with rapidity, illuminating the horrific, courageous and extraordinary events and the bravery of ordinary men in the face of brutal sustained bombardment and constant hostile fire. It also shows the ordinary, as well as bizarre events in a fast changing landscape. Focussing on both Allied and German first hand accounts, this book is invaluable in providing a comprehensive overview and a sense of what D Day was, how it resonates still and should never be forgotten.
June 3, 2017
There is a lot of research that went in to this book but the format is unsatisfying to me. (I'm still reading it.) It is a moment by moment accounting of what is going on for a variety of people in both the Allies and enemies camps but the lack of continuity for me is frustrating. It does point out a large number of incredible events and situations that occurred but because it's a snippet and then moves on to someone else it has a chaotic feel. Yes I get that that is likely the point but as a reader it is unfulfilling. Additionally for me there is a considerable amount of assumptions about military equipment knowledge that the reader has, which is definitely not the case for me.
October 24, 2019
This book was suggested to me toward some of my own research and writing. My topic, while not unknown to D-day history or the general public conception, is considerably narrow -- specifically Bill Millin. At the beginning of my research I was mostly drawing from transcripts of an with Millin. It was fascinating to get direct-from-the-source telling, however I needed context -- moreover I was seeking an understanding of the timeline and the route of the commandos. This book helped to put Bill's content into context and lay a foundation for my understanding of the progression in a real-world frame. In my opinion Minute by Minute helps to make this history human.
September 1, 2020
Purchase D-Day: Minute by Minute here for just $12!
Great book to read if you are interested in D-Day. Included is eyewitness accounts from not only the soldiers, but from the civilians caught in the crossfire, and also what happened to these people after the war. A really interesting read.
Alicia - The Book Grocer
Great book to read if you are interested in D-Day. Included is eyewitness accounts from not only the soldiers, but from the civilians caught in the crossfire, and also what happened to these people after the war. A really interesting read.
Alicia - The Book Grocer
May 17, 2018
It is an interesting concept but it feels disjointed at times as it flips around stories. Some stories also grab your attention way more than others which can make sections feel like they drag on a bit. That being said their are some super interesting bits of story/information here and it does well to have accounts from both sides of the fighting helping the reader to grasp a fuller picture of the fighting.
March 31, 2018
It was interesting to get all these smaller accounts of D-Day. I had no idea that even the citizens of the occupied territories did their part to help in the allied victory. This was a nice way to get multiple personalities of what was happening around the several attack points. I'd recommend this to anyone even slightly curious about WW2
July 24, 2019
Clear structure with entertaining and informative commentary. If anyone else has problems keeping up with all the details of D-Day, I would definitely recommend checking out this book. It's a quick, easy read and as the title suggests, pays particular attention to the details leading up to and throughout the operation.
August 30, 2017
Excellent Read
This book puts you there through the eyes of those who took part on all sides. It was impossible to put down. Will read again after I visit the beaches which is on bucket list.
This book puts you there through the eyes of those who took part on all sides. It was impossible to put down. Will read again after I visit the beaches which is on bucket list.
August 15, 2017
An awesome account of the D-Day landings from the people that were there! Literally minute by minute action! If you think you knew about D-Day, think again! This is a must read - it should be required reading in schools!
November 9, 2018
It was a great book all the mini stories and letters it made me relay feel involved. It is a easy book to get very engrossed in. Overall I advise this book to anyone who likes to feel like the book is happening like a scene in front of you like a movie.
June 27, 2021
The Ultimate Day .
Great insight into the actions and things done by the Military and civilians alike , some fascinating facts also . The ultimate sacrifice many gave on that day to start the path of freedom for Europe .
Great insight into the actions and things done by the Military and civilians alike , some fascinating facts also . The ultimate sacrifice many gave on that day to start the path of freedom for Europe .
January 6, 2022
Gripping, page turner
The stories were often too short, so I’d end up googling because I wanted/needed more information, but overall this was a page turner and epic timeline of DDay. Highly recommend.
The stories were often too short, so I’d end up googling because I wanted/needed more information, but overall this was a page turner and epic timeline of DDay. Highly recommend.
July 28, 2023
While a lot of this may be familiar to those who know The Longest Day (film and/or Cornelius Ryan's book), this is a reasonable read, adds some occasional few details, and provides eye-witness/participant names and better context.
March 13, 2018
A small and enduring testimony of the last great war. As those who fought and lived it are all slowly passing on, I hope more and more will this book and others like it.
May 5, 2018
War is messy and even victory emerges out of chaos.
October 26, 2019
Absolutely adored this book. I thought I’d read everything I needed to read about D-Day, but this one makes it feel like you’re actually there. Highly recommended!
November 5, 2019
Excellent
Of all the books I've read about World War II this has given me an insight on the human level, a rarity in any book.
Of all the books I've read about World War II this has given me an insight on the human level, a rarity in any book.
April 30, 2020
Great book. Gave a frightening insight into the chaos & horror encountered by the brave soldiers and civilians
June 19, 2021
We all know the big story of Dday but this book is full of anecdotes from the soldiers and civilians who were there - what they were thinking and doing and feeling at the time.
September 8, 2021
Wow history by the minute
The world changed on the 6th June for the good, history from the mouths of survivors. Truly amazing read complex and deep.
The world changed on the 6th June for the good, history from the mouths of survivors. Truly amazing read complex and deep.
December 8, 2022
A wonderful resource for anyone researching the D Day Landings
November 2, 2025
Found the minute by minute idea fascinating and very well executed
December 7, 2025
- 2.5/5
Average
Average
April 21, 2016
A free digital copy of this book was procured via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If one is an avid devourer of all things relating to history, whether it be local or global, it is then perhaps not good to drink in the meager knowledge high school classes offer. For while they are short, concise, straight to the point and provides a bird’s eye view of the particular event, it is composed of a mere 0.5% of what truly happened. This was what I realized whilst reading D-Day: Minute by Minute.
Most of my knowledge of D-Day was gleaned from Saving Private Ryan, several entries from Anne Frank’s diary and My Chemical Romance’s The Ghost of You music video. I knew about Omaha Beach and that it happened somewhere in France. As you can see, my scholarship in this subject was limited to factoids gained over the years and I will be forever grateful to this book for helping me perceive D-Day in all its depth and bloody glory.
“You may be thankful that 20 years from now when you are sitting by the fireplace with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what you did in the great World War II, you won’t have to cough, shift him to the other knee and say, ‘Well, your Granddaddy shovelled shit in Louisiana.’ No, sir, you can look him straight in the eye and say, ‘Son, your Granddaddy rode with the Great 3rd Army and a son-of-a-goddamned bitch named Georgie Patton!’”
The book starts off not at the beginning of D-Day itself but at the events that slowly led towards this momentous invasion. The writing style is quick and fast-paced though unhesitant to expound or elucidate further. It was narrated in a practical and objective manner, giving me glances into the occurrences in both the Allies and the Axis sides.
Most writings concerning D-Day that I have read explain only the bare facts and the timeline. Initially, I expected the same from D-Day: Minute by Minute. It was a surprise to discover that Jonathan Mayo included eyewitness accounts from not only the soldiers, but from the civilians caught in the crossfire as well. Aside from this, he also included tidbits and facts about what happened to these people after the war; like the French girls who continued to send the American soldier who liberated them little gifts every Christmas.
Eisenhower will tell Kay later, ‘It’s very hard really to look a soldier in the eye, when you fear that you are sending him to his death.’
D-Day: Minute by Minute went into the nitty-gritty of the invasion, painstakingly explaining minute details, strategies and tactics. However, it did not focus solely on the bigger picture. I think what contributes to the modern people’s apathy of past events is that history is taught in a manner that makes it less human; less real. In my third year World History class, only the paltry questions were answered. This book veers away from that technique and introduces the people behind the event; the brave soldiers who fought, the families and sweethearts waiting behind, the generals and the officials with great burdens upon their shoulders, and the villagers who breathlessly waited for liberation. By revealing the human side of the attack instead of emphasizing the statistics and the numbers, Jonathan Mayo achieved in writing an unforgettable book, one that will stay with me over the years.
Shepard is shocked by the sight of mangled bodies on the sand and in the surf, and is amazed that the wounded lie so quietly, knowing that there’s no use in calling for help, as every man is needed to fight.
D-Day: Minute by Minute is not just a simple timeline of the historic event. It is a story of the brave and courageous human beings who sacrificed their lives for a chance at freedom. Remarkable and extraordinary, this is a book that I highly recommend.
If one is an avid devourer of all things relating to history, whether it be local or global, it is then perhaps not good to drink in the meager knowledge high school classes offer. For while they are short, concise, straight to the point and provides a bird’s eye view of the particular event, it is composed of a mere 0.5% of what truly happened. This was what I realized whilst reading D-Day: Minute by Minute.
Most of my knowledge of D-Day was gleaned from Saving Private Ryan, several entries from Anne Frank’s diary and My Chemical Romance’s The Ghost of You music video. I knew about Omaha Beach and that it happened somewhere in France. As you can see, my scholarship in this subject was limited to factoids gained over the years and I will be forever grateful to this book for helping me perceive D-Day in all its depth and bloody glory.
“You may be thankful that 20 years from now when you are sitting by the fireplace with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what you did in the great World War II, you won’t have to cough, shift him to the other knee and say, ‘Well, your Granddaddy shovelled shit in Louisiana.’ No, sir, you can look him straight in the eye and say, ‘Son, your Granddaddy rode with the Great 3rd Army and a son-of-a-goddamned bitch named Georgie Patton!’”
The book starts off not at the beginning of D-Day itself but at the events that slowly led towards this momentous invasion. The writing style is quick and fast-paced though unhesitant to expound or elucidate further. It was narrated in a practical and objective manner, giving me glances into the occurrences in both the Allies and the Axis sides.
Most writings concerning D-Day that I have read explain only the bare facts and the timeline. Initially, I expected the same from D-Day: Minute by Minute. It was a surprise to discover that Jonathan Mayo included eyewitness accounts from not only the soldiers, but from the civilians caught in the crossfire as well. Aside from this, he also included tidbits and facts about what happened to these people after the war; like the French girls who continued to send the American soldier who liberated them little gifts every Christmas.
Eisenhower will tell Kay later, ‘It’s very hard really to look a soldier in the eye, when you fear that you are sending him to his death.’
D-Day: Minute by Minute went into the nitty-gritty of the invasion, painstakingly explaining minute details, strategies and tactics. However, it did not focus solely on the bigger picture. I think what contributes to the modern people’s apathy of past events is that history is taught in a manner that makes it less human; less real. In my third year World History class, only the paltry questions were answered. This book veers away from that technique and introduces the people behind the event; the brave soldiers who fought, the families and sweethearts waiting behind, the generals and the officials with great burdens upon their shoulders, and the villagers who breathlessly waited for liberation. By revealing the human side of the attack instead of emphasizing the statistics and the numbers, Jonathan Mayo achieved in writing an unforgettable book, one that will stay with me over the years.
Shepard is shocked by the sight of mangled bodies on the sand and in the surf, and is amazed that the wounded lie so quietly, knowing that there’s no use in calling for help, as every man is needed to fight.
D-Day: Minute by Minute is not just a simple timeline of the historic event. It is a story of the brave and courageous human beings who sacrificed their lives for a chance at freedom. Remarkable and extraordinary, this is a book that I highly recommend.
December 6, 2014
This book about D-Day, is a fast paced and full of information that I have not read about in any of the other books about this invasion. I have been drawn to WWII books and other military books because my father fought in WWII with the 82nd airborne. Mr. Mayo takes you back and forth between the different sides. American, British, French, Canadian, and German. He does explain also how Polish, and Norwegians, troops also made the landing. Also a Norwegian ship was torpedo during the early morning losing 45 men. That was something that I had never heard about before. You will find out about the German Commander who sank that ship and did it with boats that were similar to our PT-boats of WWII. Mr. Mayo goes into great detail in how the day unfolded, for everyone from the people of France, to the soldiers and to the men behind the scenes. The elaborate ruse to make the Germans think that the invasion was going to take place somewhere else. How most of the high ranking Germans, Rommel being one of them not being there and taking him until night fall to arrive back at his headquarters. How before the invasion and during the invasion not once were there any reports by the German air corps, letting them know any details. Then of course Omaha Beach, which out of all of the landing sites had the highest casualties, the fighting 29, 2,440 and the 1st Division(the Big Red One), 1,744. Most would be killed in the first two hours. You will find out about the role the French Resistance played and how the Gestapo, would kill 69 of them. How the man who would play Scotty, on Star Trek, the T.V. series. This is a very fascinating book with a lot of information that is not found in other books, and is written in a way that is fascinating when put all together. The way the author goes from the beginning of the day to after the day ended in the early morning of the next makes this a fast read. A very good book. I got this book from net galley.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews