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June 6, 1944: The Voices of D-Day
In ships and planes, they crossed the English Channel.
On the other side Hitler’s army waited.
And the longest day was about to begin....
In the spring of 1944, 120,000 Allied soldiers crossed the English Channel in the most ambitious invasion force ever assembled. Rangers, paratroopers, infantry, and armored personnel, these soldiers--some who had just cut their teeth in Africa and Sicily and some who were brand-new to war--joined a force aimed at the heart of Europe and Hitler’s defenses. On the morning of June 6, D-Day began. And in the hours that followed, thousands lost their lives, while those who survived would be changed forever
No other chronicle of D-Day can match Gerald Astor's extraordinary work--a vivid first-person account told with stunning immediacy by the men who were there. From soldiers who waded through the bullet-riddled water to those who dropped behind enemy lines, from moments of terror and confusion to acts of incredible camaraderie and heroism, June 6, 1944 plunges us into history in the making--and the most pivotal battle ever waged.
On the other side Hitler’s army waited.
And the longest day was about to begin....
In the spring of 1944, 120,000 Allied soldiers crossed the English Channel in the most ambitious invasion force ever assembled. Rangers, paratroopers, infantry, and armored personnel, these soldiers--some who had just cut their teeth in Africa and Sicily and some who were brand-new to war--joined a force aimed at the heart of Europe and Hitler’s defenses. On the morning of June 6, D-Day began. And in the hours that followed, thousands lost their lives, while those who survived would be changed forever
No other chronicle of D-Day can match Gerald Astor's extraordinary work--a vivid first-person account told with stunning immediacy by the men who were there. From soldiers who waded through the bullet-riddled water to those who dropped behind enemy lines, from moments of terror and confusion to acts of incredible camaraderie and heroism, June 6, 1944 plunges us into history in the making--and the most pivotal battle ever waged.
480 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
15 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Gerald Astor
52 books14 followersGerald Morton Astor, a native of New Haven, grew up in Mount Vernon, N.Y. After his Army service in the Second World War, he received a bachelor’s degree from Princeton. He was the picture editor of Sports Illustrated in its early years and worked as an editor for Sport magazine, Look, The Saturday Evening Post and Time.
Besides his accounts of the Battle of the Bulge and the air war in Europe, Mr. Astor wrote of World War II in books including “The Greatest War: Americans in Combat, 1941-1945,” “June 6, 1944: The Voices of D-Day,” “Operation Iceberg: The Invasion and Conquest of Okinawa in World War II” and biographies of Maj. Gen. Terry Allen, a leading combat commander in both North Africa and Europe, and the Nazi medical experimenter Dr. Josef Mengele.
He also wrote “The Right to Fight: A History of African Americans in the Military” and “Presidents at War,” an account of presidents’ evolving assertion of authority to take military action in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war.
Mr. Astor edited “The Baseball Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary Book” and wrote a biography of the heavyweight champion Joe Louis, “And a Credit to His Race.” He collaborated with Anthony Villano, a former F.B.I. agent who recruited informants from the Mafia, in “Brick Agent.”
Besides his accounts of the Battle of the Bulge and the air war in Europe, Mr. Astor wrote of World War II in books including “The Greatest War: Americans in Combat, 1941-1945,” “June 6, 1944: The Voices of D-Day,” “Operation Iceberg: The Invasion and Conquest of Okinawa in World War II” and biographies of Maj. Gen. Terry Allen, a leading combat commander in both North Africa and Europe, and the Nazi medical experimenter Dr. Josef Mengele.
He also wrote “The Right to Fight: A History of African Americans in the Military” and “Presidents at War,” an account of presidents’ evolving assertion of authority to take military action in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war.
Mr. Astor edited “The Baseball Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary Book” and wrote a biography of the heavyweight champion Joe Louis, “And a Credit to His Race.” He collaborated with Anthony Villano, a former F.B.I. agent who recruited informants from the Mafia, in “Brick Agent.”
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 15, 2012
Read this in preparation for our visit to the Normandy beaches on D-day, June 6th 2012. Very moving experience which was made more so by having read Astor's book.
October 4, 2012
Great primary source material, nicely assembled. But, repetition of information should have been avoided. some careful editing would have benefitted the narrative that emerges.
May 15, 2024
A great collection of first hand accounts of the men that ended up on the French coast and countryside during D-Day. Starting with the background stories of how these young men joined the military and were next trained to be part of this great crusade. They came from all kinds of backgrounds and with differing motivations to become a soldier. Some did this for patriotism, some did it to fight for a just cause, others did this (initially) for the money.
Their experiences during the work up period, and while fighting on foreign soil, are well written and shows war in all of its facets. Sometimes with some humor, but most of the time it show the ugly side of war. The fear, the smell, the uncertainty and horror are well described and makes for a gripping read.
What I liked is that the book does not end on the night of D-Day, but also tells you what happened next with a lot of these men. Some of them never saw the end of the war, others were affected for life.
Recommended!
Their experiences during the work up period, and while fighting on foreign soil, are well written and shows war in all of its facets. Sometimes with some humor, but most of the time it show the ugly side of war. The fear, the smell, the uncertainty and horror are well described and makes for a gripping read.
What I liked is that the book does not end on the night of D-Day, but also tells you what happened next with a lot of these men. Some of them never saw the end of the war, others were affected for life.
Recommended!
March 20, 2021
I get these cravings to learn more about history and why things happened and what people thought about it. June 6th has always been in my mind as well as December 7th. But it has always been such a story to hear about the rush on the beaches. What those men bravely did. I love that the author has worked to include every perspective of the men that day.
It’s full of some really interesting moments of the war but I would say parts you could skim because of so much information about so many of the soldiers. That’s why I give it 3 stars for just not holding my attention longer than a couple pages because of all the different stories being told. Five stars for all the research compiled.
It’s full of some really interesting moments of the war but I would say parts you could skim because of so much information about so many of the soldiers. That’s why I give it 3 stars for just not holding my attention longer than a couple pages because of all the different stories being told. Five stars for all the research compiled.
February 1, 2024
I thought this was a good book and was well written. I liked that it gave so many perspectives of the events of D-Day and told about the different areas of service that played a role in the events. There were a lot of people referenced which was a little hard to keep track of, but you could still get the general sense of the events and impact of the people that were there.
July 20, 2017
Jumbled and sometimes hard to follow who was speaking. Very interesting in the different views of the same story. The honesty of what these men did and witnessed is amazing.
September 4, 2018
Good book, revealing the harrowing experience of the men involved in the D-Day invasion in their own words.
October 20, 2019
It was ok. Not the best book I have read about D-Day.
July 1, 2020
I set this aside as I found it very repetitive due to poor editing.
January 3, 2024
Decent. Needs to be read with healthy skepticism, as Astor prints vets' statements without clarification, and repeats several myths.
July 11, 2020
2nd pool book of 2020. Read in honor of the 76th anniversary of the landings. Powerful first hand accounts of the turning point of the European Theatre of Operations.
May 20, 2018
This oral history collection is an exacting account of the combined Allied attack at Normandy. The text pieces together the personal stories of the men in combat. The American involvement is the focus of the piece, but the English and Canadian perspectives and accounts of battle are included. The material delves into how each soldier arrived at that time and place in history. At times, it is difficult to recall which soldier is which; the perspective changes quickly from one soldier to another. The quick transitions bog down the story in some areas, moving from one country to another and one soldier to another without gaps on the page is occasionally confusing.
The novel is full of fantastic information about the invasion plans. The wealth of information will appeal to history buffs. The book brings the scope and intricacies of the operation to the reader. The sheer size of the operation is a difficult, if not impossible, point to make well, but the volume of the soldiers recounting their piece of the action gives you a feel for the massive size of Operation Overlord. The novel does not shy away from the failures of the Army on D-Day. Turning tanks into flotillas by using canvas buoys gives a sense of a military desperate for solutions with little idea of how to make it happen.
There are some tidbits of great information. A GI reports seeing Hemingway on the scene on D-Day (p.266). The name of the first KIA in the European Theatre is pinpointed. On D-Day, even Generals jumped into combat with the Paratroopers. The glider from "Saving Private Ryan," the one with the steel plates welded to the floor, was a real thing. The pilot was the lead plane for the glider detachment and survived to tell the story. The survival numbers hit home hard. The percentage of soldiers that were able to survive the 11 months of combat are shocking; it is an appallingly low number.
p.189 "Instead of conducting precise, well planned maneuvers, the troopers initially performed like gangs of desperadoes, marauding through the countryside."
p.401 "Ordinary boys do extraordinary things in the most ordinary manner. The wounded don't cry. They seem a little dazed. Many have a surprised, hurt look in their eyes, but they don't cry."
The novel is full of fantastic information about the invasion plans. The wealth of information will appeal to history buffs. The book brings the scope and intricacies of the operation to the reader. The sheer size of the operation is a difficult, if not impossible, point to make well, but the volume of the soldiers recounting their piece of the action gives you a feel for the massive size of Operation Overlord. The novel does not shy away from the failures of the Army on D-Day. Turning tanks into flotillas by using canvas buoys gives a sense of a military desperate for solutions with little idea of how to make it happen.
There are some tidbits of great information. A GI reports seeing Hemingway on the scene on D-Day (p.266). The name of the first KIA in the European Theatre is pinpointed. On D-Day, even Generals jumped into combat with the Paratroopers. The glider from "Saving Private Ryan," the one with the steel plates welded to the floor, was a real thing. The pilot was the lead plane for the glider detachment and survived to tell the story. The survival numbers hit home hard. The percentage of soldiers that were able to survive the 11 months of combat are shocking; it is an appallingly low number.
p.189 "Instead of conducting precise, well planned maneuvers, the troopers initially performed like gangs of desperadoes, marauding through the countryside."
p.401 "Ordinary boys do extraordinary things in the most ordinary manner. The wounded don't cry. They seem a little dazed. Many have a surprised, hurt look in their eyes, but they don't cry."
July 23, 2012
Although I enjoyed and take off my hat in honor of those better than me that participated in the most significant military operation in World War II, the story becomes repetitive the longer you read through its pages.
The account is taken from hundreds of interviews conducted by Gerald Astor and they do give a vivid recollection of the events that led to the preparation and invasion. There is hardly any involvement between the main characters of the allied offensive, and their place is taken by young men who share their fears and courage in the significant events of the invasion.
Astor will take you from the initial recruitment, to the training stages and the experiences of paratroopers, infantry and artillery. Those that shared their stories will honor the fallen, remembering heroic actions from those who did not return.
I am not particularly inclined to read non-fiction, but I do value history and this was a very good read form that standpoint. As I mentioned before, it does become repetitive because Alstor uses different accounts to portray similar events, therefore, we have a feel that we are listening to the same story, just told from a different perspective.
The account is taken from hundreds of interviews conducted by Gerald Astor and they do give a vivid recollection of the events that led to the preparation and invasion. There is hardly any involvement between the main characters of the allied offensive, and their place is taken by young men who share their fears and courage in the significant events of the invasion.
Astor will take you from the initial recruitment, to the training stages and the experiences of paratroopers, infantry and artillery. Those that shared their stories will honor the fallen, remembering heroic actions from those who did not return.
I am not particularly inclined to read non-fiction, but I do value history and this was a very good read form that standpoint. As I mentioned before, it does become repetitive because Alstor uses different accounts to portray similar events, therefore, we have a feel that we are listening to the same story, just told from a different perspective.
June 30, 2012
The chapters and voices of the actual combatants were very informative, but a bit repetetive, making for a read that occasionally dragged. Still, I never could have gotten through a strictly "here's what happened" kind of book that most of the other classic D Day options provide. Hearing it in the voice of people who were there makes it very real. It would have been helpful to have a map, like the one provided at some of the sites in Normandy, to keep all the different divisions, battalions straight. Also the author assumes you know what the heck a division versus a battalion is... This was a very good way to prepare for our visit to Normandy, which had a lot richer meaning as we could see exactly what the men were trying to describe: completely unnerving and moving, even without the bombs going off around us.
June 23, 2012
This was a good look at the invasion of Normandy from the point of view of the men who did the fighting. The book is filled with person accounts from men from the American, British, and Canadian armies. They tell their stories and the stories of some of their comrades in arms that were not lucky enough to make it through the invasion.
March 16, 2012
This is a wonderfully written account of what went on leading up to during and after the D Day attack. It documents the accounts of several fighting men who were there.
It is a very engrossing, and interesting read. Astor put me right in the middle of battle with the men.
It is a very engrossing, and interesting read. Astor put me right in the middle of battle with the men.
August 10, 2011
Very detailed account of the actions of D-Day through the eyes of those who survived.
April 9, 2016
That was a really good book, although dramatic and true, it was very good. Action packed (obviously) and full of adventure (into France).
October 19, 2014
A collection of first-hand accounts from the Normandy landings.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews