I did get lost in some of the detail but that was simply because of the complexity of the campaign and my lack of familiarity with the terrain, rather than the way the author conveyed it. I highly recommend this book. Very detailed and well researched. Holland has both in spades * The Times *An invigorating new history of the Allied invasion of France * Strong Words Magazine *A readable account of one of the 20th century's most defining battles provides a strategic overview enlivened by personal accounts of the horror ... for the general reader there are plenty of surprises * The i *An impressive new account of D-Day ... Holland knows his stuff when it comes to military matters ... he reads the minds of the generals, their tactics, their blunders - on both sides * Daily Mail *, ISBN: 9781787631281 Shipping Australia-wide & international. 9781787631274. As an account of this mighty and vitally significant clash of armies. Holland covers the same terrain but in a different way. Bij boeken.com vind je altijd wat je zoekt. Helped me appreciate the impressive and massive logistics of the campaign in a new way. An epic telling that will profoundly recalibrate our understanding of its true place in the tide of human history. Nevertheless, this book is an appropriately generous and respectful treatment of the veterans and their accomplishments 75 years ago. 'A superb account of the invasion that deserves immense praise. One that thoroughly baffled and amused me was transmuting the fairly common military term of laagering of armored vehicles (to establish an overnight secure camp, rather like “circling the wagons”), as “leaguering” in several places - to be as generous as possible, this is likely a case of automated spellchecking gone mad! In this reexamined history, James Holland presents a broader overview, one that challenges much of what we think we know about D-Day and the Normandy campaign. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. And we see the downfall of Field Marshal Rommel as he is first, missing in action when the Allies land, knocked out of action in an ordinary auto accident, and then implicated in the assassination attempt on Hitler's life and given the choice of a trial in a kangaroo court or an honorable suicide. Something that I particularly enjoy about his writing is that fact that he uses a relati. Overall, it is an excellent work. Very much worth the read. This book covers many angles of the Invasion and the battles for France that followed. We’d love your help. Hint: The password should be at least six characters long. REALITY: By the end of the war, the U.S. had the best armed services in the world, bar none, and the 77-day Normandy campaign did a huge amount to help them reach that point. It balances out some of the very negative views of the Allied leadership and troops expressed in some previous books. Quite enjoyable, even for those who have previously read other more detailed books on the campaign. AU $36.27 +AU $46.01 postage. We have all heard of the paratroopers, I for one am a son of a WWII paratrooper from the 82nd 508, so got some more information about that. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. The book was well written and researched. On the opposite spectrum, the Allied high command was remarkably unified and General Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, had complete operational control of all the units in the European Theater, where he was able to muster the combined weight of Allied forces toward a common goal under his subordinate commanders, managing almost effortlessly the complex mix of nationalities, personalities, and egos to achieve victory in a fairly short amount of time. As a regular listener and indeed repeat listener to go over bits i didn't get or wanted to hear again of the "We Have Way of Making You Talk!" In terms of daily casualties, the numbers were worse than for any one battle during the First World War. This is one of many books being released this year on the 75th anniversary of D-Day. A 1987 graduate of the U.S. Holland has both in spades' The Times • (02) 9264 3111 • Winner - Indie Book Awards - 2020 BOOKSTORE OF THE YEAR - METRO. James Holland, one of our most prolific WWII historians, decided to take on the epic Battle for Normandy thanks to the declassification of a number of key primary sources. Number Of Pages: 720 A Worthy Addition to Previous Books on the Normandy Campaign, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2019. James Holland gives a thorough overview of both the large scale tactics used to gain a foothold in the continent, and also the gritty reality of fighting in hedgerows in Northern France. James Holland FRHistS (born 27 June 1970) is an English author and broadcaster who specializes in the history of World War II Early life and education. As well as being a rigourous historian, James Holland is a skillful writer who has crafted his material into an entertaining, enjoyable, coherent and persuasive narrative. AU $52.76. To recover your password please fill in your email address, Please fill in below form to create an account with us. To convey the human drama of Normandy requires great knowledge and sensitivity. As an account of this mighty and vitally significant clash of armies, Normandy '44 stands as richly impressive, hard to surpass * William Boyd, TImes Literary Supplement * A superb account of the invasions that deserves immense praise...To convey the human drama of Normandy requires great knowledge and sensitivity. Format: “Normandy 44” by James Holland is a worthwhile history of the months from June 6th, DDay to the breakout from St.Lo and the near destruction of all German forces at the Falaise Gap. To reach this level of competence in the operational art, the Allies also had a significant advantage in both their command structure and the quality of the Allied leaders. Excellent, though. The overall handling of the sometimes fractious relationships between the main Allies is fair and informative. I recently read Giles Milton’s D Day book but this is way way way better. Please try again. The book itself is enga. He uses contemporary accounts from soldiers on both sides to liven it up and it is often sad, funny and shocking. Some will inevitably find fault and take pleasure in telling the world; but I wasn't there and have no reason to doubt the author's extensive research, as evidenced by the comprehensive appendices. The sheer size and scale of the Allies’ war machine ultimately dominates the strategic, operational and tactical limitations of the German forces. An extraordinarily ambitious account of the allied campaign at D-Day and Normandy. Country of Publication: GB Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 June 2019. Good chapter on the myths and truths of the weapons used by both sides. Gratefully, this book is well stocked with excellent maps and well-chosen images to supplement the narrative and assist the reader in following the numerous operations of both armies. The Normandy campaign truly saw the maturation of Allied tactical airpower to support ground troops and Holland captures this critical factor to Allied success brilliantly. Please try again or use the Forgot Password link. Instead of being done by D-Day, I ended closer to the end of the campaign... Well balanced account of both sides of this epic battle. The author of the best-selling historical novels, he has also written nine works of historical fiction. © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, The Allies Strike Back, 1941-1943: The War in the West, Volume Two, History of the World War II D-Day Landings. As an account of this mighty and vitally significant clash of armies, Normandy '44 stands as richly impressive, hard to surpass * William Boyd, TImes Literary Supplement *A superb account of the invasions that deserves immense praise...To convey the human drama of Normandy requires great knowledge and sensitivity. It covers the planning from the Allied generals to the perspectives of both the Allied troops: American, British, and Canadian who hit the beaches as well as the Germans who defended the beaches. Pre-order Books. Introducing a cast of eye-witnesses that includes foot soldiers, tank men, fighter pilots and bomber crews, sailors, civilians, resistance fighters and those directing the action. Order now from our extensive selection of books coming soon with Pre-order Price Guarantee. Another high quality book from James Holland. Once the Americans started their highly mobile advance under General Patton, probably America’s finest armor commander, the British and Canadian forces under Montgomery continued to play an essential role in keeping the Germans engaged as the noose that became the Falaise Pocket closed around the bulk of the German forces in France, ending the campaign in Normandy and beginning the Allies race to the German frontier. June 6, 1944, is one of the most critical days of World War II, and certainly one of the milestones of the 20th century. Format. Holland sneaks in some interesting segments on the different types of tanks and weaponry used by both sides which I've never really seen discussed before. It's almost laughable at how quickly France surrendered to the Germans in June 1940. Very aware that he was leading essentially Britain’s last field army and could therefore not sustain huge casualties, Montgomery nonetheless was able to conduct a campaign of firepower and logistics, two of the Allies strong suits, to wear down the mobile German forces and leave them vulnerable to the final American breakout and pursuit. Well written and illustrated, with some outstanding maps, this book really does a marvelous job of showing the significance of D-day in the Great Crusade to liberate Europe and defeat Nazi Germany. By taking the long view of D-Day as the beginning of a campaign and not just an isolated day in the war, Holland has composed a highly readable account of the Allied effort to not only get ashore on the continent of Europe, but stay ashore and liberate Europe. The brutal landings on the five beaches and subsequent battles across the plains and through the lanes and hedgerows of Normandy--a campaign that, in terms of daily casualties, was worse than any in World War I--come vividly to life in conferences where the strategic decisions of Eisenhower, Rommel, Montgomery, and other commanders were made, and through the memories of paratrooper Lieutenant Dick Winters of Easy Company, British corporal and tanker Reg Spittles, Thunderbolt pilot Archie Maltbie, German ordnance officer Hans Heinze, French resistance leader Robert Leblanc, and many others. It's always difficult to review history books, especially one where the ground has been raked over time and time again. The Germans could not do that. Also, a tolerable number of goofs not caught by the editors. So much more I can say about this book, But for those who enjoy read. Rather than focusing on one aspect, such as a day, a beach, a Division, Holland has written a broad narrative of the entire battle for Normandy from the initial planning to the final outcome 77 days later. There is a reasonable balance of US, British, Canadian and German stories (as a Canadian I would have preferred rather more of ours!). Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. There is a reasonable balance of US, British, Canadian and German stories (as a Canadian I would have preferred rather more of ours!). What I most enjoyed about the book was that he countered some frequent myths (the Germans had superior weaponry for one) and comfirmed others (Montgomery was a popous ass) along with the detail about the individuals fighting on both sides. Weight (kg): 0.83, D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for France, US Airborne Soldier Versus German Soldier.