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Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy: How the Allies Won on D-Day
The international bestselling historian and host of the Unknown History podcast presents a ground-breaking account of the first 24 hours of the D-Day invasion told by a symphony of incredible accounts of unknown and unheralded members of the Allied―and Axis―forces.
More than seventy-five years have passed since D-Day, the greatest seaborne invasion in history. The outcome of the Second World War hung in the balance on that chill June morning. If Allied forces succeeded in gaining a foothold in northern France, the road to victory would be open. But if the Allies could be driven back into the sea, the invasion would be stalled for years, perhaps forever.
An epic battle that involved 156,000 men, 7,000 ships and 20,000 armored vehicles, the desperate struggle that unfolded on June 6th, 1944 was, above all, a story of individual heroics―of men who were driven to keep fighting until the German defenses were smashed and the precarious beachheads secured. This authentic human story―Allied, German, French―has never fully been told.
Giles Milton’s bold new history narrates the day’s events through the tales of survivors from all the teenage Allied conscript, the crack German defender, the French resistance fighter. From the military architects at Supreme Headquarters to the young schoolboy in the Wehrmacht’s bunkers, Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy lays bare the absolute terror of those trapped in the front line of Operation Overlord. It also gives voice to those who have hitherto remained unheard―the French butcher’s daughter, the Panzer Commander’s wife, the chauffeur to the General Staff.
This vast canvas of human bravado reveals “the longest day” as never before―less as a masterpiece of strategic planning than a day on which thousands of scared young men found themselves staring death in the face. It is drawn in its entirety from the raw, unvarnished experiences of those who were there.
Includes Maps and Black-and-White Photographs
More than seventy-five years have passed since D-Day, the greatest seaborne invasion in history. The outcome of the Second World War hung in the balance on that chill June morning. If Allied forces succeeded in gaining a foothold in northern France, the road to victory would be open. But if the Allies could be driven back into the sea, the invasion would be stalled for years, perhaps forever.
An epic battle that involved 156,000 men, 7,000 ships and 20,000 armored vehicles, the desperate struggle that unfolded on June 6th, 1944 was, above all, a story of individual heroics―of men who were driven to keep fighting until the German defenses were smashed and the precarious beachheads secured. This authentic human story―Allied, German, French―has never fully been told.
Giles Milton’s bold new history narrates the day’s events through the tales of survivors from all the teenage Allied conscript, the crack German defender, the French resistance fighter. From the military architects at Supreme Headquarters to the young schoolboy in the Wehrmacht’s bunkers, Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy lays bare the absolute terror of those trapped in the front line of Operation Overlord. It also gives voice to those who have hitherto remained unheard―the French butcher’s daughter, the Panzer Commander’s wife, the chauffeur to the General Staff.
This vast canvas of human bravado reveals “the longest day” as never before―less as a masterpiece of strategic planning than a day on which thousands of scared young men found themselves staring death in the face. It is drawn in its entirety from the raw, unvarnished experiences of those who were there.
Includes Maps and Black-and-White Photographs
512 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2019
373 people are currently reading
3227 people want to read
About the author
Giles Milton
40 books584 followersBritish writer and journalist Giles Milton was born in Buckinghamshire in 1966. He has contributed articles for most of the British national newspapers as well as many foreign publications, and specializes in the history of travel and exploration. In the course of his researches, he has traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East, Japan and the Far East, and the Americas.
Knowledgeable, insatiably curious and entertaining, Milton locates history's most fascinating—and most overlooked—stories and brings them to life in his books.
He lives in London, where he is a member of the Hakluyt Society, which is dedicated to reprinting the works of explorers and adventurers in scholarly editions, some of which he uses in his research. He wrote most of Samurai William in the London Library, where he loves the "huge reading room, large Victorian desks and creaking armchairs". At home and while traveling, he is ever on the lookout for new untold stories. Apparently he began researching the life of Sir John Mandeville for his book The Riddle and the Knight after Mandeville’s book Travels "literally fell off the shelf of a Paris bookstore" in which he was browsing.
Copyright BookBrowse.com 2007
Knowledgeable, insatiably curious and entertaining, Milton locates history's most fascinating—and most overlooked—stories and brings them to life in his books.
He lives in London, where he is a member of the Hakluyt Society, which is dedicated to reprinting the works of explorers and adventurers in scholarly editions, some of which he uses in his research. He wrote most of Samurai William in the London Library, where he loves the "huge reading room, large Victorian desks and creaking armchairs". At home and while traveling, he is ever on the lookout for new untold stories. Apparently he began researching the life of Sir John Mandeville for his book The Riddle and the Knight after Mandeville’s book Travels "literally fell off the shelf of a Paris bookstore" in which he was browsing.
Copyright BookBrowse.com 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
January 28, 2019
I received Advanced Reader's Edition of this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program for an honest review.
The story greatest seaborne invasion and one of the greatest airborne operations in history combining to break the Atlantic Wall is known from an overview perspective, but the story of D-Day from a personal perspective really brings home the events of the first 24-hours of D-Day. Giles Milton covers the first 24-hours of the invasion of Western Europe in Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or Die: How the Allies Won on D-Day from both the Allied and German sides.
Milton sets the “scene” by describing how the Allies planned the invasion and how the German planned to stop them. Once the narrative turns to the invasion, Milton begins following a multitude individuals—some of whom he returns to a few times—over the course of those first pivotal 24 hours. From the Allied (mostly American) paratroopers landing all over the place confusing themselves as well as the Germans to the mistake by the Allied Supreme Command of not properly bombing the beaches and the struggle on Omaha, the things that could have undermined the Allied invasion are brought out and highlighted. However, the successes such as the total surprise of the invasion are also brought to life through many perspectives from the retelling by soldiers. Milton shifts the narrative from West to East in the landing zones to detail the Allied experiences on each as well as South as German defenders and French civilians experienced the firepower of massive invasion, as well chronologically (as well as can be expected) to really bring to the forefront how touch and go that day was.
While Milton certainly constructed a very intriguing historical narrative in covering a 24-hour period from the viewpoint of a multitude of eyewitnesses, this was also the book’s downfall. The use of so many eyewitnesses resulted in not really establishing familiarity with those that he returns to over the course of the book. If you are familiar with the film The Longest Day than some of these eyewitnesses will be familiar given the events that Milton chronicles, if not for that I would have gotten lost several times throughout the book.
Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or Die: How the Allies Won on D-Day is an ambitious undertaking by Giles Milton that unfortunately does not really come together as a whole. While the use of a multitude of eyewitnesses can be applauded to create the narrative unfortunately it didn’t work out given the large number Milton used.
The story greatest seaborne invasion and one of the greatest airborne operations in history combining to break the Atlantic Wall is known from an overview perspective, but the story of D-Day from a personal perspective really brings home the events of the first 24-hours of D-Day. Giles Milton covers the first 24-hours of the invasion of Western Europe in Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or Die: How the Allies Won on D-Day from both the Allied and German sides.
Milton sets the “scene” by describing how the Allies planned the invasion and how the German planned to stop them. Once the narrative turns to the invasion, Milton begins following a multitude individuals—some of whom he returns to a few times—over the course of those first pivotal 24 hours. From the Allied (mostly American) paratroopers landing all over the place confusing themselves as well as the Germans to the mistake by the Allied Supreme Command of not properly bombing the beaches and the struggle on Omaha, the things that could have undermined the Allied invasion are brought out and highlighted. However, the successes such as the total surprise of the invasion are also brought to life through many perspectives from the retelling by soldiers. Milton shifts the narrative from West to East in the landing zones to detail the Allied experiences on each as well as South as German defenders and French civilians experienced the firepower of massive invasion, as well chronologically (as well as can be expected) to really bring to the forefront how touch and go that day was.
While Milton certainly constructed a very intriguing historical narrative in covering a 24-hour period from the viewpoint of a multitude of eyewitnesses, this was also the book’s downfall. The use of so many eyewitnesses resulted in not really establishing familiarity with those that he returns to over the course of the book. If you are familiar with the film The Longest Day than some of these eyewitnesses will be familiar given the events that Milton chronicles, if not for that I would have gotten lost several times throughout the book.
Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or Die: How the Allies Won on D-Day is an ambitious undertaking by Giles Milton that unfortunately does not really come together as a whole. While the use of a multitude of eyewitnesses can be applauded to create the narrative unfortunately it didn’t work out given the large number Milton used.
April 27, 2024
Solider Sailor recounts the events of D-Day from a variety of perspectives. On the one hand, this is rather interesting as one sees the day through many different eyes (paratrooper, field surgeon, infantryman, French civilian, etc.). On the other hand, the reader almost never follows any one individual for more than a few pages. Accordingly, much of the book is battle scenes involving soldiers one hardly knows and, hence, barely cares about. With so little vested interest in the people, it is hard to muster much enthusiasm for the action and, by extension, for the book that portrays it.
March 16, 2019
My attention was riveted on the title. Frogmen! Spies! Thanks go to Net Galley and Henry Holt for the galley, which I expected to love. Though I am disappointed, I would have been more so had I paid the cover price for this fast-and-loose pop history.
The author takes the events surrounding D-Day, the massive attack that turned the tide of World War II, and recounts them from the perspectives of those that were there, both on the Allied side as well as on the Germans’. Though the narrative flows in a congenial tone, it represents a smallish amount of research stretched and padded, and the result is a smattering of important information that’s already been conveyed in a million other sources, most of which he doesn’t cite, and a great deal of trivial information provided by bystanders, which he does.
So there is the research—or mostly, there isn’t. The author draws to some extent upon stories garnered through his German wife’s family, but a lot of it comes across as the sort of long-winded recounting that causes even loving family members to inch toward their coats and make noises about how late it’s getting to be. Long passages of direct quotations pass without a citation, and then later there are citations, but they aren’t well integrated, and almost nothing has more than a single source provided. In other words, it’s sketchy stuff that cannot pass muster.
In all fairness, I have to admit that it’s bad luck on the author’s part to have his work released so soon after Spearhead, which is brilliant and meticulously documented. On the other hand, this is no debut, and though I haven’t read the author’s other work, I can’t imagine that he doesn’t know he’s cut corners here.
Then there’s the other thing, an elephant in the room that isn’t entirely this author’s fault. Why is it that when a war ends and enmities cool, the folks that are invited back into the fold by the UK and USA are always Caucasians? Brits and Americans wax sentimental now alongside Germans, none of whom belonged to families that liked the Fascists, yet the Japanese fighters of World War II never make it back into the family, so to speak. And in this Milton has a vast amount of company, but this is where it is most obvious, so this is where I’ll mention it.
So there it is. It’s for sale now if you still want it.
The author takes the events surrounding D-Day, the massive attack that turned the tide of World War II, and recounts them from the perspectives of those that were there, both on the Allied side as well as on the Germans’. Though the narrative flows in a congenial tone, it represents a smallish amount of research stretched and padded, and the result is a smattering of important information that’s already been conveyed in a million other sources, most of which he doesn’t cite, and a great deal of trivial information provided by bystanders, which he does.
So there is the research—or mostly, there isn’t. The author draws to some extent upon stories garnered through his German wife’s family, but a lot of it comes across as the sort of long-winded recounting that causes even loving family members to inch toward their coats and make noises about how late it’s getting to be. Long passages of direct quotations pass without a citation, and then later there are citations, but they aren’t well integrated, and almost nothing has more than a single source provided. In other words, it’s sketchy stuff that cannot pass muster.
In all fairness, I have to admit that it’s bad luck on the author’s part to have his work released so soon after Spearhead, which is brilliant and meticulously documented. On the other hand, this is no debut, and though I haven’t read the author’s other work, I can’t imagine that he doesn’t know he’s cut corners here.
Then there’s the other thing, an elephant in the room that isn’t entirely this author’s fault. Why is it that when a war ends and enmities cool, the folks that are invited back into the fold by the UK and USA are always Caucasians? Brits and Americans wax sentimental now alongside Germans, none of whom belonged to families that liked the Fascists, yet the Japanese fighters of World War II never make it back into the family, so to speak. And in this Milton has a vast amount of company, but this is where it is most obvious, so this is where I’ll mention it.
So there it is. It’s for sale now if you still want it.
May 17, 2019
Next month will be the 75th anniversary of the allied landing in Normandy. As with most major historical commemorations people will flock to the beaches off the French coast. In addition, the anniversary has produced a plethora of new books to go with the classic works that have been written in the past, including; Cornelius Ryan’s THE LONGEST DAY, Max Hasting’s OVERLORD, John Keegan’s SIX ARMIES IN NORMANDY, Carlo D’Este’s DECISION IN NORMANDY, Anthony Beevor’s D DAY and Stephen Ambrose’s D DAY:JUNE 6TH 1944. New books published in the last two months include COUNTDOWN TO D DAY: THE GERMAN PERSPECTIVE by Peter Margaratis, NORMANDY ’44: D DAY AND THE EPIC 77 DAY BATTLE FOR FRANCE by James Holland, SAND AND STEEL: D DAY AND THE LIBERATION OF FRANCE by Peter Caddick-Adams, THE FIRST WAVE:THE D DAY WARRIORS WHO LED THE WAY TO VICTORY IN WORLD WAR II by Alex Kershaw, and SOLDIER, SAILOR, FROGMAN, SPY, AIRMAN, GANGSTER, KILL OR DIE: HOW THE ALLIES WON ON D DAY by Giles Milton. For this review I will focus on Milton’s new narrative. What sets the book apart from the others is that he approaches events from a different perspective by focusing on the stories of survivors from all sides including; a teenage Allied conscript, the crack German defender, and the French resistance fighter among many others. It is important to remember that each book mentioned has made an important contribution to the growing historiography related to the allied landing in June 1944.
Milton’s approach is very anecdotal as he introduces numerous characters. Some are important historical figures like General Dwight David Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, General Omar T. Bradley, the most senior American commander at D-Day, and Nazi Field Marshall Erwin Rommel who Hitler placed in charge of preparing and thwarting any allied invasion across the English Channel. The strength of Milton’s book is how he conveys the experiences of allied soldiers who bore the brunt of the carnage and eventual success of the invasion, but also French civilians who were caught in the crossfire between allied bombing and German artillery. In addition, Milton gives voice to many individuals who have not been heard before; the Panzer Commander’s wife, the chauffeur to the General Staff, women who worked in in Southwick, the nerve center for Operation Overlord, and those teenagers forced into service as nurses at Portsmouth caring for German prisoners of war.
The narrative explores the difficulties in organizing such a massive undertaking that involved transporting 23 million acres of material across the Atlantic, 6939 vessels including 4000 landing craft, 200,000 service personnel, and close to 10,000 aircraft. Milton has an excellent eye for detail be it weather forecasting, the personalities involved, the strategies employed by both sides, and in particular those stories that we do not necessarily think of when examining the insanity of war. In this case Milton describes the experiences of paratroopers behind German lines who wound up caught in trees serving as a shooting gallery for German snipers, the mission of Howard Vander Beek who commanded an LCC 60, a small boat designed to lead American safely toward the beaches, or Wally Blanchard, an eighteen year old frogman whose job was to defuse the minefield that Rommel’s forces laid in front of Gold beach.
Milton’s work is chocked full of stories of heroes, individual acts of courage, and remarkable examples of bravery on the part of allied soldiers as they confronted Rommel’s Atlantic Wall as they hit the beaches and were subject to German artillery and mortars. It was of immense importance that the German guns be knocked out so the landing zones could be built up to support the invasion. Men like James Rudder, and his unit would be successful in knocking out the big German guns situated on top of Pointe du Hoc where six 155mm cannon could lob huge shells a distance of 25,000 meters covering Omaha and Utah beaches. Others include General Norman “Dutch” Cota and Colonel Charles Canham would help break the deadlock that existed on Omaha Beach, or Simon Fraser, a Highland Chief and the 15th Lord Lovat, “the mad bastard” would lead his men to link up with John Howard, an Oxford shire policeman’s unit to save the Benouville Bridge that was a key to allied advance after the landings. The stories that Milton conveys are chilling as events unfolded on June 6th, as death became a game of chance. The author points out that “for most the landings were petrifying, for a few it was intoxicating.” The vivid description of death is difficult to deal with at times and in the end 37,000 allied soldiers died with 209,000 casualties and roughly 17,000 deaths in the air.
The German side of the invasion is also covered in detail as Milton introduces the reader to German soldiers like Franz Gockel and Josef Shroder whose weapons would meet the allied invaders. They could not believe the bloodshed they were causing as they were picking off allied soldiers as they hit the beaches. The arrogant and exceptional Panzer Commander Colonel Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski is introduced as he tries to drive a wedge with his tanks as he saw an opening between British troops on Sword Beach and Canadians on Juno. Rommel’s headquarters is also explored in addition to his surprise when the invasion took place - he was visiting his wife in Germany. The disagreements between Nazi higherups, Hitler, and commanders on the ground is related and if they would have been in better sync with each other, the task for allied soldiers would have been much more difficult and the resulting casualty figures much higher.
Milton has skillfully woven a very complex narrative that allows the general audience to understand the violence and utter devastation that occurred on June 6th. He has written a remarkable account through the eyes of the participants providing the reader with insights and an experience that is not always conveyed as well by historians. After reading Milton’s account one but one cannot escape the fact of the willingness of so many on both sides to fight to the death. In the end despite the the difficulties involved, the importance of the allied success resulted in ultimate victory against the Nazi war machine.
Milton’s approach is very anecdotal as he introduces numerous characters. Some are important historical figures like General Dwight David Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, General Omar T. Bradley, the most senior American commander at D-Day, and Nazi Field Marshall Erwin Rommel who Hitler placed in charge of preparing and thwarting any allied invasion across the English Channel. The strength of Milton’s book is how he conveys the experiences of allied soldiers who bore the brunt of the carnage and eventual success of the invasion, but also French civilians who were caught in the crossfire between allied bombing and German artillery. In addition, Milton gives voice to many individuals who have not been heard before; the Panzer Commander’s wife, the chauffeur to the General Staff, women who worked in in Southwick, the nerve center for Operation Overlord, and those teenagers forced into service as nurses at Portsmouth caring for German prisoners of war.
The narrative explores the difficulties in organizing such a massive undertaking that involved transporting 23 million acres of material across the Atlantic, 6939 vessels including 4000 landing craft, 200,000 service personnel, and close to 10,000 aircraft. Milton has an excellent eye for detail be it weather forecasting, the personalities involved, the strategies employed by both sides, and in particular those stories that we do not necessarily think of when examining the insanity of war. In this case Milton describes the experiences of paratroopers behind German lines who wound up caught in trees serving as a shooting gallery for German snipers, the mission of Howard Vander Beek who commanded an LCC 60, a small boat designed to lead American safely toward the beaches, or Wally Blanchard, an eighteen year old frogman whose job was to defuse the minefield that Rommel’s forces laid in front of Gold beach.
Milton’s work is chocked full of stories of heroes, individual acts of courage, and remarkable examples of bravery on the part of allied soldiers as they confronted Rommel’s Atlantic Wall as they hit the beaches and were subject to German artillery and mortars. It was of immense importance that the German guns be knocked out so the landing zones could be built up to support the invasion. Men like James Rudder, and his unit would be successful in knocking out the big German guns situated on top of Pointe du Hoc where six 155mm cannon could lob huge shells a distance of 25,000 meters covering Omaha and Utah beaches. Others include General Norman “Dutch” Cota and Colonel Charles Canham would help break the deadlock that existed on Omaha Beach, or Simon Fraser, a Highland Chief and the 15th Lord Lovat, “the mad bastard” would lead his men to link up with John Howard, an Oxford shire policeman’s unit to save the Benouville Bridge that was a key to allied advance after the landings. The stories that Milton conveys are chilling as events unfolded on June 6th, as death became a game of chance. The author points out that “for most the landings were petrifying, for a few it was intoxicating.” The vivid description of death is difficult to deal with at times and in the end 37,000 allied soldiers died with 209,000 casualties and roughly 17,000 deaths in the air.
The German side of the invasion is also covered in detail as Milton introduces the reader to German soldiers like Franz Gockel and Josef Shroder whose weapons would meet the allied invaders. They could not believe the bloodshed they were causing as they were picking off allied soldiers as they hit the beaches. The arrogant and exceptional Panzer Commander Colonel Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski is introduced as he tries to drive a wedge with his tanks as he saw an opening between British troops on Sword Beach and Canadians on Juno. Rommel’s headquarters is also explored in addition to his surprise when the invasion took place - he was visiting his wife in Germany. The disagreements between Nazi higherups, Hitler, and commanders on the ground is related and if they would have been in better sync with each other, the task for allied soldiers would have been much more difficult and the resulting casualty figures much higher.
Milton has skillfully woven a very complex narrative that allows the general audience to understand the violence and utter devastation that occurred on June 6th. He has written a remarkable account through the eyes of the participants providing the reader with insights and an experience that is not always conveyed as well by historians. After reading Milton’s account one but one cannot escape the fact of the willingness of so many on both sides to fight to the death. In the end despite the the difficulties involved, the importance of the allied success resulted in ultimate victory against the Nazi war machine.
June 17, 2024
A really enjoyable book about the experiences of dozens of men and women who experienced D-Day from all sides: German soldiers, sailors and airmen, French civilians and resistance fighters, British auxiliaries, sailors, airmen, commandos, paratroopers and infantry, Canadian troopers and American paratroopers, infantry, tankers and sailors.
This is not the book for you if you're looking for a detailed history of the build-up, planning and fighting to secure the Normandy beachheads, but if you're looking for a book which gives you plenty of "you are there" moments, then definitely pick this one up. A bit of a warning: not for the squeamish as there are some extremely graphic accounts about soldiers who were wounded or killed. Also, if you don't like profanity, there's a fair amount sprinkled throughout as well.
Since the book isn't supposed to be a complete description of the battle, several elements get less ink than others and leave the reader wanting more from certain areas. However, the text is well-structured and reads very easily--it's tough to put down!
This is not the book for you if you're looking for a detailed history of the build-up, planning and fighting to secure the Normandy beachheads, but if you're looking for a book which gives you plenty of "you are there" moments, then definitely pick this one up. A bit of a warning: not for the squeamish as there are some extremely graphic accounts about soldiers who were wounded or killed. Also, if you don't like profanity, there's a fair amount sprinkled throughout as well.
Since the book isn't supposed to be a complete description of the battle, several elements get less ink than others and leave the reader wanting more from certain areas. However, the text is well-structured and reads very easily--it's tough to put down!
June 9, 2019
I received this book in a goodreads giveaway. When I picked this book up I was not sure I would get into it because I do not usually read accounts of war battles. I was completely enthralled by this detailed, well researched account of the 24 hours of the D Day invasion. I could not put this book down. I loved how the author told the story of the individual soldiers, sailors and airman who participated in the battle. We learned of the bravery of men that history may have forgotten but they were such an important part of what happened on that day. I am so glad I received this book. It was an emotional read for me. I did not really anticipate that but I found myself moved to tears a couple of times. I had an uncle who landed on Utah Beach that chapter was especially poignant for me. I never got to meet my uncle because he died in France in the fierce battle for the village of saint Lo before I was born. My family always remembers him. I have heard stories from my mom, aunts and grandparents. I learned so much from this read. I have made the decision that my next beach vacation will be to the beaches at Normandy and a visit to the American cemetery at Colleville sur mer. I highly recommend this book.
May 11, 2019
This was an interesting book, very ambitious in scope. It was fairly inconsistent but overall worth reading.
The aspects I enjoyed most were the exciting action scenes. Many of the skirmishes are rendered really well. I also appreciated the inclusion of the German and French civilian perspectives, as I haven't read about that as much. For example, I didn't realize that French coastal towns were bombarded heavily, with the only warning to the residents being air-dropped pamphlets delivered the morning of D-Day. The fact that much of the technology fails when needed was also an interesting side to the story.
The largest problem was it tried to cover the events from far too many perspectives. We're often introduced to characters with what becomes a tired cliche: "Soldier X found the war much more exciting than his job as back home" only to witness them cut down a moment later. Only a select few characters recur and those parts work the most since I felt more invested in them. I imagine this was intentional to make the deaths more surprising, and I did feel that the overall atmosphere of indiscriminate slaughter was accurate conveyed. Nonetheless, it made it challenging as a narrative.
That being said, Milton exercised great editorial restraint in keeping this project to a reasonable page count, and I would recommend it for those who want a different perspective on a much-covered event.
The aspects I enjoyed most were the exciting action scenes. Many of the skirmishes are rendered really well. I also appreciated the inclusion of the German and French civilian perspectives, as I haven't read about that as much. For example, I didn't realize that French coastal towns were bombarded heavily, with the only warning to the residents being air-dropped pamphlets delivered the morning of D-Day. The fact that much of the technology fails when needed was also an interesting side to the story.
The largest problem was it tried to cover the events from far too many perspectives. We're often introduced to characters with what becomes a tired cliche: "Soldier X found the war much more exciting than his job as back home" only to witness them cut down a moment later. Only a select few characters recur and those parts work the most since I felt more invested in them. I imagine this was intentional to make the deaths more surprising, and I did feel that the overall atmosphere of indiscriminate slaughter was accurate conveyed. Nonetheless, it made it challenging as a narrative.
That being said, Milton exercised great editorial restraint in keeping this project to a reasonable page count, and I would recommend it for those who want a different perspective on a much-covered event.
November 17, 2018
This is a story of such magnitude that it cannot be contained in one volume and represent all parts of the story equally and yet that is exactly what Giles Milton has done. This is not your typical history book overflowing with mindnumbing facts and figures. Instead, the author has taken this heroic Herculean effort of so many people and countries and made it personal. Every chapter is riddled with stories and actual accounts from the men and women, on both sides of the trenches. What they experienced firsthand becomes our shared experience. There is still plenty of gruesome and barbaric warfare and the loss of so many lives is staggering but you can't help yourself from having a better understanding of what happened through these eyewitness accounts. It makes what should be a reading challenge much more readable. You are left in awe of what they accomplished, grateful for your family members who served and hope that never again will so many perish in this way. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
February 7, 2019
Be prepared to meet a lot of characters. If you like your military history to be about people, and not overburdened with the movements of battalions, corps and divisions, you'll like this book. There's thousands of individual stories that came out of June 6th, 1944. This captures a lot of them. While we all know about the pair of shoes General Rommel picked up for his wife's birthday, I never new that they didn't fit. That little vignette, says a lot about the kind of luck he would have that day. Rommel knew what everyone wanted to deny. If the Allies weren't pushed back into the sea immediately, the war would be lost. You can put this book on the shelf between Stephen Ambrose and Cornelius Ryan. I enjoyed it.
June 9, 2022
This is the best, most engaging, book on D-day that I have ever read. The author tells a great story and weaves in quotations from both Allied and German combatants.
November 5, 2023
20 years ago my family traveled through Normandy visiting all the sights associated with D-Day, including a visit to the American Cemetery where my grandfather’s brother is buried. Reading this book brought back so many of those tender and heart-wrenching memories and reminded me of the price that was paid for what we enjoy today.
Although historical, Milton has a way of weaving personal stories of those involved into the narrative to make it more interesting than a typical history book would be.
Although historical, Milton has a way of weaving personal stories of those involved into the narrative to make it more interesting than a typical history book would be.
July 6, 2024
The most in-depth look at D-Day I’ve read so far and it was remarkable. It’s always touted as a rousing success, but the details reveal how much went wrong and how easily the entire operation could’ve failed were it not for the incredible pluck and bravery shown by so many ordinary men. Giles has done it again! <3
January 3, 2020
Wow! What a book! The story of the WWII D-Day landings told through the eyes of soldiers from the Axis and Allied armies. The stories of the horror and heroism of that day recounted by the soldiers, sailors, and pilots that took part is riveting stuff. A marvelous book!
July 17, 2025
I have read many books on WWII and D-Day; however, I have never read a book like this, and it is extraordinary. Milton describes D-Day through the eyes and experiences of those who were part of and/or impacted by the invasion of Fortress Europe. He briefly refers to the planners and senior generals/admirals, but the book is tightly focused on those carrying out the invasion, the civilians and resistance fighters in France, and the Germans/Nazis who were on the receiving end of the greatest fighting force in history.
He begins with a German young woman on June 5th whose duty was to transcribe radio broadcasted "personal messages" coming from England, i.e., coded messages to the resistance. From here, MIlton expands the book to the lives of the others who were participants in the war. We meet specific paratroopers, infantry, artillery men, sailors, pilots, spies, and their counterparts on the German side. We are with them as they carry out their objectives.
Milton brings these men (and some women) to life. We feel, as much as possible, their fear, horror, exhaustion, anger, sorrow, and eventual triumph. His description of Omaha Beach actually gave me bad dreams. Even so, it was necessary to appreciate what these young men went through. Milton's exceptional writing brings the reader face to face, and heart to heart, with these men.
The book contains three highly useful maps, copious footnotes (absolutely essential in a history), and a through bibliography (also essential). I highly recommend the book. It is a different type of history, but a powerful one. Please note that this is not the book for those looking for detailed lists of units, strategy, or tactics. It is a boots on the ground (and in the air / on the sea) vivid examination of D-Day from those who lived it. Exceptional.
He begins with a German young woman on June 5th whose duty was to transcribe radio broadcasted "personal messages" coming from England, i.e., coded messages to the resistance. From here, MIlton expands the book to the lives of the others who were participants in the war. We meet specific paratroopers, infantry, artillery men, sailors, pilots, spies, and their counterparts on the German side. We are with them as they carry out their objectives.
Milton brings these men (and some women) to life. We feel, as much as possible, their fear, horror, exhaustion, anger, sorrow, and eventual triumph. His description of Omaha Beach actually gave me bad dreams. Even so, it was necessary to appreciate what these young men went through. Milton's exceptional writing brings the reader face to face, and heart to heart, with these men.
The book contains three highly useful maps, copious footnotes (absolutely essential in a history), and a through bibliography (also essential). I highly recommend the book. It is a different type of history, but a powerful one. Please note that this is not the book for those looking for detailed lists of units, strategy, or tactics. It is a boots on the ground (and in the air / on the sea) vivid examination of D-Day from those who lived it. Exceptional.
September 14, 2019
The title is a bit deceptive making one think you are going to read some secret, never-before-revealed history of D-Day.
Instead, you get a somewhat newish spin on the D-Day story by focusing on specific individuals (mostly non-famous) on both sides and their endeavors on that fateful day.
It starts with specific stories on the night before the invasion, then proceeds through the airborne drops on each side of the beachhead, the initial wave of sea landing across all five beaches, then the advance inland, a German counterattack and finally nightfall.
Chapters are relatively short and focus on a few individuals at a given place and time. The book regularly switches viewpoint from the Allied to the German side to the French civilians. land-air-sea are all covered. The writing style is crisp and evocative.
Needless to say, and especially at Omaha Beach, the account gets grisly and no matter how many books on D-Day you have read, the extreme sacrifice made by those US units in the first wave is unforgettable. The landing craft ramps drop, the soldiers splash out, and then they're killed almost immediately.
There are three excellent maps at the beginning of the book that pinpoint each individual's (or unit's) story with a map callout.
In some ways, this is a modern day revision of "The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan who amassed hundreds of interviews, many not used by Ryan but used by Milton.
Nits?
I would have liked to have read about some of the other participant types at D-Day as after a while, I got a bit tired of all the infantry accounts. For example - crews of the "Funnies", the impressed Russian soldiers, the quartermasters but I'm sure space was the issue.
This book is not a comprehensive general's eye view of the battle (i.e. not an operational history) but Milton provides sufficient context for a reader not familiar with the battle to "follow along". Nor is it a Normandy campaign history as it ends on the 6th of June, 1944. A good complementary book on the campaign would be Antony Beevor's "D-Day, The Battle for Normandy".
Instead, you get a somewhat newish spin on the D-Day story by focusing on specific individuals (mostly non-famous) on both sides and their endeavors on that fateful day.
It starts with specific stories on the night before the invasion, then proceeds through the airborne drops on each side of the beachhead, the initial wave of sea landing across all five beaches, then the advance inland, a German counterattack and finally nightfall.
Chapters are relatively short and focus on a few individuals at a given place and time. The book regularly switches viewpoint from the Allied to the German side to the French civilians. land-air-sea are all covered. The writing style is crisp and evocative.
Needless to say, and especially at Omaha Beach, the account gets grisly and no matter how many books on D-Day you have read, the extreme sacrifice made by those US units in the first wave is unforgettable. The landing craft ramps drop, the soldiers splash out, and then they're killed almost immediately.
There are three excellent maps at the beginning of the book that pinpoint each individual's (or unit's) story with a map callout.
In some ways, this is a modern day revision of "The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan who amassed hundreds of interviews, many not used by Ryan but used by Milton.
Nits?
I would have liked to have read about some of the other participant types at D-Day as after a while, I got a bit tired of all the infantry accounts. For example - crews of the "Funnies", the impressed Russian soldiers, the quartermasters but I'm sure space was the issue.
This book is not a comprehensive general's eye view of the battle (i.e. not an operational history) but Milton provides sufficient context for a reader not familiar with the battle to "follow along". Nor is it a Normandy campaign history as it ends on the 6th of June, 1944. A good complementary book on the campaign would be Antony Beevor's "D-Day, The Battle for Normandy".
March 12, 2023
Excellent, sprawling, “you are there” history with enough background and context for the serious armchair historian, plenty of action and bravado for the military history fan, and some serious reflection on the cost of war for the most conscientious of readers.
A great single-volume history of a single day, but one that will definitely lead me to more histories of specific parts of the Normandy Campaign. In particular the planning of Operation Overlord and set-up to Operation Neptune and some of the more interesting individual actions such as Saints-Mere-Eglise and the Orne bridges.
A great single-volume history of a single day, but one that will definitely lead me to more histories of specific parts of the Normandy Campaign. In particular the planning of Operation Overlord and set-up to Operation Neptune and some of the more interesting individual actions such as Saints-Mere-Eglise and the Orne bridges.
July 26, 2025
This is one of those books I will keep on the shelf to refer back to. Milton does an amazing job flowing the 24 hours of D-Day flawlessly between the perspectives of countless Allied, German, and civilian perspectives. I have a great appreciation for the amount of time given to research, and his dedication to cite his sources throughout. I will be digging through his bibliography to find more on the topic.
Easy written "conversational" story teller. I have already saved more of Giles books in my need to read.
Easy written "conversational" story teller. I have already saved more of Giles books in my need to read.
December 25, 2025
A decent history of DDay which leans heavily on first person accounts from both sides, but glories a bit much in the gore and human devastation of war. Certainly diminishes the so-called ‘glory’ of armed conflict. Ambrose’s “D-Day” is better by a long shot, but this is still an engaging read.
October 30, 2018
Excellent addition to the canon of D-Day books. Scheduled to be published on the 75th anniversary. Well researched and the book includes an excellent bibliography.
April 17, 2019
A series of episodes mesh together effectively to describe the fraught nature of the first twenty-four hours of the D-Day invasion.
June 13, 2019
Excellent book. One of the best I've read this year.
May 29, 2020
Covering the 24 hours of D-Day, sampling boots on the ground from all sides plus civilians. Fat bibliography. Horror of war.
August 29, 2019
Engaging and rich in personal narrative; but almost revels in gore and quotes without euphemism.
September 26, 2019
Great read.
The individual stories of the brave soldiers provided an opportunity to express appreciation for such incredible sacrifice. I was reminded that our democracy and freedom came at great cost and deserves great respect.
The individual stories of the brave soldiers provided an opportunity to express appreciation for such incredible sacrifice. I was reminded that our democracy and freedom came at great cost and deserves great respect.
June 22, 2024
Amazing, Giles Milton at his best !!!
October 24, 2019
2 stars. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. If you are interesting in learning more about the events and impact of D-Day, sadly I cannot recommend this book. If you're looking for a D-Day story that's trying to be an action movie, then you've found your book.
Some of the biggest issues...
- There were FAR too many people highlighted in this book. Some appear in multiple chapters, others are introduced and then forgotten, and a few are simply quoted. There was no good way to keep track of those who stuck around for more than a sentence.
- I think it was a mistake to organize this book purely chronologically; geographical organization makes so much more sense in this case. Between the large cast of characters and the constant shift in location, it was almost impossible to feel like you were every deeply involved in the story.
- There was only minimal discussion of World War II in a greater sense and how both sides got to where they were. Worse, the only information on the greater Battle of Normandy (of which D-Day was the beginning) was in the short epilogue. It is a classic case of losing the forest for the trees and the book is the poorer for it.
- The individual stories that the author chose to tell seemed to be the most graphic ones he could find. It bordered on grotesque and macabre, and at times it felt almost voyeuristic. And with so many of these short vignettes throughout the book, it was hard to become invested in each individual. By the end, the shock value wore off and I felt almost numb to the horrors of it all.
- In the advanced reader copy, there were absolutely no maps to speak of. I hope this is not the case for the published version because it was sorely lacking, but unfortunately I doubt it.
This was the second book I read by this author and I thought the previous one (Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare) had a clearer narrative with better organization and character management. My positive experience previously only added to my disappointment this time around.
If you're looking for another option, I would recommend Antony Beevor's D-Day: The Battle for Normandy. The D-Day part is so much better and the Battle of Normandy section is slightly arduous but very informative. I read it shortly before a recent trip to Normandy and I was so glad I did because it made seeing all the D-Day sites more meaningful. I actually didn't realize how much that book had taught me until I was in France, seeing it all for myself.
Some of the biggest issues...
- There were FAR too many people highlighted in this book. Some appear in multiple chapters, others are introduced and then forgotten, and a few are simply quoted. There was no good way to keep track of those who stuck around for more than a sentence.
- I think it was a mistake to organize this book purely chronologically; geographical organization makes so much more sense in this case. Between the large cast of characters and the constant shift in location, it was almost impossible to feel like you were every deeply involved in the story.
- There was only minimal discussion of World War II in a greater sense and how both sides got to where they were. Worse, the only information on the greater Battle of Normandy (of which D-Day was the beginning) was in the short epilogue. It is a classic case of losing the forest for the trees and the book is the poorer for it.
- The individual stories that the author chose to tell seemed to be the most graphic ones he could find. It bordered on grotesque and macabre, and at times it felt almost voyeuristic. And with so many of these short vignettes throughout the book, it was hard to become invested in each individual. By the end, the shock value wore off and I felt almost numb to the horrors of it all.
- In the advanced reader copy, there were absolutely no maps to speak of. I hope this is not the case for the published version because it was sorely lacking, but unfortunately I doubt it.
This was the second book I read by this author and I thought the previous one (Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare) had a clearer narrative with better organization and character management. My positive experience previously only added to my disappointment this time around.
If you're looking for another option, I would recommend Antony Beevor's D-Day: The Battle for Normandy. The D-Day part is so much better and the Battle of Normandy section is slightly arduous but very informative. I read it shortly before a recent trip to Normandy and I was so glad I did because it made seeing all the D-Day sites more meaningful. I actually didn't realize how much that book had taught me until I was in France, seeing it all for myself.
August 25, 2020
Hundreds of books of course detail the planning and execution of D Day but the differentiator with this particular work is that individual stories on all sides of the effort are brought to light. From the baker who is working and protecting his family in Caen and experiences the total devastation of his home and city to the young German girl whose role it is to transcribe and decode messages in a dark, dank protected basement area. All those whose role in the grand undertaking appear to be trivial are brought to light and the critical intensity of their experiences and impact of their activities count for basically nothing other than I. A very tiny microcosm in which they operated where their actions achieved greatness.
Interspersed on a timeline overall of less than 72 hours, the author takes us on a journey from the excruciating exact planning process, to the pandemonium. Of the actual landing highlighting grossmiscalculations, incredibly precise execution and in many cases sheer chance
I cannot help but think of the remarkable men who, after a trek across the channel plagued by seasickness, being paralyzed by fear, were able to step forward off the landing craft ramp, into the cold Atlantic, and battle their way across the beach
Every man landing on those beaches were governed predominantly by sheer luck as to whether or not some portion of their body were to intersect the trajectory of multitudes of racing ballistics.
An excellent book that I heartily recommend whether or not the reader is a fan of history specifically WW2.
If nothing more, this book presents to the reader the worst and the very best of humanity and a true sense of the broad impact of war on all persons be they military, civilian or not.
Luck: so much came down to location and luck.
,
Interspersed on a timeline overall of less than 72 hours, the author takes us on a journey from the excruciating exact planning process, to the pandemonium. Of the actual landing highlighting grossmiscalculations, incredibly precise execution and in many cases sheer chance
I cannot help but think of the remarkable men who, after a trek across the channel plagued by seasickness, being paralyzed by fear, were able to step forward off the landing craft ramp, into the cold Atlantic, and battle their way across the beach
Every man landing on those beaches were governed predominantly by sheer luck as to whether or not some portion of their body were to intersect the trajectory of multitudes of racing ballistics.
An excellent book that I heartily recommend whether or not the reader is a fan of history specifically WW2.
If nothing more, this book presents to the reader the worst and the very best of humanity and a true sense of the broad impact of war on all persons be they military, civilian or not.
Luck: so much came down to location and luck.
,
November 19, 2019
"Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or Die: How the Allies Won on D-Day" eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Giles Milton (http://www.gilesmilton.com). Mr. Milton has published a dozen non-fiction history books.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The book tells the story of D-Day in June of 1944.
The book includes scenes that remind me of the opening shots from the "Saving Private Ryan" movie which visualizes the brutality of the D-Day landing. There are also scenes in the book that were depicted in one of my favorite WWII movies "The Longest Day". This book is a collection of stories of different people on both sides and their actions on June 6.
I thoroughly enjoyed the 13.5 hours I spent reading this 512-page history book. I found this book to be very interesting with a mix of stories I have heard before and new material. This is the second book of Milton's that I have read (the other being "Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare") and I have enjoyed them both. I will be keeping an eye out for anything he writes in the future. I like the selected cover art and I recommend this book to any interested in WWII. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The book tells the story of D-Day in June of 1944.
The book includes scenes that remind me of the opening shots from the "Saving Private Ryan" movie which visualizes the brutality of the D-Day landing. There are also scenes in the book that were depicted in one of my favorite WWII movies "The Longest Day". This book is a collection of stories of different people on both sides and their actions on June 6.
I thoroughly enjoyed the 13.5 hours I spent reading this 512-page history book. I found this book to be very interesting with a mix of stories I have heard before and new material. This is the second book of Milton's that I have read (the other being "Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare") and I have enjoyed them both. I will be keeping an eye out for anything he writes in the future. I like the selected cover art and I recommend this book to any interested in WWII. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
May 6, 2019
This book was read as an ARC provided by the publisher, as a First Reads giveaway.
The thing that makes this book the most distinctive is also the thing that will either attract droves of new readers to World War II history or drive them bonkers. Maybe both.
The format of the book is that it tells the story of June 6, 1944, in a bunch of different places connected to the D-Day invasion. Thus, you find out what Eisenhower and Rommel were doing, but also what a bunch of individual soldiers and sailors were doing, very specifically, on both sides of the dramatic events of the day. That was wonderfully engrossing, but led to some odd moments, as the author pointed out how different story threads connected at one point or another, as one character was seen from the viewpoint of another, or such things.
I will say that this author has some of the longest and strangest book titles I've ever seen. The only flaw to the writing was just how British some of it was, and that became confusing in a few cases involving military terminology. For instance, in various places in the book, Mr. Milton used the term "mortar" to mean two very different things, as if some of the references had been converted to American English and the others had not.
Still, the book was very much worth reading, and I plan to track down some of his other work.
The thing that makes this book the most distinctive is also the thing that will either attract droves of new readers to World War II history or drive them bonkers. Maybe both.
The format of the book is that it tells the story of June 6, 1944, in a bunch of different places connected to the D-Day invasion. Thus, you find out what Eisenhower and Rommel were doing, but also what a bunch of individual soldiers and sailors were doing, very specifically, on both sides of the dramatic events of the day. That was wonderfully engrossing, but led to some odd moments, as the author pointed out how different story threads connected at one point or another, as one character was seen from the viewpoint of another, or such things.
I will say that this author has some of the longest and strangest book titles I've ever seen. The only flaw to the writing was just how British some of it was, and that became confusing in a few cases involving military terminology. For instance, in various places in the book, Mr. Milton used the term "mortar" to mean two very different things, as if some of the references had been converted to American English and the others had not.
Still, the book was very much worth reading, and I plan to track down some of his other work.
January 13, 2022
I thought it was a good overview of D-Day. I thought it was similar to D-Day, June 6, 1944 by Stephen E. Ambrose but this book has more emphasis on the personal stories. I got the feeling that most of the descriptions came out of eye witness accounts, person memoirs, letters home and the like.
Ambrose had some of the same stories but not as many. Milton did explain the battle just as Ambrose but not as extensively.
The part I found funny about Milton is that he described some of the weapon systems incorrectly. My first clue was that he talked about how, if an airplane stalls, it can't it's engine started again. You can stall an engine but that's not what's meant by stalling an airplane.
Destroyers were casually referred to as Battleships. Naval guns were described as mortars as were German 88s. Airplane bombs were described as shells. And so on.
It makes me think he may not be as knowledgeable about military matters as some writers. But, since the account is more anecdotal than technical, I'm not sure it matters.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested and has run out of books on the subject. Here is another one!
Ambrose had some of the same stories but not as many. Milton did explain the battle just as Ambrose but not as extensively.
The part I found funny about Milton is that he described some of the weapon systems incorrectly. My first clue was that he talked about how, if an airplane stalls, it can't it's engine started again. You can stall an engine but that's not what's meant by stalling an airplane.
Destroyers were casually referred to as Battleships. Naval guns were described as mortars as were German 88s. Airplane bombs were described as shells. And so on.
It makes me think he may not be as knowledgeable about military matters as some writers. But, since the account is more anecdotal than technical, I'm not sure it matters.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested and has run out of books on the subject. Here is another one!
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