Packed information, but highly readable. ( )

Packed information, but highly readable. ( )

The Allied Powers leader’s in England and America have a meeting in a school’s auditorium about the finalization of Operation Overlord. Once finalized they began their deception planning to attack Normandy but gave false information and said they would attack a place way off line. Soon they made a giant inflatable army for deception to even further it. They then sent out small groups of raiders to clear out area destroying bridges so they couldn’t bring supplies, and capturing other local towns. Then they started the attack on Normandy which was held 24 hours later because of bad weather. The beginning of the siege was started with a bombardment which lasted for about an hour then sending in troops to attack the beaches codenamed Omaha, Utah, Juno, Sword, and Gold. The American beaches were a rough push with lots of people dieing Omaha being nicknamed “Bloody Omaha” from all the deaths. Though the British and Canadian beaches were much easier pushing up to 10 miles inland from their areas. Then it gives the perception of being on the German side being Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and then their counterattack plan to try to take back the territory which we know failed since the Allied Powers won the war.

I gave it a three and a half stars because the book was a bit better than decent but not great or an amazing story. I also thing I gave it the rating I did because I really enjoy history and looking at weapons such as guns, knives, spears, etc. is really cool plus D-Day was such important day in history. It was also pretty cool learning more of the intricate things about D-Day and the war such as the planning of their attacks, the deception behind the war, and also the deaths of those who lay down our lives for us. It was also neat how they put the reaction of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel and how hectic it must have been for him to make a counter defense plan. I found the author also let a little light if you were new to the subject and gave a timeline of the major events of the war as well. Overall the book was decent and I think it could’ve been better but was satisfied in the end. ( )

Packed information, but highly readable. ( )

I feel that any words I might use to describe how magnificently well Rick Atkinson writes will be inadequate and pale in comparison to his command of language. Some of his ability to make history so accessible probably comes from his background as a journalist, as opposed to say, a Ph.D.-holder or professor who is writing to scholarly peers. I have read other books by Mr. Atkinson, including his Pulitzer Prize-winning “An Army at Dawn.” With this read, I am even more impressed with the author for his ability to write vivid and scholarly books for adults and also a book that is accessible to someone as young as 10 years old, if intellectually advanced, without any hint of condescension. I am curious about the role of Kate Waters, who is credited only once on the title page and whom the internet reveals to be a non-fiction editor and children’s book author.

At just over 200 pages, this is adapted from “The Guns at Last Light,” a nearly 900-page tome. Though aimed at youth, I took great delight in reading this and would recommend it to any adult whose reading time is limited or whose interest in WWII is present but mild. I even learned many things from the “extras” about which I was previously ignorant, such as the symbolism of the SHAEF patch, which I have seen countless times and sell in my current place of employment.

I will reluctantly begin with my only significant disappointment in this book. On page 162, the reader finds an image ubiquitous in our world: a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square in 1945. However, here it is mislabeled as having occurred on Victory in Europe Day in May, when it actually took place on Victory in Japan day a few months later, in August.

With the bad news out of the way, I will attempt to show restraint in my laudatory review of “D-Day.” An early hint about the audience to which the book is geared is found in the author’s note to readers, which provides brief biographical information on Atkinson and states, “Whether or not your great-grandfather or great-grandmother served in the military…” (page XIX) I am in my mid-30’s and both of my grandfathers served in WWII. The “great-s” are the appropriate generation for adolescents. On page 11, he writes that General Montgomery’s notes were “written in his tidy cursive.” I know that generation wrote in cursive, but this is something that should be pointed out to an audience that overwhelmingly types or chooses print on the rare occasion of writing by hand. A subtle way that Atkinson modifies his writing style for the younger audience lies in his use of languages other than English. Because of the global stage of his books, the author frequently uses languages such as French. In his adult books, he offers no translation of the phrases, but has lofty expectations of a multi-lingual audience, or at least one with an initiative for research. He offers English translations immediately following the foreign phrases in this book, such as on page 138, even though the phrases are simple and contain cognates (e.g. “gloire est arrive).

There exists a splendid dance of images throughout the pages. The cover is riveted, has illustrations of dog tags and paratroopers, and boasts a photograph of the beaches at Normandy from the viewpoint of the landing craft on D-Day. Popular propaganda posters fill the interior covers and punctuate the main text. (I was a tad miffed that these are included here but not the adult version. Does this imply that art is “childish” or “unscholarly?”) Illustrated silhouettes of things like soldiers, battleships, tanks, and bombs appear throughout the book, especially at section transitions. Dozens of photographs bring the book to life, enhanced by riveted captions. War is not sugar-coated for youth; photographs of the dead are included.

I particularly enjoyed the anomaly of the section “On the Other Side of the Line: Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.” While the book is written from the American perspective, even glossing over the perspective of our British allies, it is important to include diverse perspectives. This section on the enemy includes invaluable photographs. In addition to this “extra,” the supporting sections, lists, appendices, and illustrations of the main text are simply the best I have ever seen. Following is the laundry list of such, from the Contents page: List of Maps; Map Legend; Allied Countries and Chain of Command; Axis Countries and Chain of Command; World War II Timeline; Key Players; A Note to Readers; Epilogue: The Days that Followed; The U.S. Declaration of War on Germany; The Five Greatest Tanks of the War; The Largest Battleships of the War; The Most Effective Bombers of the War; Weapons Carried by U.S., U.K., Canadian, and German Ground Troops; Carrier Pigeons; Operation Fortitude: The Inflatable Army; Caring for the Wounded; Clothing and Equipment Issued to a New GI in 1943; Monthly Pay for an American GI in 1940; What They Carried – U.S. Airborne Divisions; What They Carried – U.S. Ground Assault Troops; K Rations: Food on the Go for American Troops; Numbers Tell Part of the Story; Operation Overlord Timeline; Glossary; Places to Visit; For More Information; Bibliography; Image Credits; Index. This book is amazing and I emphatically endorse it for nearly any human to read. ( )