Customer Reviews
The definitive telling of the Normandy campaign - By: John Middleton, 27 Aug 2010 
After previously looking at the Eastern Front with the superb Stalingrad & Berlin, D-Day is Antony Beevor's first look at WWIIin Western Europe. Beevor does not confine himself to D-Day as 6 June alone, but closes the book with the liberation of Paris by French mechanized forces (using, of course, equipment provided by the US, & landed from the UK). It is, of course, remarkably readable & wonderfully accurate.
Beevor is a remarkably evenhanded historian, for instance noting the caution & errors of Montgomeryin his consistent failure to capture Caen, while pointing out that the British under Monty did,in fact, have a hard road to hoein the calibre of opponent they faced. Caen, & Monty, is usually a point of difference between Anglo-US historians, & Beevor finds a way to show both sides of the story.
D-Day looks first at the airdrop landings, & each beachin turn, & then moves on to the camapaignin Normandy. The role of the French resistance & collaboration is discussed, & atrocities committed by both sides are brought forward (although nothing can compare to the deliberate massacrein Oradour sur Glane by the SS). There are touches of humanity - & even humour - amidst the war. There is little "new" here - these facts are known, & have been for the last 65 years for the most part - but the clarity of the presentation is excellent.
As well the conflict itself, the political dimension to D-Day is not ignored, & the role of de Gaullein the liberation of France made clear. It is hard to see de Gaulle as anything other than a delusional grasping opportunist constantly biting the hands that fed him, while at the same time understanding that if de Gaulle was not the answer, then a civil warin France was a possible outcome. To treat France as other than a vanquished enemy (similar to the treatment of Italyin 1944-45) was to treat with de Gaulle.
Another example of the political background is the bringing to the fore of the plot against Hitler by the German Generals, & how this was brought on by D-Day & then affected the subsequent response. The difference between the SS & army is also emphasized, with the SS the Nazi State military, & the Army simply the army of Germany. SS units were better equipped & had fanatical morale.
If there is a quibble with this book, it is that the main title is misleading: it is about far more than D-Day, & does not have the depth of focus on the 6th of June, 1944 that one might expect. But is it a superb telling of the campaignin Normandy, & the beginning of the end of the Third Reich.
A great book to read - By: Mr. Leslie H. Keeber, 03 Aug 2010 I bought this book for my Grandson who is studying the second world war at school.
ANTONY BEEVOR D DAY - POOR - By: Chris T, 19 Jul 2010 
I found this book very poor. I really enjoyed Stalingrad which I thought provided a real insight into the Russian mindset during the war, & the dilemmas faced by some Germans too, but D-Day wasn'tin that league. For a start little seemed new though Beevor is good with small details, he missed completely the great sweep of the battle & Montgomery's great strategy grinding down & destroying the German Army on the British & Canadian fronts while building up & breaking out on the American side.All the time completely hoodwinking the Germans as to the real intention of the Allies until the last moment.
Indeed the book seemed so anti-British I wonder if it was not deliberately written that way for the American market. There are a completely unjustified number of criticisms of the British commanders especially Monty,in respect of whom Beevor cannot bring himself to utter a single word of praise. Montgomeryin fact is NEVER mentioned unlessin critical terms. Montgomery did fail to deliver on some pre battle intentions but the great strategy for Normandy - including the American breakout, was his, set out at St Pauls School before the campaign & deliveredin crushing style putting the allies on the Seine at D plus 90 just as Montgomery had predicted. This is the indisputable truth & Beevors work gives no sense whatever of this. Bradley of course did the detailed planning for Cobra, but the Strategic concept & direction was Montgomery's.Even Bradley who later fell out with Monty over the Ardennes gave Monty full credit for his performancein Normandy.
This aspect is so bad - even personal that I began to believe one of Beevor's relatives must have been slighted by Montgomeryin some way, perhaps sacked or treated badly, to elicit such hostility. I thought there must be some sort of deeper explanation.
Wow - By: bendigeidfran, 08 Jul 2010 In the usual Beevor tradition this book is an excellent, well researched tome. A book to be kept for reference.
A ghastly episode from which we should learn - By: Dr. A. Scaife, 30 Jun 2010 
I can't say I loved it because how could one love reading about 1000-bomber raids on French villages to winkle out an enemy unit? Unless you're a speed reader you'll need a week's holiday to get through this one, but it's a tremendous achievement by Beevor with numerous personal stories & a very objective approach to the war.
