Synopses & Reviews
Stephen E. Ambroseand#8217;s andlt;Iandgt;D-Day andlt;/Iandgt;is the definitive history of World War IIand#8217;s most pivotal battle, a day that changed the course of history.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;D-Dayandlt;/Iandgt; is the epic story of men at the most demanding moment of their lives, when the horrors, complexities, and triumphs of life are laid bare. Distinguished historian Stephen E. Ambrose portrays the faces of courage and heroism, fear and determinationand#8212;what Eisenhower called and#8220;the fury of an aroused democracyand#8221;and#8212;that shaped the victory of the citizen soldiers whom Hitler had disparaged.Drawing on more than 1,400 interviews with American, British, Canadian, French, and German veterans, Ambrose reveals how the original plans for the invasion had to be abandoned, and how enlisted men and junior officers acted on their own initiative when they realized that nothing was as they were told it would be.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; The action begins at midnight, June 5/6, when the first British and American airborne troops jumped into France. It ends at midnight June 6/7. Focusing on those pivotal twenty-four hours, it moves from the level of Supreme Commander to that of a French child, from General Omar Bradley to an American paratrooper, from Field Marshal Montgomery to a German sergeant.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Ambroseand#8217;s andlt;Iandgt;D-Day andlt;/Iandgt;is the finest account of one of our historyand#8217;s most important days.
Review
John Lehman andlt;Iandgt;The Wall Street Journalandlt;/Iandgt; Definitive...His evidence is overwhelming.
Review
Christopher Lehmann-Haupt andlt;Iandgt;The New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; Reading this history, you can understand why for so many of its participants, despite all the death surrounding them, life revealed itself in that moment at that place.
Review
Thomas B. Buell andlt;Iandgt;Chicago Tribuneandlt;/Iandgt; Historians and public alike should be profoundly grateful to Ambrose...for assembling this comprehensive and permanent record that will be forever a resource for remembering Normandy.
Review
Raleigh Trevelyan andlt;Iandgt;The New York Times Book Reviewandlt;/Iandgt; andlt;Iandgt;D-Dayandlt;/Iandgt; is mostly about people, but goes even further in evoking the horror, the endurance, the daring and, indeed, the human failings at Omaha Beach...Outstanding.
Review
Wall Street Journal Definitive ... His evidence is overwhelming
Review
San Francisco Chronicle Packed with drama and information, never losing sight of the horrors of combat, Ambrose's D-Day is the best book yet on what many historians consider to be the most important day of the twentieth century
Review
andlt;divandgt;John Lehmanandlt;Iandgt;The Wall Street Journalandlt;/Iandgt;Definitive...His evidence is overwhelming.andlt;/divandgt;
Review
andlt;divandgt;Christopher Lehmann-Hauptandlt;Iandgt;The New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt;Reading this history, you can understand why for so many of its participants,despite all the death surrounding them, life revealed itself in that moment atthat place.andlt;/divandgt;
Synopsis
Stephen E. Ambrose's D-Day is the definitive history of World War II's most pivotal battle, a day that changed the course of history.
D-Day is the epic story of men at the most demanding moment of their lives, when the horrors, complexities, and triumphs of life are laid bare. Distinguished historian Stephen E. Ambrose portrays the faces of courage and heroism, fear and determination--what Eisenhower called "the fury of an aroused democracy"--that shaped the victory of the citizen soldiers whom Hitler had disparaged.Drawing on more than 1,400 interviews with American, British, Canadian, French, and German veterans, Ambrose reveals how the original plans for the invasion had to be abandoned, and how enlisted men and junior officers acted on their own initiative when they realized that nothing was as they were told it would be.
The action begins at midnight, June 5/6, when the first British and American airborne troops jumped into France. It ends at midnight June 6/7. Focusing on those pivotal twenty-four hours, it moves from the level of Supreme Commander to that of a French child, from General Omar Bradley to an American paratrooper, from Field Marshal Montgomery to a German sergeant.
Ambrose's D-Day is the finest account of one of our history's most important days.
Synopsis
Stephen E. Ambrose draws from more than 1,400 interviews with American, British, Canadian, French, and German veterans to create the preeminent chronicle of the most important day in the twentieth century. Ambrose reveals how the original plans for the invasion were abandoned, and how ordinary soldiers and officers acted on their own initiative. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;Iandgt;D-Dayandlt;/Iandgt; is above all the epic story of men at the most demanding moment of their existence, when the horrors, complexities, and triumphs of life are laid bare. Ambrose portrays the faces of courage and heroism, fear and determination -- what Eisenhower called "the fury of an aroused democracy" -- that shaped the victory of the citizen soldiers whom Hitler had disparaged.
About the Author
Dr. Stephen Ambrose was a renowned historian and acclaimed author of more than 30 books. Among his
New York Times best-sellers are:
Nothing Like It in the World, Citizen Soldiers, Band of Brothers, D-Day - June 6, 1944, and
Undaunted Courage.
He was not only a great author, but also a captivating speaker, with the unique ability to provide insight into the future by employing his profound knowledge of the past. His stories demonstrate how leaders use trust, friendship and shared experiences to work together and thrive during conflict and change. His philosophy about keeping an audience engaged is put best in his own words:
As I sit at my computer, or stand at the podium, I think of myself as sitting around the campfire after a day on the trail, telling stories that I hope will have the members of the audience, or the readers, leaning forward just a bit, wanting to know what happens next.
Dr. Ambrose was a retired Boyd Professor of History at the University of New Orleans. He was the Director Emeritus of the Eisenhower Center in New Orleans, and the founder of the National D-Day Museum. He was also a contributing editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, a member of the board of directors for American Rivers, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council Board.
His talents have not gone unnoticed by the film industry. Dr. Ambrose was the historical consultant for Steven Spielberg's movie Saving Private Ryan. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks purchased the film rights to his books Citizen Soldiers and Band of Brothers to make the 13-hour HBO mini-series Band of Brothers.
He has also participated in numerous national television programs, including ones for the History Channel and National Geographic.
Table of Contents
andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Prologueandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;1 The Defendersandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;2 The Attackersandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;3 The Commandersandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;4 Where And When?andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;5 Utilizing Assetsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;6 Planning and Preparingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;7 Trainingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;8 Marshaling and Briefingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;9 Loadingandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;10 Decision to Goandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;11 Cracking the Atlantic Wallandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Airborne into Normandyandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;12 "Let's Get Those Bastards"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Airborne Night Attackandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;13 "The Greatest Show Ever Staged"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Air Bombardmentandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;14 A Long, Endless Column of Shipsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Naval Crossing and Bombardmentandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;15 "We'll Start the War from Right Here"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The 4th Division at Utah Beachandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;16 "Nous Restons Ici"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Airborne in the Cotentinandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;17 Visitors to Hellandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The 116th Regiment at Omahaandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;18 Utter Chaos Reignedandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The 16th Regiment at Omahaandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;19 Traffic Jamandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Tanks, Artillery, and Engineers at Omahaandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;20 "I Am A Destroyer Man"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Navy at Omaha Beachandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;21 "Will You Tell Me How We Did This?"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The 2nd Ranger Battalion on D-Day Morningandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;22 Up the Bluff at Viervilleandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The 116th Regiment and 5th Ranger Battalionandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;23 Catastrophe Containedandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Easy Red Sector, Omaha Beachandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;24 Struggle for the High Groundandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Vierville, St.-Laurent, and Collevilleandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;25 "It Was Just Fantastic"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Afternoon on Omaha Beachandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;26 The World Holds Its Breathandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;D-Day on the Home Frontsandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;27 "Fairly Stuffed With Gadgets"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The British Opening Movesandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;28 "Everything Was Well Ordered"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The 50th Division at Gold Beachandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;29 Paybackandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The Canadians at Juno Beachandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;30 "An Unforgettable Sight"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The British at Sword Beachandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;31 "My God, We've Done It"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The British Airborne on D-Dayandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;32 "When Can Their Glory Fade?"andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;The End of the Dayandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Glossaryandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Endnotesandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Bibliographyandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Appendix A: Veterans who contributed oral histories or written memoirs to the Eisenhower Centerandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Indexandlt;/Iandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Mapsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Final Overlord Invasion Planandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;German Strength in Western Europeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Landing Diagram, Omaha Beachandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Utah Beach Airborne Assault on D-Dayandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The Allied Assault Routes on D-Dayandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Utah Beach Infantry Assault on D-Dayandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Omaha Beach First Wave Landings on D-Dayandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Omaha Beach Eastern Sectorandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Omaha Beach Evening of D-Day