D Day Through German Eyes Book 2

By: Holger Eckhertz

Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan

Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's Summary

The first book of D Day Through German Eyes has fascinated listeners around the world with its insight into the German experience of June 6, 1944. Now, book 2 contains a completely different set of astonishing German testimonies from the same archive.

These newly translated eyewitness statements by German veterans show the defenders to be determined but psychologically insecure, often deluded in their thinking, and all too human in their shock at the onslaught they faced. These unique interviews with German soldiers are a historical treasure trove of new insights, heart-stopping combat stories, and glimpses of wartime psychology that will absorb anyone with an interest in WW2.

©2015 Holger Eckhertz (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

awesome

great book for hearing the other side of the stotry...I'm hungry for more...I wish the same format could be used telling the Japanese side or any other side that did not get to write the history books...

Interesting contrarian views.

1st person accounts, provides detail of events, opinion of world view. Must for understanding era.

Different perspectives within the German lines

I was pleased that they included perspectives and stories from different divisions of the German military. The subjects were given the freedom to tell their views openly and respectfully. It was very interesting to learn what different divisions thought the likely outcome and chances were of repelling the invasion. The battle strategy was obviously presented differently to each of the defense forces. Reading D-Day accounts from the Allied perspective will now be very different for me because I will better understand the mentality and fortifications of those that they were opposing. It is absolutely a recommended read if you want to see both sides, but the obvious disclosure is that it is a compilation of D-Day stories, so it gets a bit graphic at times.

Why the german accent?

These are incredibly interesting stories, but why are they read with a strong german accent?

awesome stuff

Both book 1 and 2t offer a perspective that rarely gets mention ed. I was taken by the notion of United Europe, and the complete stun the Germans felt

great accounts, bad accents

great accounts, but the narrators accents were a bit over the top. would have been more palatable without it.

Soviet defectors

I'm shocked that we allowed the repatriation of these soviets. They all went to their deaths.

Good listen for the diehard WWll reader.

It was as good as book one. It is interesting to see the other sides take of the D-Day story.

If u like book 1, it's more of the same.

I loved the first book and same with book 2. Probably liked #2 better because he left out some stories he felt might have been insensitive in #1.

Very insightful

My father is a Normandy veteran, so hearing about the allied invasion from the German perspective was interesting. Several of the German veterans seemed shocked at the aggressiveness shown by the allies toward them, and I found this to be rather ironic. It is a fascinating book, nevertheless, and I do recommend it.

A very powerful alternative view

This and it's companion volume paint a vivid and quite alternative view of one of the most pivotal events in modern European history. Such works are doubly important as so often history gets to be written by the victors alone. Here are the voices of men on the ground who, by and large, thought they were doing the right thing. The power and merciless nature of the Allied invasion comes across relentlessly.

Fascinating, eye opening and chilling by stages.

This is actually a hugely important document as it explains something that has always been a mystery to those of us from allied countries, namely how on earth could ordinary Germans fight for and support the evils of the 3rd Reich. What we learn here is that for the ordinary drafted German soldier an entirely different world view existed of what the war was actually about (my goodness the French come out of this very badly indeed apart from the very small percentage who genuinely resisted) . It also gives an unexpected contrast and pause for thought on current times like us criticising for example Syria or Russia over civilian casualties in the current conflict, when your hear the Germans veterans views on how many French civilians died when the allies were forced to bomb France for example. There is a lot to take in here and it is very well worth listening to and has certainly given me pause for thought about how things can look very very different depending an the sheer chance of what side you were born on. However, there is also a very chilling part about the testing of a Nazi "wonder weapon" from a man who seems to be everything you thought Nazi scientists were.

? Fake

Please google search these books as there seems legitimate concern from historians that these stories are in fact fake and a work of fiction. Decide for yourself.

Facinating

Absolutely facinating insight into the German psyche regarding their attitude to Europe and their occupation of France in particular.

essential listening

anyone with an interest in the normandy landings needs to hear these accounts from the German soldiers.

As interesting as Volume 1

Just an expansion on Volume one, however the experiences of a variety of German combatants helps present a more complete picture of the days tragic events.

a different point of view

helped me understand a lot more of how d day unfolded from the German point of view

Great book.

It's always good to hear first hand experiences of the soldiers. Brings home the horror.

Even better than the first book!

This second fascinating collection of accounts of the D-Day landings from the German perspective contains many of the accounts previously rejected from book 1 as being too controversial. IMO they are therefore even more interesting. They include accounts of betrayal by pro-Nazi informants, murder of German officers by French Resistance, alleged atrocities by allied troops, the vile effects of modern weapons and how a German thermobaric super-bomb which could have stopped the Allied break out altogether was thwarted by Chance.

The imaginative range of accents and personalities evoked by the narrator gives the feel of listening to the original interviews. Great book!

My personal view.

this was enlightening and easy to listen to.
we take for granted the other side of the fight and we should be told more from both sides.