D-Day Contributor(s): Gilbert, Martin (Author) |
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ISBN: 0470373016 ISBN-13: 9780470373019 Publisher: Trade Paper Press OUR PRICE: $13.46 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: October 2008 Annotation: "Ideal for tucking into a day-pack for tours of Normandy's history-laden beaches." --USA Today "The finest short overview of Operation Overlord--the greatest amphibious assault in the history of warfare--is undoubtedly Sir Martin Gilbert's D-Day, a stunningly impressive account. As might be expected from Churchill's biographer, Gilbert is masterly on the grand strategic vision behind the Allied invasion of Normandy, but he also concentrates on the tremendous human story on the ground. Two sentences from this book actually moved me to tears when I read them, coming soon after a harrowing description of the often hand-to-hand fighting two miles behind the Sword and Gold beaches." |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | Military - World War Ii |
Dewey: 940.54 |
Series: Turning Points in History |
Physical Information: 0.7" H x 5.2" W x 7.6" (0.5 lbs) 240 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - 1940's |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: The Allied landings in 1944 had all the prospects for disaster. Churchill thought he would be woken up to be told of massive casualties. Eisenhower prepared a somber broadcast announcing that the enterprise had failed. The specter of failure was always present. After a failed landing the Nazi regime would have regained the ascendant. New, terrifying bombs and rockets were ready to be launched. Long-distance submarines were in the final stage of development. The last million Jews of Europe were listed for deportation and death. Failure at Normandy could have given Hitler the chance of continuing to rule western Europe, particularly if the United States, bloodied and defeated in Normandy, had decided-after two and a half years of focusing on Europe-to turn all its energies to the ever-growing demands of the Pacific, leaving Europe to its own devices. Had that happened, I doubt if I would have been alive to write this book, or free to express my opinions without fear of arrest. --Martin Gilbert |