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Assault on Juno
Dawn, June 6, 1944. Off the Normandy coast 6,500 ships carry 150,000 Allied troops. This is D-Day, the long-awaited Allied invasion of German-occupied Europe. The Allies will storm five beaches. One is code-named Juno Beach. Here, 14,500 Canadians will land on a five-mile stretch of sand backed by three resort towns. The beach is heavily protected by a seawall, barbed wire, underwater obstacles and hundreds of mines. Behind these defenses a heavily armed German force waits inside thick concrete pillboxes and deep trenches that bristle with machine-guns and artillery pieces.
About 3,500 Canadians will lead the way. The fate of the invasion is in their hands. They either break the German defenses or die trying. Piling out of small, frail landing craft, they struggle through bullet- and shell-whipped water to gain the sand. And the bloody battle for Juno Beach begins.
With his trademark you-are-there style, acclaimed military historian Mark Zuehlke plunges readers into a vivid and powerful account of the day-long battle that put the Allies on the march toward victory in World War II.
About 3,500 Canadians will lead the way. The fate of the invasion is in their hands. They either break the German defenses or die trying. Piling out of small, frail landing craft, they struggle through bullet- and shell-whipped water to gain the sand. And the bloody battle for Juno Beach begins.
With his trademark you-are-there style, acclaimed military historian Mark Zuehlke plunges readers into a vivid and powerful account of the day-long battle that put the Allies on the march toward victory in World War II.
- GenresHistory
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2012
4 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Mark Zuehlke
53 books91 followersOn January 1, 1981, Mark Zuehlke walked away from a journalism career to pursue magazine and book writing fulltime. He has never looked back. In 1992, Mark published his first book—Magazine Writing From the Boonies (co-authored with Louise Donnelly)—and now concentrates almost exclusively on writing of books.
Fascinated by Canada’s military heritage, Mark first set to writing about the role Canadians played in World War II after discussing the Battle of Ortona with several veterans in a Royal Canadian Legion following a Remembrance Day Ceremony in Kelowna, B.C. Discovering no book had been written on this pivotal battle, Mark decided to fill that gap. Ortona: Canada’s Epic World War II Battle was the result. The book’s success encouraged him to develop The Canadian Battle Series, which documents the Canadian World War II experience and has resulted in his being declared by Jack Granatstein as the nation’s leading popular military historian.
Mark is also an award winning mystery writer, whose popular Elias McCann series has garnered much critical praise. Set in storm-swept west coast Vancouver Island village of Tofino, the series follows the investigations of reluctant community coroner Elias McCann. Hands Like Clouds, the debut title in this series, won the Crime Writers of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award for the 2000 Best First Novel and the third instalment, Sweep Lotus, was nominated for the 2004 Arthur Ellis Best Novel.
When not writing, this Victoria, British Columbia resident can often be found tinkering around the Fernwood heritage house he shares with partner and fellow writer Frances Backhouse. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, cycling, kayaking, travelling, and cooking.
Fascinated by Canada’s military heritage, Mark first set to writing about the role Canadians played in World War II after discussing the Battle of Ortona with several veterans in a Royal Canadian Legion following a Remembrance Day Ceremony in Kelowna, B.C. Discovering no book had been written on this pivotal battle, Mark decided to fill that gap. Ortona: Canada’s Epic World War II Battle was the result. The book’s success encouraged him to develop The Canadian Battle Series, which documents the Canadian World War II experience and has resulted in his being declared by Jack Granatstein as the nation’s leading popular military historian.
Mark is also an award winning mystery writer, whose popular Elias McCann series has garnered much critical praise. Set in storm-swept west coast Vancouver Island village of Tofino, the series follows the investigations of reluctant community coroner Elias McCann. Hands Like Clouds, the debut title in this series, won the Crime Writers of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award for the 2000 Best First Novel and the third instalment, Sweep Lotus, was nominated for the 2004 Arthur Ellis Best Novel.
When not writing, this Victoria, British Columbia resident can often be found tinkering around the Fernwood heritage house he shares with partner and fellow writer Frances Backhouse. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, cycling, kayaking, travelling, and cooking.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 9 reviews
May 18, 2018
I didn't like this book because it was not just talking about one person. there was no main person.
March 3, 2020
A gripping account of the Canadian involvement in D-Day.
August 10, 2021
Detailed but not too heavy to follow. I believe this may be the first account of a specific battle that I have read, despite all the books about this period that I have previously consumed.
January 6, 2024
The beach assigned to Canadian troops on D-Day was Juno and this is a brief account of the actions of that day and the heroism of those who survived.
July 19, 2012
Well, there are other military histories out there. I am thinking specifically of Cornelius Ryan and the Longest Day. Admittedly that takes a broader look at D-Day and not just Juno Beach.
Here we have a Canadian writer who has written several books on the subject. This seems to be a heavily edited piece for the Rapid Reads imprint.
The editors need to take a look at their formatting process for there are several places where the kerning causes a word to be formed from several as a giant super word.
The tale itself honors many of the fallen, some 366 in the Canadian forces according to the numbers Zuehlke gives us. Not that every single one is mentioned. But a good many are. What we need to make this piece work though is more maps that drill down and relate to the chapters. A timeline that is consistent and does not jump as one unit's deeds are related to dusk, and then we are back on the beach at noon.
A table of organization so we can keep track of which major and captain and Colonel all work together. Of where the tanks were assigned.
In the end, what I feel I have read is secondary research. That Zuehlke took the works of others who interviewed the survivors of the battle and put them together, now 60+ years later. Unlike Ryan and authors closer to the source, who actually interviewed the combatants. I also sense we lose a lot by only hearing of the Canadians and not those whom they fought, killed and captured. Hearing what the Germans were doing before, during and after the prepatory bombardment and then during the assault, would have made this a true piece of history. Instead, just telling us about the Canadians is a man, writing history from the point of view of the victors. Or rewriting history. And as i mentioned, it seems like he has taken his material from the shoulders of others.
So I can do no better than saying that I am left thinking this average. It would score much better if just the editing gave us better maps, the TOO, and a better timeline.
Here we have a Canadian writer who has written several books on the subject. This seems to be a heavily edited piece for the Rapid Reads imprint.
The editors need to take a look at their formatting process for there are several places where the kerning causes a word to be formed from several as a giant super word.
The tale itself honors many of the fallen, some 366 in the Canadian forces according to the numbers Zuehlke gives us. Not that every single one is mentioned. But a good many are. What we need to make this piece work though is more maps that drill down and relate to the chapters. A timeline that is consistent and does not jump as one unit's deeds are related to dusk, and then we are back on the beach at noon.
A table of organization so we can keep track of which major and captain and Colonel all work together. Of where the tanks were assigned.
In the end, what I feel I have read is secondary research. That Zuehlke took the works of others who interviewed the survivors of the battle and put them together, now 60+ years later. Unlike Ryan and authors closer to the source, who actually interviewed the combatants. I also sense we lose a lot by only hearing of the Canadians and not those whom they fought, killed and captured. Hearing what the Germans were doing before, during and after the prepatory bombardment and then during the assault, would have made this a true piece of history. Instead, just telling us about the Canadians is a man, writing history from the point of view of the victors. Or rewriting history. And as i mentioned, it seems like he has taken his material from the shoulders of others.
So I can do no better than saying that I am left thinking this average. It would score much better if just the editing gave us better maps, the TOO, and a better timeline.
November 7, 2012
Zuehlke, Mark. Assault on Juno. Victoria, BC: Raven Books/Ocra Book Publishers, 2012. EPUB.
Mark Zuehlke has written numerous books on Canadian military history and was short-listed for the Pierre Berton Award (2007), which is awarded to those who present Canadian history in captivating approaches. Previously a journalist, he began writing in 1981. He published his first book in 1992. Following his passion for military history, Zuehlke wrote Ortona: Canada’s Epic World War II Battle, and following its success, created The Canadian Battle Series. His work is noted by Jack Granatstein, a political and military specialist, as well as a professor at York University until his retirement in 1995.
Assault on Juno is a fast paced account of the invasion the 2nd Canadian Armored Brigade and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division on Juno Beach. Zuehlke's use of first hand accounts, names of soldiers and intense action bring urgency and personalization to the account. The language is accessible and the EPUB version enables the reader to look up definitions and Wikipedia explanations of military jargon.
I enjoyed this book, although I found it challenging to follow the different advances each group made. Having little background in military history, many of the invasion equipment and tactics were new for me. I was glad to have the EPUB version so I could look things up periodically.
Suggested age range: Grades 10 and up.
Author: Mark Zuehlke
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Year of Publication: 2012
Language: English
Edition/Format: eBook
Reading Level: Fry 4.0
Related Weblink(s):
Orca Book Publishers: http://www.orcabook.com/productdetail...
Children's Literature (n.d.). Retrieved from http://clcd.com/cgi-bin/member/search...
Mark Zuehlke has written numerous books on Canadian military history and was short-listed for the Pierre Berton Award (2007), which is awarded to those who present Canadian history in captivating approaches. Previously a journalist, he began writing in 1981. He published his first book in 1992. Following his passion for military history, Zuehlke wrote Ortona: Canada’s Epic World War II Battle, and following its success, created The Canadian Battle Series. His work is noted by Jack Granatstein, a political and military specialist, as well as a professor at York University until his retirement in 1995.
Assault on Juno is a fast paced account of the invasion the 2nd Canadian Armored Brigade and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division on Juno Beach. Zuehlke's use of first hand accounts, names of soldiers and intense action bring urgency and personalization to the account. The language is accessible and the EPUB version enables the reader to look up definitions and Wikipedia explanations of military jargon.
I enjoyed this book, although I found it challenging to follow the different advances each group made. Having little background in military history, many of the invasion equipment and tactics were new for me. I was glad to have the EPUB version so I could look things up periodically.
Suggested age range: Grades 10 and up.
Author: Mark Zuehlke
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Year of Publication: 2012
Language: English
Edition/Format: eBook
Reading Level: Fry 4.0
Related Weblink(s):
Orca Book Publishers: http://www.orcabook.com/productdetail...
Children's Literature (n.d.). Retrieved from http://clcd.com/cgi-bin/member/search...
April 6, 2013
Good read for those interested in Canadian WWII history.
May 24, 2016
This is an account of the Canadian advance on D-day on the Normandy coast. If you enjoy history you will enjoy this accounting of the war that day.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 9 reviews