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Sword: D-Day – Trial by Battle: D-Day – Trial by Battle
On 6 June 1944 when the allied armies landed on D-Day, the Second World War had already lasted almost five years.
Yet many of the British and American troops who invaded Normandy were virgin soldiers, never before committed to battle. They quit summer England to face within hours a storm of machine-gun and mortar fire. They witnessed scenes, above all of sudden death, such as no exercise had prepared them for.
In Sword, veteran chronicler of war Max Hastings explores with extraordinary vividness the actions of the Commando brigade, Montgomery’s 3rd Infantry and 6th Airborne divisions on and around a single British beach. He describes their frustrations, hopes, loves and fears through the apparently interminable years training and preparing in England, then their triumphs and tragedies on the beach and beyond. Here are the airborne assaults on the Caen Canal bridge and Merville Battery, the battles on the shoreline and against the German strongpoints inland, narrated and explained with all the insights that Hastings’ decades of study, veterans’ interviews and new archive research enable him to deploy. The book offers a searching analysis of why British troops did not reach Caen on 6 June, as Montgomery had promised Churchill that they would – and the story of the brigadier who was sacked for that failure. There is also a host of personal portraits of key figures from commando leader Lord Lovat, famously brave but supremely arrogant, to tank colonel Jim Eadie, whose tanks of the Staffordshire Yeomanry repulsed a panzer division in the last hours of 6 June, and some of the humbler participants to whom extraordinary things happened.
This is D-Day as you have never read the story told before, with the blend of narrative, analysis and human insight that made Max Hastings’ last book Operation Biting, like many of his earlier works, a Sunday Times No.1 bestseller.
Yet many of the British and American troops who invaded Normandy were virgin soldiers, never before committed to battle. They quit summer England to face within hours a storm of machine-gun and mortar fire. They witnessed scenes, above all of sudden death, such as no exercise had prepared them for.
In Sword, veteran chronicler of war Max Hastings explores with extraordinary vividness the actions of the Commando brigade, Montgomery’s 3rd Infantry and 6th Airborne divisions on and around a single British beach. He describes their frustrations, hopes, loves and fears through the apparently interminable years training and preparing in England, then their triumphs and tragedies on the beach and beyond. Here are the airborne assaults on the Caen Canal bridge and Merville Battery, the battles on the shoreline and against the German strongpoints inland, narrated and explained with all the insights that Hastings’ decades of study, veterans’ interviews and new archive research enable him to deploy. The book offers a searching analysis of why British troops did not reach Caen on 6 June, as Montgomery had promised Churchill that they would – and the story of the brigadier who was sacked for that failure. There is also a host of personal portraits of key figures from commando leader Lord Lovat, famously brave but supremely arrogant, to tank colonel Jim Eadie, whose tanks of the Staffordshire Yeomanry repulsed a panzer division in the last hours of 6 June, and some of the humbler participants to whom extraordinary things happened.
This is D-Day as you have never read the story told before, with the blend of narrative, analysis and human insight that made Max Hastings’ last book Operation Biting, like many of his earlier works, a Sunday Times No.1 bestseller.
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First published May 8, 2025
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About the author
Max Hastings
112 books1,725 followersSir Max Hugh Macdonald Hastings, FRSL, FRHistS is a British journalist, editor, historian and author. His parents were Macdonald Hastings, a journalist and war correspondent, and Anne Scott-James, sometime editor of Harper's Bazaar.
Hastings was educated at Charterhouse School and University College, Oxford, which he left after a year.After leaving Oxford University, Max Hastings became a foreign correspondent, and reported from more than sixty countries and eleven wars for BBC TV and the London Evening Standard.
Among his bestselling books Bomber Command won the Somerset Maugham Prize, and both Overlord and The Battle for the Falklands won the Yorkshire Post Book of the Year Prize.
After ten years as editor and then editor-in-chief of The Daily Telegraph, he became editor of the Evening Standard in 1996. He has won many awards for his journalism, including Journalist of The Year and What the Papers Say Reporter of the Year for his work in the South Atlantic in 1982, and Editor of the Year in 1988.
He stood down as editor of the Evening Standard in 2001 and was knighted in 2002. His monumental work of military history, Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944-1945 was published in 2005.
He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Sir Max Hastings honoured with the $100,000 2012 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing.
Hastings was educated at Charterhouse School and University College, Oxford, which he left after a year.After leaving Oxford University, Max Hastings became a foreign correspondent, and reported from more than sixty countries and eleven wars for BBC TV and the London Evening Standard.
Among his bestselling books Bomber Command won the Somerset Maugham Prize, and both Overlord and The Battle for the Falklands won the Yorkshire Post Book of the Year Prize.
After ten years as editor and then editor-in-chief of The Daily Telegraph, he became editor of the Evening Standard in 1996. He has won many awards for his journalism, including Journalist of The Year and What the Papers Say Reporter of the Year for his work in the South Atlantic in 1982, and Editor of the Year in 1988.
He stood down as editor of the Evening Standard in 2001 and was knighted in 2002. His monumental work of military history, Armageddon: The Battle for Germany 1944-1945 was published in 2005.
He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Sir Max Hastings honoured with the $100,000 2012 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 18, 2026
Somewhere Other than Omaha
When it comes to military history and the Second World War, Sir Max Hastings is a veteran and a voice. I always liked his deep and human focused approach to telling history. This time he focuses on D-Day and more importantly the British involvement in the great invasion of Normandy in 1944. This is important as the British effort is often overlooked and as Hastings himself states most modern views of D-Day have been forged by Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan, whereas in reality it was a multi-national effort. Their advance from the beachhead toward Caen, was a key strategic goal that proved far more elusive and difficult than Allied planners had anticipated.
For me Sword stands out for a number of reasons. Firstly, Hastings combines high-level operational analysis with firsthand accounts from soldiers, giving readers a visceral sense of what it was like to fight through hedgerows, streets, and German defences. He doesn’t shy away from difficult truths such as leadership failures, logistical confusion, or moral ambiguities, and that makes the history feel brutally honest. Furthermore, unlike more triumphalist accounts of D-Day, Sword critiques British command decisions and questions whether Field Marshal Montgomery’s strategy lived up to its reputation. Hastings is not a fan of Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory or to be honest General Alexander. He explores why the British failed to take Caen on D-Day, and how German resistance, particularly from the 21st Panzer and 12th SS Hitlerjugend divisions, stalled the advance far longer than expected.
As is typical of Hastings, the German side is not neglected. The narrative includes insights from Wehrmacht and SS commanders, showcasing the tenacity and tactical skill that prolonged the battle and inflicted significant casualties. This adds complexity and depth, moving beyond simple heroism to show the full horror and difficulty of the campaign.
There are some drawbacks. But these are minor in my opinion. For example, with just the Sword Beach and airborne landings behind it, it is a very focused and narrow view of the D-Day campaign. In addition to this, I say that most of the book moves at a compelling pace, but there are certain chapters which feature detailed descriptions of military planning and unit movements which at times felt a bit dense and overly forensic.
In the end Sword is a masterclass in microhistory—an intense, deeply researched account of a crucial battlefield that many general D-Day books only skim. Hastings again proves himself a consummate storyteller and analyst, unafraid to challenge myths while honoring the courage of those who fought. I highly recommend it for readers of military history, especially those interested in WWII ground combat and the British Army’s role in Normandy.
When it comes to military history and the Second World War, Sir Max Hastings is a veteran and a voice. I always liked his deep and human focused approach to telling history. This time he focuses on D-Day and more importantly the British involvement in the great invasion of Normandy in 1944. This is important as the British effort is often overlooked and as Hastings himself states most modern views of D-Day have been forged by Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan, whereas in reality it was a multi-national effort. Their advance from the beachhead toward Caen, was a key strategic goal that proved far more elusive and difficult than Allied planners had anticipated.
For me Sword stands out for a number of reasons. Firstly, Hastings combines high-level operational analysis with firsthand accounts from soldiers, giving readers a visceral sense of what it was like to fight through hedgerows, streets, and German defences. He doesn’t shy away from difficult truths such as leadership failures, logistical confusion, or moral ambiguities, and that makes the history feel brutally honest. Furthermore, unlike more triumphalist accounts of D-Day, Sword critiques British command decisions and questions whether Field Marshal Montgomery’s strategy lived up to its reputation. Hastings is not a fan of Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory or to be honest General Alexander. He explores why the British failed to take Caen on D-Day, and how German resistance, particularly from the 21st Panzer and 12th SS Hitlerjugend divisions, stalled the advance far longer than expected.
As is typical of Hastings, the German side is not neglected. The narrative includes insights from Wehrmacht and SS commanders, showcasing the tenacity and tactical skill that prolonged the battle and inflicted significant casualties. This adds complexity and depth, moving beyond simple heroism to show the full horror and difficulty of the campaign.
There are some drawbacks. But these are minor in my opinion. For example, with just the Sword Beach and airborne landings behind it, it is a very focused and narrow view of the D-Day campaign. In addition to this, I say that most of the book moves at a compelling pace, but there are certain chapters which feature detailed descriptions of military planning and unit movements which at times felt a bit dense and overly forensic.
In the end Sword is a masterclass in microhistory—an intense, deeply researched account of a crucial battlefield that many general D-Day books only skim. Hastings again proves himself a consummate storyteller and analyst, unafraid to challenge myths while honoring the courage of those who fought. I highly recommend it for readers of military history, especially those interested in WWII ground combat and the British Army’s role in Normandy.
June 2, 2025
4.5
Another year and another fantastic work from Max Hastings. At this point I'm running out of superlatives to describe his books; suffice it to say that Sword is another well-researched, wonderfully written, compelling and at times unbearably moving testament to the heroic actions of a few ordinary people on a momentous day. I was fortunate enough to visit Sword Beach last year, and seeing familiar places mentioned made the familiar story of D-Day even more poignant and relevant. As with all of Hastings' books, his understanding of the soldier's experience and ability to bring the smallest-scale events as well as the grand battles to life combine with his journalist's knack for storytelling to brilliant effect. With the 80th anniversary of VE Day being commemorated this year, and with several barbaric conflicts continuing to rage across the globe, remembering our shared history and those who shaped the course of it is as important as ever. Sword fulfils this role perfectly, functioning as a resonant testament to the bravery and sacrifice of the Second World War, as well as a rich and insightful reading experience in its own right. A marvellous achievement from a consistently excellent historian.
Another year and another fantastic work from Max Hastings. At this point I'm running out of superlatives to describe his books; suffice it to say that Sword is another well-researched, wonderfully written, compelling and at times unbearably moving testament to the heroic actions of a few ordinary people on a momentous day. I was fortunate enough to visit Sword Beach last year, and seeing familiar places mentioned made the familiar story of D-Day even more poignant and relevant. As with all of Hastings' books, his understanding of the soldier's experience and ability to bring the smallest-scale events as well as the grand battles to life combine with his journalist's knack for storytelling to brilliant effect. With the 80th anniversary of VE Day being commemorated this year, and with several barbaric conflicts continuing to rage across the globe, remembering our shared history and those who shaped the course of it is as important as ever. Sword fulfils this role perfectly, functioning as a resonant testament to the bravery and sacrifice of the Second World War, as well as a rich and insightful reading experience in its own right. A marvellous achievement from a consistently excellent historian.
October 24, 2025
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for this review.
On June 6, 1944, Allied forces landed on five separate beaches in Northern France--this book is about the landing on Sword Beach carried out be the British 3rd Division Group and several attached units of commandos and armored troops. Also covered is the airborne operations conducted by British 6th Airborne Division as paratroopers and glider-borne troops landed inland from the beach to capture vital bridges and eliminate some German gun emplacements which threatened the beachhead.
The book begins prior to D-Day as the British Army gears up for a return to France after four years. During that time, the British had to re-train, re-equip and re-motivate a large number of troops as most everything they had was left behind when they evacuated France at Dunkirk in 1940. While British troops were fighting overseas in Africa, Italy and Burma, the majority of the troops back home in England were inexperienced when it came to actual combat and thus D-Day was going to be their baptism of fire. Unfortunately, they were given the objective of seizing the town of Caen on D-Day and this proved to something they couldn't accomplish, though not for lack of trying. An invasion beach is a chaotic place and a multitude of issues plagued the British as they tried to move inland to reach Caen: delayed landing of units, units being scattered, German resistance and the aforementioned inexperience of many of the troops. It's a shame the book only covers the first day of the invasion as the days ahead proved to be very trying for everyone involved. There are a few maps (not enough in my opinion) and a nice selection of photos showing the battlefield(s), participants and their equipment.
Author Hastings has woven a narrative full of the personal experiences of paratroopers, glider pilots, naval officers and seamen, tankers, commandos, a few Germans and of course, the PBI: Poor Bloody Infantry. It's a great mix of the myriad views of D-Day as told by those who were there. While there definitely was some brutal and hard fighting, the narrative isn't very graphic in the descriptions of those who are wounded or killed. There is a fair amount of profanity so you've been warned that F-bombs await you.
Well worth picking up for a good look at one of the D-Day invasion beaches and the fight to take it.
On June 6, 1944, Allied forces landed on five separate beaches in Northern France--this book is about the landing on Sword Beach carried out be the British 3rd Division Group and several attached units of commandos and armored troops. Also covered is the airborne operations conducted by British 6th Airborne Division as paratroopers and glider-borne troops landed inland from the beach to capture vital bridges and eliminate some German gun emplacements which threatened the beachhead.
The book begins prior to D-Day as the British Army gears up for a return to France after four years. During that time, the British had to re-train, re-equip and re-motivate a large number of troops as most everything they had was left behind when they evacuated France at Dunkirk in 1940. While British troops were fighting overseas in Africa, Italy and Burma, the majority of the troops back home in England were inexperienced when it came to actual combat and thus D-Day was going to be their baptism of fire. Unfortunately, they were given the objective of seizing the town of Caen on D-Day and this proved to something they couldn't accomplish, though not for lack of trying. An invasion beach is a chaotic place and a multitude of issues plagued the British as they tried to move inland to reach Caen: delayed landing of units, units being scattered, German resistance and the aforementioned inexperience of many of the troops. It's a shame the book only covers the first day of the invasion as the days ahead proved to be very trying for everyone involved. There are a few maps (not enough in my opinion) and a nice selection of photos showing the battlefield(s), participants and their equipment.
Author Hastings has woven a narrative full of the personal experiences of paratroopers, glider pilots, naval officers and seamen, tankers, commandos, a few Germans and of course, the PBI: Poor Bloody Infantry. It's a great mix of the myriad views of D-Day as told by those who were there. While there definitely was some brutal and hard fighting, the narrative isn't very graphic in the descriptions of those who are wounded or killed. There is a fair amount of profanity so you've been warned that F-bombs await you.
Well worth picking up for a good look at one of the D-Day invasion beaches and the fight to take it.
December 23, 2025
Thank you, NetGalley, for granting me a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This is another one of those books where there’s a stark difference between how it appealed to me versus how I believe it will appeal to other people. I enjoy reading about World War II as much as any other history buff, but gravitate more towards political and cultural history. There’s some of that here, particularly in Hastings’ dedication to regaling the stories of common soldiers rather than falling back on the perspectives of famous figures like General Montgomery, but Sword Beach: D-Day Baptism by Fire is primarily a detailed military history about the Normandy invasion through the eyes of the British forces. At times it was hard to keep track of each new development, especially as someone who prefers to multi-task when listening to an audiobook. It didn’t make for a terribly engaging listen, even with John Hopkins’ smooth narration.
I am not the target audience for this book, however. For lovers of military history, particularly those who enjoy reading about the thrill and terror of battle, Sword Beach is everything one could ask for: meticulous, focused, and unflinching in its intensity. Hastings is also conscientious enough to keep the battle’s prologue short, rather than forcing his audience to wait until the book is halfway over before getting to the main event (a habit more historians should consider adopting). I have no doubt that there is a massive potential audience for this book out there, even if I may not be personally among them.
This is another one of those books where there’s a stark difference between how it appealed to me versus how I believe it will appeal to other people. I enjoy reading about World War II as much as any other history buff, but gravitate more towards political and cultural history. There’s some of that here, particularly in Hastings’ dedication to regaling the stories of common soldiers rather than falling back on the perspectives of famous figures like General Montgomery, but Sword Beach: D-Day Baptism by Fire is primarily a detailed military history about the Normandy invasion through the eyes of the British forces. At times it was hard to keep track of each new development, especially as someone who prefers to multi-task when listening to an audiobook. It didn’t make for a terribly engaging listen, even with John Hopkins’ smooth narration.
I am not the target audience for this book, however. For lovers of military history, particularly those who enjoy reading about the thrill and terror of battle, Sword Beach is everything one could ask for: meticulous, focused, and unflinching in its intensity. Hastings is also conscientious enough to keep the battle’s prologue short, rather than forcing his audience to wait until the book is halfway over before getting to the main event (a habit more historians should consider adopting). I have no doubt that there is a massive potential audience for this book out there, even if I may not be personally among them.
May 30, 2025
I chose Sword based on interest in World War II. Hastings is renowned for his readable and comprehensive writing, and I wanted to learn about the D-Day landings from the perspective of those that fought at Sword Beach.
The most powerful of all is the focus on the grime and chaos of war. Hastings portrays war as filthy, frightening, and messy. He weaves together the perceptions of soldiers, officers, and civilians, showing how bravery often walked alongside bewilderment and suffering. I was especially touched by the accounts of young soldiers, just out of school, who are forced to storm the beaches against withering fire.
A major takeaway I have from this book is the value of preparation and adaptability. Although there was a lot of planning, most of what transpired on D-Day was a result of fast thinking and leading under pressure. This applies to both my studies and future career - regardless of how good a planner I am, things will always catch me off guard and I need to be able to think fast and remain calm in pressured situations. Much like the commandos who improvised when things did not go as planned.
Apart from that, this book helped me gain my own view of history. Hearing first-hand accounts and experiences of D-Day led me to reflect more deeply on how individuals build and experience world history. It led me to think beyond dates, figures, and charts, and ask myself the following questions: What would I have done during the battlefield heat? Where do ordinary people obtain their courage in those situations?
In total, this book made me reflect on the weakness of peace. So many people lost their lives on D-Day to have a better tomorrow, which has made me more aware of the cost of war and the urgency of justice and international cooperation to prevent future wars.
The most powerful of all is the focus on the grime and chaos of war. Hastings portrays war as filthy, frightening, and messy. He weaves together the perceptions of soldiers, officers, and civilians, showing how bravery often walked alongside bewilderment and suffering. I was especially touched by the accounts of young soldiers, just out of school, who are forced to storm the beaches against withering fire.
A major takeaway I have from this book is the value of preparation and adaptability. Although there was a lot of planning, most of what transpired on D-Day was a result of fast thinking and leading under pressure. This applies to both my studies and future career - regardless of how good a planner I am, things will always catch me off guard and I need to be able to think fast and remain calm in pressured situations. Much like the commandos who improvised when things did not go as planned.
Apart from that, this book helped me gain my own view of history. Hearing first-hand accounts and experiences of D-Day led me to reflect more deeply on how individuals build and experience world history. It led me to think beyond dates, figures, and charts, and ask myself the following questions: What would I have done during the battlefield heat? Where do ordinary people obtain their courage in those situations?
In total, this book made me reflect on the weakness of peace. So many people lost their lives on D-Day to have a better tomorrow, which has made me more aware of the cost of war and the urgency of justice and international cooperation to prevent future wars.
June 5, 2025
I already knew a fair amount about this subject - my Grandad landed in the first wave on Sword Beach, as part of the Royal Engineers sent in to clear the mines and beach obstacles before the troops went in. (He had a cunning plan to avoid being killed by joining early and choosing the Engineers - it backfired!!) Given he was one of the last off at Dunkirk as the engineers were at the back blowing bridges, and first in on D Day he was rightly aggrieved at his brothers advice on regiments ;-)
So, having visited this area in 2024 as part of a historical visit, I did wonder whether this might be a bit dull as I knew the events of the day quite well. It wasn’t. It was fascinating and a very personal history of the day, full of funny and revealing first person accounts. I loved it.
So, having visited this area in 2024 as part of a historical visit, I did wonder whether this might be a bit dull as I knew the events of the day quite well. It wasn’t. It was fascinating and a very personal history of the day, full of funny and revealing first person accounts. I loved it.
January 13, 2026
I enjoy reading Max Hastings book but this one was a bit of a struggle for me. I really enjoyed the micro-history of looking at the English attack on D-Day at Sword Beach. I especially enjoyed the first third of the book that describes the build up and boredom the men faced in the months and years of waiting for the opportunity - it was a unique look at a part of the history that is often glossed over. I had a hard time keeping any of the names in any kind of order, so the book was more an impression for me of how things went and it was worth the read for that alone.
August 21, 2025
A book focused on one aspect of D-Day . Sometimes you feel you read book in the wrong order . I understand he has already done a book which a broad over view of D-Day and this focuses in on one operation and the individuals involved. It would have probably been better to have read the other one first .
The book is well researched and involves snatches of the experiences of those involved . Unfortunately due to the fact we tend to get snippets rather than a central narrative the book feels rather bitty and in other parts leans towards being something of a list .
The book is well researched and involves snatches of the experiences of those involved . Unfortunately due to the fact we tend to get snippets rather than a central narrative the book feels rather bitty and in other parts leans towards being something of a list .
August 7, 2025
Some interesting anecdotes but suffers from routine jingoistic punctuations. Ultimately makes the argument that the Sword operation itself wasn't nearly as important or as harrowing as the subsequent moves in Northern France. Add a star or two if you're an extreme Normandy Landings buff but others prep yourself for a perfectly average history of a specific WWII battle.
May 8, 2025
Intro only. 80yr VE celebration.
July 6, 2025
Really well written. Fascinating in parts but probably a bit too detailed and long overall
January 11, 2026
A lot of Americans get their impressions of World War II from feature films like Saving Private Ryan and TV shows like “Band of Brothers.” As compelling and terrifying as these horrors of war are, they are almost always from the American perspective with little involvement from our allies.
But some 29,000 British troops landed on Sword Beach, second only to the American landing at Omaha Beach. So when a book like Max Hastings’ SWORD BEACH comes out about the British preparation for the assault on Normandy, it almost makes for required reading for anyone interested in that part of history.
The majority of Hastings’ previous books are about war, and he has an exceptional talent for detail, even for the seemingly trivial. War is not just the fighting; it’s the monotony of preparation, the long months of training for one particular event that changed the tide of World War II. While the horrors of war are uppermost in SWORD BEACH, Hastings includes the humdrum that comes with months of idleness in preparation for the invasion, as well as the unlikely in the midst of battle.
During a halt in the advance, they noticed a field of strawberries by the roadside and some men began to pick them. A Commando writes, “The poor little French farmer came to me and said: ‘For four years the Germans were here and they never ate one.’”
Some authors might feel a need to “show off,” having spent years researching their work, but it never feels like that with Hastings. He respectfully reports scores of anecdotes from survivors of the battle, as well as those who died in combat, thanks to the notes and letters they left behind.
Seeing the war played out on the big and small screens, the somewhat disrespectful thought that comes to mind is How did we win? This is not to disparage the brave men who did the fighting, but rather the preparations and the unpredictable that conspired to throw a monkey wrench into the planning of D-Day. While such training was necessary and extremely detailed --- the troops trained for years for the operation --- there are things that could not be foreseen, such as the weather or thousands of paratroopers missing their marks, landing miles from the appointed targets.
“As we have seen, several of these units arrived later, and as the morning [on D-Day] advanced, the disembarkation of follow-up units became seriously delayed. But nobody should have expected anything else,” writes Hastings. “The real achievement was that most of the men who were supposed to land on Sword got past the beach alive….” (Some of the most disturbing and realistic images of D-Day occur in the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan.)
As detailed and dramatic as SWORD BEACH is, there are a couple of issues facing the reader. The main one for me is that the author, a citizen of the United Kingdom, has not taken into consideration that members of his audience are not his countrymen. Hastings uses many words and phrases that are, well, foreign to Americans, and he offers no explanation (What's a “sapper”?). Similarly, on the few occasions that he employs French or German, he does not translate. Add to that all of the military jargon, and it can get a bit frustrating. A glossary would have been useful.
Reviewed by Ron Kaplan
But some 29,000 British troops landed on Sword Beach, second only to the American landing at Omaha Beach. So when a book like Max Hastings’ SWORD BEACH comes out about the British preparation for the assault on Normandy, it almost makes for required reading for anyone interested in that part of history.
The majority of Hastings’ previous books are about war, and he has an exceptional talent for detail, even for the seemingly trivial. War is not just the fighting; it’s the monotony of preparation, the long months of training for one particular event that changed the tide of World War II. While the horrors of war are uppermost in SWORD BEACH, Hastings includes the humdrum that comes with months of idleness in preparation for the invasion, as well as the unlikely in the midst of battle.
During a halt in the advance, they noticed a field of strawberries by the roadside and some men began to pick them. A Commando writes, “The poor little French farmer came to me and said: ‘For four years the Germans were here and they never ate one.’”
Some authors might feel a need to “show off,” having spent years researching their work, but it never feels like that with Hastings. He respectfully reports scores of anecdotes from survivors of the battle, as well as those who died in combat, thanks to the notes and letters they left behind.
Seeing the war played out on the big and small screens, the somewhat disrespectful thought that comes to mind is How did we win? This is not to disparage the brave men who did the fighting, but rather the preparations and the unpredictable that conspired to throw a monkey wrench into the planning of D-Day. While such training was necessary and extremely detailed --- the troops trained for years for the operation --- there are things that could not be foreseen, such as the weather or thousands of paratroopers missing their marks, landing miles from the appointed targets.
“As we have seen, several of these units arrived later, and as the morning [on D-Day] advanced, the disembarkation of follow-up units became seriously delayed. But nobody should have expected anything else,” writes Hastings. “The real achievement was that most of the men who were supposed to land on Sword got past the beach alive….” (Some of the most disturbing and realistic images of D-Day occur in the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan.)
As detailed and dramatic as SWORD BEACH is, there are a couple of issues facing the reader. The main one for me is that the author, a citizen of the United Kingdom, has not taken into consideration that members of his audience are not his countrymen. Hastings uses many words and phrases that are, well, foreign to Americans, and he offers no explanation (What's a “sapper”?). Similarly, on the few occasions that he employs French or German, he does not translate. Add to that all of the military jargon, and it can get a bit frustrating. A glossary would have been useful.
Reviewed by Ron Kaplan
December 3, 2025
Sword Beach: D-Day Baptism by Fire
By Max Hastings, narrated by John Hopkins
For the last several years I have been reading a lot of nonfiction related to WWII so I knew I wanted to listen to this audiobook. Rather than spending most of the book with one group of men, this book tells us about D-Day and the training that led up to D-Day through snippets from the men involved. These bits of information and commentary come from published memoirs, interviews with D-Day veterans, and rigorous research. I was thrilled to see some names I recognized, not names of famous people but names of men who I have read about when reading other books on the experiences of the men who prepared for and fought on the beaches of Normandy. No one's full story is told here, we are getting a glimpse through many eyes, sometimes through letters home and conversations men had with their loved ones. Often we find out in the next sentence that the speaker died the next day, next week, or sometime later during the war. Life is so fragile at any time and even more so when men are trying to kill each other.
We are flooded with names so I absorbed this book as a whole. I'll be researching some names and places on my own since I enjoy learning more about the real people I meet in my nonfiction reading. I'll mention just a few things that amaze me, terrify me, and have me in awe. For instance, I had no idea how many soldiers spent years training to go to war, getting fed and housed and thinking they'd be sent to fight soon, only to have their very first day of combat to be when they landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. No experience in actual combat and then the crash to the ground via gliders, jumping out of ships into the ocean, parachuting in places sometimes not close to where they needed to be, and they are supposed to be battle ready, must be battle ready. The shock is great, for some instinct and training kicked in, this was the real thing.
Some of those men never lived to depart the vehicles that got them to their location. I knew about the gliders that were used to bring men and equipment to Normandy but here I learned more and the very idea seems so clunky, so out of control, so scary to me. I learned more about the tanks that come off the ships, to sink underwater, hopefully to come back up if things work as intended, to slowly make their way to shore.
There is so much friendly fire, so many mistakes that take lives. But, overall, that is not what this book is about, it's about the men who trained and lived and died, massive numbers of men. It's their thoughts, their feelings, their expectations and how life often didn't resemble what they expected. There is commentary after the fact, mistakes were made at times but also there are successes that aren't given nearly enough attention.
Despite the fact that there are so many names mentioned, often one line from a person and then we are on to the next person, I got a feeling of being there. It helps that I am so familiar with what the men went through from my previous reading and it also helped that I actually knew about some groups through books I've read. The men who lived through this day weren't done. Some may have been injured but lived to die another day, some made it through more days and months of war to actually go home. I'm glad that these books are written so the lives of everyday people in extraordinary situations are not forgotten.
I enjoyed John Hopkins narration and thought I've heard him before but he's narrated so many books that I wasn't able to look through all of them to see if I've heard an audiobook by him. But now I know I'll search out more audiobooks narrated by Hopkins because he has a library of them out there.
Pub November 11, 2025
Thank you to RBmedia | Recorded Books and NetGalley for this ARC
By Max Hastings, narrated by John Hopkins
For the last several years I have been reading a lot of nonfiction related to WWII so I knew I wanted to listen to this audiobook. Rather than spending most of the book with one group of men, this book tells us about D-Day and the training that led up to D-Day through snippets from the men involved. These bits of information and commentary come from published memoirs, interviews with D-Day veterans, and rigorous research. I was thrilled to see some names I recognized, not names of famous people but names of men who I have read about when reading other books on the experiences of the men who prepared for and fought on the beaches of Normandy. No one's full story is told here, we are getting a glimpse through many eyes, sometimes through letters home and conversations men had with their loved ones. Often we find out in the next sentence that the speaker died the next day, next week, or sometime later during the war. Life is so fragile at any time and even more so when men are trying to kill each other.
We are flooded with names so I absorbed this book as a whole. I'll be researching some names and places on my own since I enjoy learning more about the real people I meet in my nonfiction reading. I'll mention just a few things that amaze me, terrify me, and have me in awe. For instance, I had no idea how many soldiers spent years training to go to war, getting fed and housed and thinking they'd be sent to fight soon, only to have their very first day of combat to be when they landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. No experience in actual combat and then the crash to the ground via gliders, jumping out of ships into the ocean, parachuting in places sometimes not close to where they needed to be, and they are supposed to be battle ready, must be battle ready. The shock is great, for some instinct and training kicked in, this was the real thing.
Some of those men never lived to depart the vehicles that got them to their location. I knew about the gliders that were used to bring men and equipment to Normandy but here I learned more and the very idea seems so clunky, so out of control, so scary to me. I learned more about the tanks that come off the ships, to sink underwater, hopefully to come back up if things work as intended, to slowly make their way to shore.
There is so much friendly fire, so many mistakes that take lives. But, overall, that is not what this book is about, it's about the men who trained and lived and died, massive numbers of men. It's their thoughts, their feelings, their expectations and how life often didn't resemble what they expected. There is commentary after the fact, mistakes were made at times but also there are successes that aren't given nearly enough attention.
Despite the fact that there are so many names mentioned, often one line from a person and then we are on to the next person, I got a feeling of being there. It helps that I am so familiar with what the men went through from my previous reading and it also helped that I actually knew about some groups through books I've read. The men who lived through this day weren't done. Some may have been injured but lived to die another day, some made it through more days and months of war to actually go home. I'm glad that these books are written so the lives of everyday people in extraordinary situations are not forgotten.
I enjoyed John Hopkins narration and thought I've heard him before but he's narrated so many books that I wasn't able to look through all of them to see if I've heard an audiobook by him. But now I know I'll search out more audiobooks narrated by Hopkins because he has a library of them out there.
Pub November 11, 2025
Thank you to RBmedia | Recorded Books and NetGalley for this ARC
January 24, 2026
An account of the British role in the D-Day invasion. From their initial landings at Sword Beach, the roles and impact of the English warrior is explored from a variety of angles. Thirty-five thousand servicemen were deployed that day and the author explores their experiences through the eyes of individual infantrymen, airmen and paratroopers.
Well written and engaging account of the British military experience on D-Day. Max Hastings has a knowledge base that is deep and wide. The book is filled with many fascinating asides and smaller points that I was not familiar with or had never considered. For example, Hastings mentions that the British paratroopers jumped into battle with three dogs. That the pilots of the troop transport planes, in many cases performed sub-optimally on D-Day. This was because the more skilled flyers were flying fighter planes.
Hastings spent considerable time exploring the place that specialized armor played for the Allies on June 6th. It was fascinating to read about the various tanks and their performance, or lack of it, during the invasion. The author posits that the lack of these "funnies" might have contributed to higher casualties on American landing sectors. Continuing the theme of exploring British tanks, the author mentioned that German panzer crews referred to Shermans as the "Tommy-cooker." The Allies' armor paled in comparison to the Panthers and Tigers used by the Germans. There were also many eloquent turns of phrase made by the author throughout the text. This one stood out to me: "Never more vividly, on any battlefield of the twentieth century, did so many warriors recognize themselves as participants in a great historic event, and thus set about creating tableaux and uttering words worthy to be recounted in its future chronicles."
Well written and engaging account of the British military experience on D-Day. Max Hastings has a knowledge base that is deep and wide. The book is filled with many fascinating asides and smaller points that I was not familiar with or had never considered. For example, Hastings mentions that the British paratroopers jumped into battle with three dogs. That the pilots of the troop transport planes, in many cases performed sub-optimally on D-Day. This was because the more skilled flyers were flying fighter planes.
Hastings spent considerable time exploring the place that specialized armor played for the Allies on June 6th. It was fascinating to read about the various tanks and their performance, or lack of it, during the invasion. The author posits that the lack of these "funnies" might have contributed to higher casualties on American landing sectors. Continuing the theme of exploring British tanks, the author mentioned that German panzer crews referred to Shermans as the "Tommy-cooker." The Allies' armor paled in comparison to the Panthers and Tigers used by the Germans. There were also many eloquent turns of phrase made by the author throughout the text. This one stood out to me: "Never more vividly, on any battlefield of the twentieth century, did so many warriors recognize themselves as participants in a great historic event, and thus set about creating tableaux and uttering words worthy to be recounted in its future chronicles."
January 8, 2026
A superlative surprise…
Up until reading this very fine book I have not been a fan of Max Hastings. As described in the title of my review this book has come as the best book I have read about the D-Day landings at Sword Beach on the 6th June 1944; and is for me, as it is written by Max Hastings, has come as a welcome superlative surprise. Hastings puts to bed much of the unfair criticism laid at 3rd Division’s door that they did not take Caen on D-Day. Hastings puts forward many valid reasons for this failure to achieve the planned capture of Caen, but what jumps out at the reader I think is the obvious failure of Montgomery to acknowledge that the success of all military planning depends heavily on the initial and latterly reaction of the enemy and what the enemy will do to foil their enemy’s actions. I’m glad that Hastings also points out that any success on any battlefield usually relies on the actions and motivations of some very fine individuals that the British Army produced at a time of severe pre-war political and psychological adversity. The success of D-Day should never be undervalued and we should forever be grateful because the foundations of the freedoms we enjoy today were laid by those citizen soldiers who did it so we wouldn’t have to. An outstanding read, beautifully written and timely for the 80th Anniversary of the ending of the war in Europe, 5 stars…
Up until reading this very fine book I have not been a fan of Max Hastings. As described in the title of my review this book has come as the best book I have read about the D-Day landings at Sword Beach on the 6th June 1944; and is for me, as it is written by Max Hastings, has come as a welcome superlative surprise. Hastings puts to bed much of the unfair criticism laid at 3rd Division’s door that they did not take Caen on D-Day. Hastings puts forward many valid reasons for this failure to achieve the planned capture of Caen, but what jumps out at the reader I think is the obvious failure of Montgomery to acknowledge that the success of all military planning depends heavily on the initial and latterly reaction of the enemy and what the enemy will do to foil their enemy’s actions. I’m glad that Hastings also points out that any success on any battlefield usually relies on the actions and motivations of some very fine individuals that the British Army produced at a time of severe pre-war political and psychological adversity. The success of D-Day should never be undervalued and we should forever be grateful because the foundations of the freedoms we enjoy today were laid by those citizen soldiers who did it so we wouldn’t have to. An outstanding read, beautifully written and timely for the 80th Anniversary of the ending of the war in Europe, 5 stars…
November 19, 2025
Typically excellent output by Max Hastings. Lots of detail and hidden stories from the British assault on Sword Beach, and beyond, on D-Day. My biggest complaint is that Hastings drops in many seemingly random mentions throughout the book; for example, he’ll be describing a battle then drop in a sentence that so-and-so was killed while trying to drive his tank up a hill. Or a sentence saying another man saw a mortar drop in and kill a group having tea. These little mentions just seem gratuitous and don’t add to the overall narrative. Maybe he’s trying to get across the randomness of a battlefield? Or wants to recognize a person’s presence at the battle? Or maybe it’s just a historian trying to low-key show off his research (which I’ve complained about in several other books).
Ok, that’s my complaint. My praise is that this really is a detailed examination of a small slice of the D-Day story, just one of the five beaches, and you really get immersed in the day. There are a few helpful maps (would have liked more) to keep track of the formations and their movement on the day. As this is solely about Sword Beach, be warned there is little mention of other Allied forces like the Canadians or Americans at their respective beaches.
Overall, if you have an interest in D-Day from the perspective of the British Army, this book is highly recommended.
Ok, that’s my complaint. My praise is that this really is a detailed examination of a small slice of the D-Day story, just one of the five beaches, and you really get immersed in the day. There are a few helpful maps (would have liked more) to keep track of the formations and their movement on the day. As this is solely about Sword Beach, be warned there is little mention of other Allied forces like the Canadians or Americans at their respective beaches.
Overall, if you have an interest in D-Day from the perspective of the British Army, this book is highly recommended.
October 25, 2025
A concise retelling of the buildup and the actual first day of the D-day invasion at Sword beach by the British soldiers who actually went through it. Using the soldiers own words we are treated to an unvarnished account of the landing and the early battle as the invasion attempts to establish and hold its initial objectives and keep from being overrun and forced into the sea by counterattacking Germans. From the initial paratrooper and glider landings at night to the troops and vehicles coming ashore later on the same day from the biggest invasion fleet assembled to date, we are there. The story provides many of the highlights and lowlights of the invading soldiers from varied sources some dating almost to the date of publication. The fortune of war is amply demonstrated by the stories told from both sides of the conflict ( who could of imagined the birthday of Rommel's wife would be a contributing factor in the early survival of the invasion). While not the precise story provided by a historical fiction this is a fascinating glimpse into the small and large events of an actual campaign. The author is to be commended for his collecting and forming these varied sources into a cohesive view of the action as it happened. If you want to gain a better understanding of how and what happened on that day this is a real exceptional retelling of the first day on Sword beach.
November 10, 2025
I received this free audio ARC from NetGalley and RBMedia. I was so honored to be able to listen to this captivating, riveting and magnificent telling of the British efforts related to D-Day. Recounted from the perspectives of the men who fought that day, this book achieves something admirable in history: a real accounting of the thoughts and actions of the men who fought and died for our freedom. The planning, the execution and the improvisation when unforeseen events took over come alive in this book - and the narrator certainly helps this (at one point I was on my seat as the drones were trying to land). I especially liked the stories of these men, how they viewed what they were doing and why it mattered. A must read for all WWII buffs/historians/and those who do not want to forget that we fought fascism because it was the right thing to do.
November 22, 2025
If Sir Max Hastings writes it, I'll read it. I’ve always loved the way he narrates history. As someone who studied history in the United States, I grew up hearing mostly about Omaha and Utah Beach, it is genuinely refreshing to dive into Sword Beach and learn about the training, objectives, and experiences of the British 3rd Division, the attached commandos and armored units, and the British 6th Airborne Division (gliders included!).
I first became a Hastings fan while trying to broaden my very American-centered education. For my fellow WWII history readers in the U.S., this is a fantastic look at D-Day from outside the usual American view..
Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley! #SwordBeach #NetGalley
I first became a Hastings fan while trying to broaden my very American-centered education. For my fellow WWII history readers in the U.S., this is a fantastic look at D-Day from outside the usual American view..
Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley! #SwordBeach #NetGalley
January 25, 2026
A superb book focusing on just one of the five D-Day beaches. In a very skillful manner he combines the stratgic along with the tactical. He uses hundreds of accounts from the participants. He captures the minute by minute and the grand designs of the fighting on Sword. He already has written superb books on all of Overlord so this is a snapshot of just one beach. It is very exciting since the tension remains in the battle scenes. He makes it clear that D-Day was an Allied event nad not just a British event. He uses Sword which is one of the more exciting venues with the taking of the Pegasus vridges Hastings is one of the most respected authors on WWII and this is a must read.
November 15, 2025
I have quite the collection of Max Hastings books and this one is an excellent edition.
Writing is solid. Interesting, informative and appropriate for the subject matter.
I particularly enjoyed the last chapter letting us know what happened to many of the significant characters. The letters home were a good inclusion.
I learned a lot from this book and would not hesitate to recommend.
The audiobook is read by John Hopkins, an excellent narrator and perfect for a book like this.
No negatives.
Off to see if my local bookshop has a physical copy for my non-fiction bookcase 🥰
Writing is solid. Interesting, informative and appropriate for the subject matter.
I particularly enjoyed the last chapter letting us know what happened to many of the significant characters. The letters home were a good inclusion.
I learned a lot from this book and would not hesitate to recommend.
The audiobook is read by John Hopkins, an excellent narrator and perfect for a book like this.
No negatives.
Off to see if my local bookshop has a physical copy for my non-fiction bookcase 🥰
January 15, 2026
Max Hastings is the great chronicler of WWII and this latest tome charts June 6, 1944 and the push to Caen from Sword beach. There are stories of the individuals concerned with a more gritty Britishness than say Saving Private Ryan. 3 things I hadn’t fully appreciated. 1) many of the British troops hadn’t seen action and had been training for years 2) the death toll was actually pretty low (worse came in the days that followed) and 3) the Germans were thankfully pretty incompetent in their immediate response.
August 18, 2025
A fascinating account of the trials and tribulations of the first men to throw themselves into occupied Europe. From John Howards gliders, to tanks swimming ashore the book looks at the tactical and human drama unfolding on this day of days.
However I do find the authors assertions about the plan not being thought through enough and about the fighting quality of British vs German units something of an older point of view and not up to date with current thinking.
However I do find the authors assertions about the plan not being thought through enough and about the fighting quality of British vs German units something of an older point of view and not up to date with current thinking.
October 20, 2025
I loved the book and had a very hard time putting it down. I am now a fan of his writing and looking for other books he has written on Thriftbooks. The writing was excellent with so much description and detail of what happened that day on Sword Beach. The book just kept moving right along. If you are a fan of books on World War II, this is the one to read when it comes out. He tells the story of the British troops that landed on Sword and what they went through that day June 6, 1944.
November 19, 2025
Picked this up at a talk given by the author hosted by the independent Hungerford bookshop.
This book is extremely well written, flowed from event to event and character to character, and provided a vivid picture of 6th June 1944 without getting stuck in the minutiae (that can so often happen with DDay retellings).
I’ve read many books on DDay to the point you wonder what else you need to know, but Hasting’s ‘Sword’ is a must for those interested in the war.
This book is extremely well written, flowed from event to event and character to character, and provided a vivid picture of 6th June 1944 without getting stuck in the minutiae (that can so often happen with DDay retellings).
I’ve read many books on DDay to the point you wonder what else you need to know, but Hasting’s ‘Sword’ is a must for those interested in the war.
May 19, 2025
Sir Max Hastings has, to my knowledge, never written a bad book. This is a more intimate telling of just one aspect of the D-Day story told through the words of the young soldiers and is all the better for it. The reporter’s skills are in evidence again and Sir Max gets right down with individuals to tell the story of SWORD beach.
December 20, 2025
A very useful, well-written account of the preparations, events and aftermath of the Sword Beach invasion during WWII.
Hastings writes a coherent narrative and sums up its successes and failures perfectly.
His writing style continues to be easily accessible to non-military historians as well as those with a fuller knowledge of Operation Overlord.
Well worth reading.
Hastings writes a coherent narrative and sums up its successes and failures perfectly.
His writing style continues to be easily accessible to non-military historians as well as those with a fuller knowledge of Operation Overlord.
Well worth reading.
June 5, 2025
Excellent account of the build up and landing day 6 June 1944 on one of key beaches
June 28, 2025
Good book to read
July 7, 2025
Thanks to Norton for the ARC - great addition to the D-Day canon, focused on British contributions
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