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The Devils of D-Day
ARMY OF EVIL...
At the bridge of Le Vey in July 1944, thirteen black tanks smashed through the German lines in an unstoppable, all-destroying fury ride. Leaving hundreds of Hitler’s soldiers horribly dead.
Thirty-five years later, Dan McCook visited that area of Normandy on an investigation of the battle site. There he found a rusting tank by the roadside that was perfectly sealed, upon its turret a protective crucifix. Sceptical, he dared open it, releasing upon himself and the innocents who had helped him an unimaginable horror that led back to that black day in 1944. And re-opened the ages-old physical battle between the world and Evil Incarnate...
From today’s master of the occult thriller, here is a riveting, mega-chill novel of modern-day demonism.
THE DEVILS OF D-DAY IS ABOUT A NEW SATANIC KIND OF WAR.
At the bridge of Le Vey in July 1944, thirteen black tanks smashed through the German lines in an unstoppable, all-destroying fury ride. Leaving hundreds of Hitler’s soldiers horribly dead.
Thirty-five years later, Dan McCook visited that area of Normandy on an investigation of the battle site. There he found a rusting tank by the roadside that was perfectly sealed, upon its turret a protective crucifix. Sceptical, he dared open it, releasing upon himself and the innocents who had helped him an unimaginable horror that led back to that black day in 1944. And re-opened the ages-old physical battle between the world and Evil Incarnate...
From today’s master of the occult thriller, here is a riveting, mega-chill novel of modern-day demonism.
THE DEVILS OF D-DAY IS ABOUT A NEW SATANIC KIND OF WAR.
180 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 24, 1979
46 people are currently reading
578 people want to read
About the author
Graham Masterton
423 books1,983 followersGraham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.
At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.
Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.
Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.
He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.
Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.
He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.
Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.
Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.
He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.
Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.
He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
December 26, 2022
How many stories are out there that deal with the Nazis and the occult? Well, Masterton flips the script here, for it seems the Allies also did a little dabbling! The Devils of D-Day was first published in 1979, making it a rather early entry in Masterton's vast corpus, featuring Dan McCook as the main protagonist. Dan, a cartographer, is in France making a map of the D-Day invasion for a forthcoming book on the subject one cold winter. After meeting a couple of locals deep in Normandy, who tell him about a strange American tank nearby that remains from the invasion, his curiosity takes over. He finds the tank, old and decrepit now, but strangely welded completely closed, and on the grounds of an old farm; going to the farm, he finds the proverbial farmer's daughter and gets the scoop on the tank, or at least part of it...
This is really a fun read and Masterton takes us on a rather wild ride here to be sure, filled with lots of twists and turns that I for one did not see coming. Masterton always balanced his horror with humor (sometimes more of the latter!), making his work almost, but not quite a parody of the genre. Things go from bad to worse for Dan and the farmer's daughter as the story progresses and the denouement was a total surprise. A rather lite read, but fun nonetheless. 3.5 devilish stars, rounding up for the ending.
This is really a fun read and Masterton takes us on a rather wild ride here to be sure, filled with lots of twists and turns that I for one did not see coming. Masterton always balanced his horror with humor (sometimes more of the latter!), making his work almost, but not quite a parody of the genre. Things go from bad to worse for Dan and the farmer's daughter as the story progresses and the denouement was a total surprise. A rather lite read, but fun nonetheless. 3.5 devilish stars, rounding up for the ending.
April 19, 2018
Γαματη ιδεα, φτωχη εκτελεση
April 22, 2015
One of Masterton's earlier efforts and as such it is slimmer in volume and somewhat in development than his subsequent terrific books, but it's just as entertaining starting with the cutely clever foreword. One of my favorite things about Masterton's work is his backstories and he doesn't disappoint here either. WWII apparently had some really interesting secrets and Allies were quite creative when it came to asking for help. Moral is plain...so long as men wage war, the demons will walk the earth. In order to know how literally to take it, one must really read the book. Quick and fun read. Recommended.
September 1, 2017
Πρέπει να έχουν περάσει πάνω από δέκα χρόνια από τότε που αγόρασα και πρωτοδιάβασα αυτό το βιβλίο. Μιας και έτυχε όμως να μην έχω καινούριο αδιάβαστο κάποια στιγμή τον Μάιο, είπα να του κάνω μια επανάληψη, την οποία και δε μετάνιωσα καθόλου. Οκ, είναι τέτοιο το θέμα του που δύσκολα θα μπορούσε να ανήκει σε εκείνα τα ''ακατέβατα πεντάρια'', αλλά από την άλλη, όποιος αρέσκεται στον τρόμο θα βρει εδώ κάτι που δύσκολα θα του περάσει απαρατήρητο.
January 19, 2019
In July of 1944, 13 mysterious black Allied tanks crossed the bridge into the village of Le Vey, Normandy, and laid waste to the Germans.
12 of those tanks vanished into the mists of history.
The 13th lies rusting where it stopped. And after 35 years it remains, welded shut, sealed with a crucifix and given wide berth by the locals.
Until Dan McCook, an American cartographer making maps of the area for a book on World War II, becomes fascinated by the old relic....and inadvertently unleashes a demonic force intent on reuniting the 13. To wage a war that will bring Hell on Earth.
Masterton flips the old standby of "Nazis tampering with the occult" and drops the responsibility for supernatural weapons on the Allies in this fast, fun read.
Recommended for fans of old school horror.
12 of those tanks vanished into the mists of history.
The 13th lies rusting where it stopped. And after 35 years it remains, welded shut, sealed with a crucifix and given wide berth by the locals.
Until Dan McCook, an American cartographer making maps of the area for a book on World War II, becomes fascinated by the old relic....and inadvertently unleashes a demonic force intent on reuniting the 13. To wage a war that will bring Hell on Earth.
Masterton flips the old standby of "Nazis tampering with the occult" and drops the responsibility for supernatural weapons on the Allies in this fast, fun read.
Recommended for fans of old school horror.
November 23, 2016
This is one of Masterton's early novels, and it's a fun and imaginative story with lots of interesting twists and turns and quirks. There have been several stories of the evil Nazis using supernatural weapons against the Allies, but this one reverses the rolls... and not in a good fun way like Jeb Stuart and The Haunted Tank, either. It's an exciting and entertaining read, though not too much in the way of historical accuracy. (There's a foreword that warns the reader not to read the spells out loud; better safe than sorry.)
August 18, 2018
The action is set in Normandy, France. It's an intriguing story starting with a deserted mysterious tank, a grim reminder of D-Day. Why was it left and who sealed it for what reason? You don't wont't to do business with those demons and their chief. You really feel with the cast and try to help them. Page turning, fast paced novel you can't stop reading. I especially liked the historical background the author delivers on the demons and the course of European history influenced by those evil spirits. I also liked the references to The Exorcist. Clear recommendation!
May 17, 2018
Αν και ο Μάστερτον είναι ένας συγγραφέας που συμπαθώ (;) τα βιβλία του δε μου λένε τίποτα. Διάβασα δυο τρία του, εξίσου αδιάφορα. Η γραφή του είναι πολύ απλοϊκή - για δεκαπεντάχρονα, το είδος του τρόμου που εκπροσωπεί δε με τρομάζει, μάλλον δεν ταιριάζουμε :D
December 24, 2025
Otro gran libro de Masterton. El bueno de Garham es capaz de juntar la cutrez gore de los horror paperbacks con la socarronería escocesa y una detallada investigación de los temas que emprende.
En esta pequeña novela se sirve de apenas 200 páginas para contarnos una historia donde un joven cartógrafo americano descubre un tanque negro en una carretera en un pintoresco pueblo francés en Normandía. El extraño tanque está sellado y ha venido produciendo extraños eventos e incluso alguna muerte porque contiene un demonio dentro.
Después de recibir un poco de empuje del demonio, el estadounidense decide liberar a la aldea de su azote. Con la ayuda de un sacerdote local, se recupera una bolsa de huesos de demonios polvorientos del tanque. Pero antes de que los huesos puedan ser debidamente exorcizados, el demonio adquiere su verdadera forma y destripa al sacerdote y obliga a la estadounidense y a una granjera local a llevarlo a sus doce hermanos, para que puedan llamar a su amo, un diablo apropiadamente demoníaco, Adramelec.
Los demonios fueron usados por los americanos para ganar esa batalla en Normandía y ahora claman por regresar al mundo.
Un locurón a los que Masterton nos tiene acostumbrados pero que se disfruta tanto como una buena película de serie B.
En esta pequeña novela se sirve de apenas 200 páginas para contarnos una historia donde un joven cartógrafo americano descubre un tanque negro en una carretera en un pintoresco pueblo francés en Normandía. El extraño tanque está sellado y ha venido produciendo extraños eventos e incluso alguna muerte porque contiene un demonio dentro.
Después de recibir un poco de empuje del demonio, el estadounidense decide liberar a la aldea de su azote. Con la ayuda de un sacerdote local, se recupera una bolsa de huesos de demonios polvorientos del tanque. Pero antes de que los huesos puedan ser debidamente exorcizados, el demonio adquiere su verdadera forma y destripa al sacerdote y obliga a la estadounidense y a una granjera local a llevarlo a sus doce hermanos, para que puedan llamar a su amo, un diablo apropiadamente demoníaco, Adramelec.
Los demonios fueron usados por los americanos para ganar esa batalla en Normandía y ahora claman por regresar al mundo.
Un locurón a los que Masterton nos tiene acostumbrados pero que se disfruta tanto como una buena película de serie B.
July 13, 2019
This review first appeared on scifiandscary.com
Britain in the 1970s was still obsessed with the Second World War. In some ways that might seem surprising, as the 70s doesn’t feel that long ago to me, but it’s worth remembering that 1978 is a fair bit closer to 1945 than it is 2019. As a kid I had teachers who fought in the war, and representations of it and its aftereffects proliferated in British popular culture. Even something as modern feeling as ‘The Rats’ is set in a London still scarred by bomb sites.
‘The Devils of D-Day’ is the first book at I’ve looked at that tackles the war head on, though. Later in the month I’ll be reviewing James Herbert’s ‘The Spear’ which adopts the ‘the Nazis used occult forces’ trope. Graham Masterton’s book takes a slightly different approach, this time it’s the Allies who are summoning demons.
The book has a contemporary setting – Normandy, with its hero, Dan McCook, an American cartographer who is there to map D-Day battlefields for a book. He discovers the abandoned wreck of an American tank, sealed up and with a metal crucifix welded to it. Through conversations with the locals he learns that it was one of 13 tanks used in the D-Day landings by the allies, each driven by a demon imprisoned inside it. The demon in this tank is, of course, still there, and it whispers to Dan from its prison, begging him to free it.
What follows is a creepy tale of the occult that is more akin to the demonic possession sub-genre that was so popular in the 1970s, than the war novel the cover promises. The demon is genuinely unsettling, and the violence is imaginatively horrific. We see characters vomit maggots, an old woman skewered by every blade in her house, and more. As in, Blatty’s ‘The Exorcist’ the language the monster uses is often as disturbing as the physical atrocities it commits. The concept of the military using demons might seem silly, but by focussing on the present day rather than the historical events, Masterton makes it work. He also weaves in some effective commentary about how normal rules sometimes go out the window in times of war. Parallels are drawn between the evil that has been unleashed and the atomic bomb, the result being a horror novel that is a little more thoughtful than many.
It’s an enjoyable book. Ingeniously nasty, gripping and satisfying. McCook is a believable hero, but the demon is the star of the show – memorably evil and decidedly chilling.
Britain in the 1970s was still obsessed with the Second World War. In some ways that might seem surprising, as the 70s doesn’t feel that long ago to me, but it’s worth remembering that 1978 is a fair bit closer to 1945 than it is 2019. As a kid I had teachers who fought in the war, and representations of it and its aftereffects proliferated in British popular culture. Even something as modern feeling as ‘The Rats’ is set in a London still scarred by bomb sites.
‘The Devils of D-Day’ is the first book at I’ve looked at that tackles the war head on, though. Later in the month I’ll be reviewing James Herbert’s ‘The Spear’ which adopts the ‘the Nazis used occult forces’ trope. Graham Masterton’s book takes a slightly different approach, this time it’s the Allies who are summoning demons.
The book has a contemporary setting – Normandy, with its hero, Dan McCook, an American cartographer who is there to map D-Day battlefields for a book. He discovers the abandoned wreck of an American tank, sealed up and with a metal crucifix welded to it. Through conversations with the locals he learns that it was one of 13 tanks used in the D-Day landings by the allies, each driven by a demon imprisoned inside it. The demon in this tank is, of course, still there, and it whispers to Dan from its prison, begging him to free it.
What follows is a creepy tale of the occult that is more akin to the demonic possession sub-genre that was so popular in the 1970s, than the war novel the cover promises. The demon is genuinely unsettling, and the violence is imaginatively horrific. We see characters vomit maggots, an old woman skewered by every blade in her house, and more. As in, Blatty’s ‘The Exorcist’ the language the monster uses is often as disturbing as the physical atrocities it commits. The concept of the military using demons might seem silly, but by focussing on the present day rather than the historical events, Masterton makes it work. He also weaves in some effective commentary about how normal rules sometimes go out the window in times of war. Parallels are drawn between the evil that has been unleashed and the atomic bomb, the result being a horror novel that is a little more thoughtful than many.
It’s an enjoyable book. Ingeniously nasty, gripping and satisfying. McCook is a believable hero, but the demon is the star of the show – memorably evil and decidedly chilling.
July 16, 2020
All right. Confession time.
I bought this book largely for the cover. More specifically, the demon featured above the tank. Because it is the same image used for the cover of Metallica's 'Jump in the Fire' 12".
And the hook about satanic tanks in WWII kind of sealed the deal.
Which doesn't explain (or forgive) why I read it.
Following on from the anti-war 'Slaughterhouse 5', I seem to be on a mini war-roll. And I was undecided as to which book to jump in to next, so this was a filler while I made my mind up.
So, with all that in mind, I probably should have read the blurb on the back a bit more diligently, as I was expecting a rollicking weird war tale with satanic tanks. What I got instead was a contemporary (for 1979) horror tale that stemmed from said satanic battle tanks, but took place in the present. Oh well, it was a quick read at least.
What I liked about this book.
Satanic tanks, even if only in reference (in action at any rate). And the kind of cheesy occult horror that the '70's excelled at. Mash that up with a huge dollop of World War II, and hints of medieval demonology, and I'm in. There was the odd moment of effective weirdness and chilling horror (a bit too few and far in between), and did I mention satanic tanks?
What I didn't like about the book.
The endless similes rained down like rain during a monsoon. The by-the-numbers climax and inane accompanying dialog. The lack of this book being actually set in World War II.
The last horror book I read was the superb 'House of Leaves', and pretty much any horror I read after that (not that that's really my thing anyway) was going to suffer by comparison. And 'The Devils of D-Day' certainly did. It was a cliche read, but I didn't mind that so much really, given that I'm a sucker for the occult. So I didn't have high expectations, and, by and large, they were met and not excelled. Quick, nostalgic, ticked off a few themes, great cover, good filler, have now decided which book I want to read next, job done.
I bought this book largely for the cover. More specifically, the demon featured above the tank. Because it is the same image used for the cover of Metallica's 'Jump in the Fire' 12".
And the hook about satanic tanks in WWII kind of sealed the deal.
Which doesn't explain (or forgive) why I read it.
Following on from the anti-war 'Slaughterhouse 5', I seem to be on a mini war-roll. And I was undecided as to which book to jump in to next, so this was a filler while I made my mind up.
So, with all that in mind, I probably should have read the blurb on the back a bit more diligently, as I was expecting a rollicking weird war tale with satanic tanks. What I got instead was a contemporary (for 1979) horror tale that stemmed from said satanic battle tanks, but took place in the present. Oh well, it was a quick read at least.
What I liked about this book.
Satanic tanks, even if only in reference (in action at any rate). And the kind of cheesy occult horror that the '70's excelled at. Mash that up with a huge dollop of World War II, and hints of medieval demonology, and I'm in. There was the odd moment of effective weirdness and chilling horror (a bit too few and far in between), and did I mention satanic tanks?
What I didn't like about the book.
The endless similes rained down like rain during a monsoon. The by-the-numbers climax and inane accompanying dialog. The lack of this book being actually set in World War II.
The last horror book I read was the superb 'House of Leaves', and pretty much any horror I read after that (not that that's really my thing anyway) was going to suffer by comparison. And 'The Devils of D-Day' certainly did. It was a cliche read, but I didn't mind that so much really, given that I'm a sucker for the occult. So I didn't have high expectations, and, by and large, they were met and not excelled. Quick, nostalgic, ticked off a few themes, great cover, good filler, have now decided which book I want to read next, job done.
November 24, 2014
During the D-Day invasion at Normandy, Allied forces called on dark powers to engage the enemy. At the end of the war, one of the evil weapons remained on the battlefield. Thirty years later, it is demanding to be reunited with its ancient brothers.
This was a fun read. You could drive a tank through a couple of the plot holes. But, that in no way detracted from the entertainment value of this novel.
3 1/2 STARS
This was a fun read. You could drive a tank through a couple of the plot holes. But, that in no way detracted from the entertainment value of this novel.
3 1/2 STARS
May 5, 2020
Από τα πρώτα του Μαστερτον, κυκλοφόρησε πρίν 40 χρόνια! Αρχίζει πολλά υποσχόμενο αλλά στο φινάλε έχασε αρκετά, κρίμα. Η γραφή εδώ και η μετάφραση είναι εξαιρετική, το εξώφυλλο είναι από τα χειρότερα που έχω δεί.
October 16, 2025
Nieopodal Pont D’Ouilly w Normandii w 1944 roku toczyły się ciężkie walki, a pozostałością po nich jest pozostawiony przez armię stary czołg z zaspawanym włazem, na którym dodatkowo doczepiono krzyż. Miejscowi twierdzą, że Niemcy uciekając z miejsca bitwy mówili, że walczyli z samym diabłem. Inne plotki mówią, że w czołgu czai się zło, a nocami można usłyszeć dochodzące z niego głosy. Młody kartograf, Daniel McCook, który pracuje w tych okolicach przygotowując mapy do książki o lądowaniu w Normandii, postanawia rozwiązać zagadkę nawiedzonego czołgu. Tylko czy będzie w stanie znieść to, co uda mu się odkryć?
Pomysł dość ciekawy – autor wplótł sprytnie diabły i demony w historię II wojny światowej. Gdyby nie słabe zakończenie, mogłabym nawet podnieść trochę swoją ocenę. Niestety, naciągana jak guma w portkach końcówka mnie rozczarowała.
5/10
Pomysł dość ciekawy – autor wplótł sprytnie diabły i demony w historię II wojny światowej. Gdyby nie słabe zakończenie, mogłabym nawet podnieść trochę swoją ocenę. Niestety, naciągana jak guma w portkach końcówka mnie rozczarowała.
5/10
March 29, 2019
Αυτό που με παραξένεψε σε αυτό το βιβλίο ήταν το αλλόκοτο στήσιμο της πλοκής του. Πέρα από το ότι ήταν λίγο και ότι όλα έγιναν πολύ γρήγορα, οι τελευταίες 60 σελίδες ήταν ουσιαστικά η τελευταία σκηνή -αλλά καταιγιστική. Δεν μπορώ να πω βέβαια ότι με χάλασε ακριβώς αυτό καθώς με κράτησε κολλημένο και το "έφαγα" σε μερικές ώρες. Η όλη ιδέα ήταν σαφώς πολύ καλή και το κομμάτι των δαιμόνων με εντυπωσίασε. Κατά τα άλλα κλασικός Masterton σε όλα του. Με διπλάσιο ίσως μέγεθος και καλύτερο στήσιμο θα πυροβολούσε!
February 3, 2019
A short novel, and one I suspect has not stood the test of time particularly well. The Devils of D-Day was published in 1978, and one can tell.
Firstly, I expect narrative conventions have moved on - I expected to be a lot more horrified than I was. When it comes to horror, I'm a bit of a wimp - this didn't cause me the slightest bit of unease, let alone a desire to read it with the lights on. In fact, the anticipation of the horror to come was decidedly more unnerving than the actual level of horror provided. Yes, a few people die in messy ways, but I wasn't bothered unduly. Or maybe that says more about me than about narrative convention...
Secondly, the casual sexism evident from the first introduction of Madeleine (secondary character and potential love interest) certainly indicates the book's vintage. The late seventies were a different time, with different views on the place of women in society - and it shows. Madeleine, poor girl, has no function other than to be beautiful and provide the requisite love interest during most of the book (and not even much of the latter); she gets upgraded to deus ex machina later. At no point does she get much in the way of character development - although that may be unfair criticism, since the other characters aren't exactly deep either.
Plot-wise, well, if it were a road, this book would be a German Autobahn - it goes straight from A to B, with no detours and no complexity. The characters do this, then that, then the other, then bam - done.
In conclusion - The Devils of D-Day was a reasonable way of spending a few hours, and I can certainly think of books I enjoyed less (after all, I did read this all the way to the end). But if you are going to read it, bear in mind that it was written over forty years ago and it may not compare well to the best of modern horror.
Firstly, I expect narrative conventions have moved on - I expected to be a lot more horrified than I was. When it comes to horror, I'm a bit of a wimp - this didn't cause me the slightest bit of unease, let alone a desire to read it with the lights on. In fact, the anticipation of the horror to come was decidedly more unnerving than the actual level of horror provided. Yes, a few people die in messy ways, but I wasn't bothered unduly. Or maybe that says more about me than about narrative convention...
Secondly, the casual sexism evident from the first introduction of Madeleine (secondary character and potential love interest) certainly indicates the book's vintage. The late seventies were a different time, with different views on the place of women in society - and it shows. Madeleine, poor girl, has no function other than to be beautiful and provide the requisite love interest during most of the book (and not even much of the latter); she gets upgraded to deus ex machina later. At no point does she get much in the way of character development - although that may be unfair criticism, since the other characters aren't exactly deep either.
Plot-wise, well, if it were a road, this book would be a German Autobahn - it goes straight from A to B, with no detours and no complexity. The characters do this, then that, then the other, then bam - done.
In conclusion - The Devils of D-Day was a reasonable way of spending a few hours, and I can certainly think of books I enjoyed less (after all, I did read this all the way to the end). But if you are going to read it, bear in mind that it was written over forty years ago and it may not compare well to the best of modern horror.
March 9, 2008
I'm giving this a high rating because of his excellent writing. However, I don't recommend this book because of the subject matter. It's terrifying, especially when humans don't have a clue of what they're reading, or in Graham's case, writing.
January 26, 2022
I devoured these 70's cheesy horror stories when I was in high school and Graham Masterton and William Johnstone were favorites. I think I like Masterton better. He doesn't seem to have an agenda like Johnstone did.
The Devils of D-Day was an early novel and I agree that it shows. Very little extraneous description or characterization--not necessary really. I also agree with another reviewer that even by the time the novel is done we know virtually nothing about these characters. Nothing here but the story. The tank devil was interesting but we saw so little of him.
Sure the end is hokey and contrived but that is ok. These novels remind me of the 70's made for TV horror movies. They are all sort of the same, the horror is never very scary, and the endings are abrupt and contrived. But I like those too. These novels and those movies (available on YouTube for people like me) are like time machines in their way.
Four stars for a short B-level horror novel written by a very imaginative author who hardly ever disappoints.
The Devils of D-Day was an early novel and I agree that it shows. Very little extraneous description or characterization--not necessary really. I also agree with another reviewer that even by the time the novel is done we know virtually nothing about these characters. Nothing here but the story. The tank devil was interesting but we saw so little of him.
Sure the end is hokey and contrived but that is ok. These novels remind me of the 70's made for TV horror movies. They are all sort of the same, the horror is never very scary, and the endings are abrupt and contrived. But I like those too. These novels and those movies (available on YouTube for people like me) are like time machines in their way.
Four stars for a short B-level horror novel written by a very imaginative author who hardly ever disappoints.
February 13, 2016
My Dad is a voracious reader. As a child, I remember, in our basement, seeing washing-machine-sized boxes packed full of his old paperbacks. Some years after I’d graduated college, Dad went through those boxes.
He picked out his favorites, along with anything else he thought I might like, and gave them to me. In the years since, those several dozen books have followed me from house to house.
I’ve read maybe two or three of them.
Now, I’m making an effort to read more. In part because becoming a better writer means reading more. In larger part because my Dad curated these books. His opinion carries a lot of weight. He’s read more than anyone I’ve met.
Most of the books are science-fiction, my Dad’s favorite genre, but, knowing my penchant for horror, he included what little horror he’d accumulated.
That’s how I came to have a 1978 copy of Graham Masterton’s The Devils of D-Day. I remember shelving it after our latest move. The name Masterton seemed familiar. Didn’t he write The Manitou? Wasn’t that supposed to be good? I wasn’t sure and forgot about it within minutes.
Fast forward three years.
If I’d read its back cover blurb, Masterton’s book might still be gathering dust on that shelf. The plot synopsis suggests a haunted tank story and I’d just finished Stephen King's Christine, a disappointing novel about a haunted car. The last thing I wanted was another haunted vehicle story. Fortunately, the blurb is misleading.
The story opens with our narrator, an American cartographer, discovering a mysterious tank in a remote French village. Abandoned by the Allies during World War II, it’s now overgrown with vines, but radiates an ominous aura. Closer inspection reveals the Allies sealed every possible opening, including welding a giant cross over the turret hatch.
Masterton doesn’t dawdle. Forty pages in, our narrator approaches the tank in the dead of night and discovers something trapped inside. Something persuasive. Masterton strikes a perfect balance of menace and otherworldliness.
Good stuff. Masterton doesn’t let up. Soon, the devil is free and our protagonist has struck a terrible bargain that sends him to England to uncover the tank’s secrets.
It’s not a book for the squeamish. Early on, a character vomits up thousands of squirming maggots. Later in the story, characters are disemboweled, sliced and skewered. Masterton uses these graphic scenes to establish the story’s authority. For modern audiences, softening the violence and gore would feel disingenuous.
Granted, the protagonists are nondescript and the plot has some holes, but Masterton compensates with arresting storytelling. Unlike Christine, which took a year’s worth of starts and stops, I devoured The Devils of D-Day in little more than a week. Finishing it left me eager to read more of Masterton’s work and excited about what other surprises might await me amongst my Dad’s books.
He picked out his favorites, along with anything else he thought I might like, and gave them to me. In the years since, those several dozen books have followed me from house to house.
I’ve read maybe two or three of them.
Now, I’m making an effort to read more. In part because becoming a better writer means reading more. In larger part because my Dad curated these books. His opinion carries a lot of weight. He’s read more than anyone I’ve met.
Most of the books are science-fiction, my Dad’s favorite genre, but, knowing my penchant for horror, he included what little horror he’d accumulated.
That’s how I came to have a 1978 copy of Graham Masterton’s The Devils of D-Day. I remember shelving it after our latest move. The name Masterton seemed familiar. Didn’t he write The Manitou? Wasn’t that supposed to be good? I wasn’t sure and forgot about it within minutes.
Fast forward three years.
If I’d read its back cover blurb, Masterton’s book might still be gathering dust on that shelf. The plot synopsis suggests a haunted tank story and I’d just finished Stephen King's Christine, a disappointing novel about a haunted car. The last thing I wanted was another haunted vehicle story. Fortunately, the blurb is misleading.
The story opens with our narrator, an American cartographer, discovering a mysterious tank in a remote French village. Abandoned by the Allies during World War II, it’s now overgrown with vines, but radiates an ominous aura. Closer inspection reveals the Allies sealed every possible opening, including welding a giant cross over the turret hatch.
Masterton doesn’t dawdle. Forty pages in, our narrator approaches the tank in the dead of night and discovers something trapped inside. Something persuasive. Masterton strikes a perfect balance of menace and otherworldliness.
The voice didn’t answer. It simply said: “You can help me, you know. You can open this prison. You can take me to join my brethren. You sound like a good man and true.”
Good stuff. Masterton doesn’t let up. Soon, the devil is free and our protagonist has struck a terrible bargain that sends him to England to uncover the tank’s secrets.
It’s not a book for the squeamish. Early on, a character vomits up thousands of squirming maggots. Later in the story, characters are disemboweled, sliced and skewered. Masterton uses these graphic scenes to establish the story’s authority. For modern audiences, softening the violence and gore would feel disingenuous.
Granted, the protagonists are nondescript and the plot has some holes, but Masterton compensates with arresting storytelling. Unlike Christine, which took a year’s worth of starts and stops, I devoured The Devils of D-Day in little more than a week. Finishing it left me eager to read more of Masterton’s work and excited about what other surprises might await me amongst my Dad’s books.
January 21, 2022
Mit Der Höllenpanzer (The Devils Of D-Day) hat Graham Masterton einmal mehr bewiesen, dass er sein Handwerk verdammt gut beherrscht. Dieser Roman zählt zu den frühen Werken des Autors und wurde nun endlich - dank dem Festa Verlag - auch ins Deutsche übersetzt. In der Pulp Legends Reihe des Verlages ist dieser gelungene Horror Pageturner auch bestens aufgehoben. Und ich für meinen Teil habe die Lektüre wirklich genossen.
Doch worum geht es eigentlich?
Der amerikanische Landvermesser Dan McCook recherchiert für ein Buch über den Zweiten Weltkrieg in der Normandie. Hier sollen 13 dämonisch aussehende, schwarze Panzer Hitlers Truppen förmlich hinweggefegt haben. 12 von ihnen verschwanden danach, einer blieb übrig, wurde versiegelt, von einem Priester mit einem Kreuz belegt und ist seither nahe dem ehemaligen Schlachtfeld dem Verfall preisgegeben. Doch was auch immer im Inneren des Panzers lebte, gibt keine Ruhe. Unheimliche Stimmen dringen aus der überwucherten Höllenmaschine und versetzen die Einwohner Le Veys in Angst und Schrecken. McCook und eine Bauerstochter wollen dem Spuk endlich auf den Grund gehen und öffnen gemeinsam mit dem Priester des Dorfes die versiegelte Luke ...
Masterton vergeudet bei diesem Werk keine Zeit, die Geschichte wird geradlinig und doch unglaublich atmosphärisch erzählt. Der Schreibstil ist toll und die Story stellenweise sogar recht tiefgründig. Und auch wenn er das Rad nicht neu erfindet, so liest sich der Horrorroman wirklich spannend. Die Dämonenthematik wirkt gut recherchiert und ist interessant in den Zusammenhang der historischen Fakten gestellt worden. Und trotz einiger vereinzelter Klischees hat mich das Gesamtkonzept hier absolut überzeugt und gut unterhalten.
Fazit:
Ein atmosphärisch dichter Pageturner von Horrorroman mit etwas blassen Figuren aber insgesamt doch sehr unterhaltsam, spannend und wunderbar gruselig.
Doch worum geht es eigentlich?
Der amerikanische Landvermesser Dan McCook recherchiert für ein Buch über den Zweiten Weltkrieg in der Normandie. Hier sollen 13 dämonisch aussehende, schwarze Panzer Hitlers Truppen förmlich hinweggefegt haben. 12 von ihnen verschwanden danach, einer blieb übrig, wurde versiegelt, von einem Priester mit einem Kreuz belegt und ist seither nahe dem ehemaligen Schlachtfeld dem Verfall preisgegeben. Doch was auch immer im Inneren des Panzers lebte, gibt keine Ruhe. Unheimliche Stimmen dringen aus der überwucherten Höllenmaschine und versetzen die Einwohner Le Veys in Angst und Schrecken. McCook und eine Bauerstochter wollen dem Spuk endlich auf den Grund gehen und öffnen gemeinsam mit dem Priester des Dorfes die versiegelte Luke ...
Masterton vergeudet bei diesem Werk keine Zeit, die Geschichte wird geradlinig und doch unglaublich atmosphärisch erzählt. Der Schreibstil ist toll und die Story stellenweise sogar recht tiefgründig. Und auch wenn er das Rad nicht neu erfindet, so liest sich der Horrorroman wirklich spannend. Die Dämonenthematik wirkt gut recherchiert und ist interessant in den Zusammenhang der historischen Fakten gestellt worden. Und trotz einiger vereinzelter Klischees hat mich das Gesamtkonzept hier absolut überzeugt und gut unterhalten.
Fazit:
Ein atmosphärisch dichter Pageturner von Horrorroman mit etwas blassen Figuren aber insgesamt doch sehr unterhaltsam, spannend und wunderbar gruselig.
February 6, 2012
I have to admit that the reason I read this book was because the picture of the devil on the cover reminded me of cover art for a Metallica album 'Jump in the Fire'.
It is typical Masterton, light and pulpy and easy to read at only 180 pages.
Brief
September, 1944..the villagers of Pont D'Ouilly still shudder at the memory of that infernal day when a special division of American tanks annihilated a Nazi armored column. Thirteen U.S. tanks, all painted black. A strange sight, even in wartime. One of the vehicles had broken a track, and stopped, its deadly mission complete. For some mysterious reason, the Allies sealed the hatch, and left the tank by the roadside. For thirty years, it sat there, rusting with time, a grim reminder of the nearly forgotten battle. Some local people claimed the tank was cursed. Hadn't they head eerie voices and wild laughter echoing from within? And didn't an old woman die exactly thirteen days after she'd tried to exorcize the supposed demons? Was there indeed a supernatural force inside..something so unearthly and sinister that no one would come near..something capable of unleashing an unspeakable evil that no power on earth could destroy?
It is typical Masterton, light and pulpy and easy to read at only 180 pages.
Brief
September, 1944..the villagers of Pont D'Ouilly still shudder at the memory of that infernal day when a special division of American tanks annihilated a Nazi armored column. Thirteen U.S. tanks, all painted black. A strange sight, even in wartime. One of the vehicles had broken a track, and stopped, its deadly mission complete. For some mysterious reason, the Allies sealed the hatch, and left the tank by the roadside. For thirty years, it sat there, rusting with time, a grim reminder of the nearly forgotten battle. Some local people claimed the tank was cursed. Hadn't they head eerie voices and wild laughter echoing from within? And didn't an old woman die exactly thirteen days after she'd tried to exorcize the supposed demons? Was there indeed a supernatural force inside..something so unearthly and sinister that no one would come near..something capable of unleashing an unspeakable evil that no power on earth could destroy?
March 9, 2011
What a letdown! I was buzzing along in this book and thouroughly enjoying it. I found it to be interesting, a page turner, worthy of a good 4. It had a pretty girl, frights, demons, action, a cool storyline and a nice tempo. Then, the bottom fell out. That had to be the hokiest turn of events I have ever read. It seems like Masterton said,"Well, I have no f***ng clue how to finish this. I'll put any bullshit down!"
July 26, 2023
An excellent World War 2, demon possession horror novel which plays with the idea that the the Allies were not necessarily the good guys.
I will do a mini review of this on my channel tomorrow:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMBq...
I will do a mini review of this on my channel tomorrow:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMBq...
June 5, 2025
This is perfect for anyone who enjoys B-horror films and has a dry sense of humor.
3.75/5
3.75/5
November 30, 2024
A very early Masterton horror novel from a long time back. This one turned out to be surprisingly entertaining and moved along well over a brisk couple of hundred pages. It has that unique Masterton style, slightly over the top but I do recommend it for fans of James Herbert as it felt quite similar to a number of his supernatural books.
May 9, 2020
A very interesting read. Despite its being categorised under genre of horror, the book is rather based on traditional folklore of France whereby the good wins over the bad.
April 30, 2022
This was everything I expected a horror story about devils from the seventies to be, only worse.
October 23, 2009
A great title and a wonderful cover are the precursors to this slightly disappointing and formulaic horror yarn by prolific genre writer Graham Masterton. Masterton achieved fame in the ‘70s with a series of gory potboilers, including his debut The Manitou and Charnel House. On first appearance, The Devils of D-Day is a slim volume, with the cover proclaiming that “the fiends of battle return in the shattering shock-novel of occult warfare”. Sadly, I was fooled, expecting this to be a WWII era war/horror book. Instead it’s set in the then-present day, as the hero of the story prowls rural France and comes across a demon locked away in a tank. Of course, he decides to free the demon, and then all hell breaks loose.
Or rather, it doesn’t. Instead, the demon taunts our hero in Exorcist-style exchanges of dialogue, while Masterton valiantly attempts to build up a frightening atmosphere by refusing to describe its physical appearance – instead it hides in dark corners or under the bedclothes. Of course, there’s a gory murder thrown into the story every now and then, just to keep things moving along, and for a change the victims are all old people, rather than the teenage girls one comes to expect from reading these type of books and watching these type of movies. One guy has his insides torn out, a woman is impaled with crockery (a certain rip-off of Stephen King’s Carrie) and another guy is torn to shreds when his lounge window explodes.
Things eventually start getting more exciting as the climax approaches, set in the cellar of a building used by the British ministry of defense. Here, the demon’s brethren are finally summoned as well as a huge demon overlord in the shape of a mule. There are lots of creepy descriptions of devils, a few people getting slaughtered and a decent stand-off between humans and devils as we finally reach the type of Dennis Wheatley-style occult horror that the cover claims this book delivers. It all winds up pretty neatly in what is a very short and light read.
This book isn’t too bad as books go. Masterton’s prose is passable, although he got a lot better as he got older, with Flesh and Blood standing as one of the most frightening horror books I’ve ever read, but that was around 1990/1. There’s just a sense of seen-it-all-before to the action which works against it. The author’s obviously done his research, and the various incantations and names of the demons are all drawn from myth (or reality, depending on your beliefs). This adds a certain level of believability that’s missing from other genre books, like those written by Guy N. Smith. Still, this is very much run-of-the-mill stuff, not great but not particularly bad either. It’s okay.
Or rather, it doesn’t. Instead, the demon taunts our hero in Exorcist-style exchanges of dialogue, while Masterton valiantly attempts to build up a frightening atmosphere by refusing to describe its physical appearance – instead it hides in dark corners or under the bedclothes. Of course, there’s a gory murder thrown into the story every now and then, just to keep things moving along, and for a change the victims are all old people, rather than the teenage girls one comes to expect from reading these type of books and watching these type of movies. One guy has his insides torn out, a woman is impaled with crockery (a certain rip-off of Stephen King’s Carrie) and another guy is torn to shreds when his lounge window explodes.
Things eventually start getting more exciting as the climax approaches, set in the cellar of a building used by the British ministry of defense. Here, the demon’s brethren are finally summoned as well as a huge demon overlord in the shape of a mule. There are lots of creepy descriptions of devils, a few people getting slaughtered and a decent stand-off between humans and devils as we finally reach the type of Dennis Wheatley-style occult horror that the cover claims this book delivers. It all winds up pretty neatly in what is a very short and light read.
This book isn’t too bad as books go. Masterton’s prose is passable, although he got a lot better as he got older, with Flesh and Blood standing as one of the most frightening horror books I’ve ever read, but that was around 1990/1. There’s just a sense of seen-it-all-before to the action which works against it. The author’s obviously done his research, and the various incantations and names of the demons are all drawn from myth (or reality, depending on your beliefs). This adds a certain level of believability that’s missing from other genre books, like those written by Guy N. Smith. Still, this is very much run-of-the-mill stuff, not great but not particularly bad either. It’s okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2015
Άλλο ένα ευκολοδιάβαστο και ψυχαγωγικό βιβλίο του Μάστερτον που περνάει στην λίστα με τα διαβασμένα, μέσα σε λίγες ώρες το τελείωσα με ελάχιστα διαλείμματα. Δεν μπορώ να πω ότι είναι από τις δυνατές στιγμές του συγγραφέα, από την άλλη και το πιο αδύναμο βιβλίο του δύσκολα δεν θα ψυχαγωγήσει έστω και λίγο τους λάτρεις του τρόμου.
Το 1944, κατά την διάρκεια των σκληρών μαχών στην Νορμανδία ανάμεσα στους Συμμάχους και τους Γερμανούς, μια επίλεκτη μεραρχία τεθωρακισμένων αρμάτων μάχης του Αμερικάνικου στρατού εξόντωσε εκατοντάδες Ναζί. Πρόκειται για δεκατρία άρματα μάχης, εντελώς μαύρα και σφραγισμένα, δίχως ίχνος ζωής μέσα τους. Ένα από αυτά ξέμεινε στην Νορμανδία, αφημένο στην τύχη του. Τριάντα χρόνια αργότερα, ένας Αμερικάνος τοπογράφος το βρίσκει και ακούει από τους ντόπιους ιστορίες με δαίμονες, περίεργες φωνές και παράξενα φαινόμενα, που σχετίζονται με το άρμα μάχης. Φαίνεται ότι κάτι σατανικό κρύβεται μέσα του, κάτι που θα κάνει τα πάντα για να βγει έξω...
Και αυτό το μικρό και σύντομο βιβλιαράκι είχε όλα τα καλούδια που συνήθως έχουν τα βιβλία του Μάστερτον, δηλαδή σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα, υπερφυσικό τρόμο, σκηνές δράσης και μπόλικες ανατριχίλες. Είχε, επίσης, αρκετές ευκολίες και κάποια αναπάντητα ερωτήματα. Και δεν μπορώ να πω ότι δέθηκα ιδιαίτερα με τους χαρακτήρες, που ήταν απλά σκιαγραφημένοι. Σε γενικές γραμμές όμως σίγουρα πέρασα καλά και θα το πρότεινα στους φαν του συγγραφέα. (7/10)
Το 1944, κατά την διάρκεια των σκληρών μαχών στην Νορμανδία ανάμεσα στους Συμμάχους και τους Γερμανούς, μια επίλεκτη μεραρχία τεθωρακισμένων αρμάτων μάχης του Αμερικάνικου στρατού εξόντωσε εκατοντάδες Ναζί. Πρόκειται για δεκατρία άρματα μάχης, εντελώς μαύρα και σφραγισμένα, δίχως ίχνος ζωής μέσα τους. Ένα από αυτά ξέμεινε στην Νορμανδία, αφημένο στην τύχη του. Τριάντα χρόνια αργότερα, ένας Αμερικάνος τοπογράφος το βρίσκει και ακούει από τους ντόπιους ιστορίες με δαίμονες, περίεργες φωνές και παράξενα φαινόμενα, που σχετίζονται με το άρμα μάχης. Φαίνεται ότι κάτι σατανικό κρύβεται μέσα του, κάτι που θα κάνει τα πάντα για να βγει έξω...
Και αυτό το μικρό και σύντομο βιβλιαράκι είχε όλα τα καλούδια που συνήθως έχουν τα βιβλία του Μάστερτον, δηλαδή σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα, υπερφυσικό τρόμο, σκηνές δράσης και μπόλικες ανατριχίλες. Είχε, επίσης, αρκετές ευκολίες και κάποια αναπάντητα ερωτήματα. Και δεν μπορώ να πω ότι δέθηκα ιδιαίτερα με τους χαρακτήρες, που ήταν απλά σκιαγραφημένοι. Σε γενικές γραμμές όμως σίγουρα πέρασα καλά και θα το πρότεινα στους φαν του συγγραφέα. (7/10)
June 19, 2016
Another five star chiller by the master of the genre Graham Masterton. An old tank is hiding a terrible secret from the depths of Hell. The main character is very likeable and a funny narator, but he gets the reader in the atmosphere of absolute terror. The most horrifying thing is that the demons, described by Masterton are actual entities from Christian religion. Read a detailed review in Bulgarian here:
http://citadelata.com/devils-of-d-day/
http://citadelata.com/devils-of-d-day/
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