Normandy '44

D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for France

By: James Holland

Narrated by: John Sackville

D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the 76 days of bitter fighting in Normandy that followed the Allied landing, have become the defining episode of World War II in the west - the object of books, films, television series, and documentaries. Yet as familiar as it is, as James Holland makes clear in his definitive history, many parts of the OVERLORD campaign, as it was known, are still shrouded in myth and assumed knowledge.

Drawing freshly on widespread archives and on the testimonies of eye-witnesses, Holland relates the extraordinary planning that made Allied victory in France possible; indeed, the story of how hundreds of thousands of men, and mountains of materiel, were transported across the English Channel, is as dramatic a human achievement as any battlefield exploit. 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.

For both sides, the challenges were enormous. The Allies confronted a disciplined German army stretched to its limit, which nonetheless caused tactics to be adjusted on the fly. Ultimately ingenuity, determination, and immense materiel strength - delivered with operational brilliance - made the difference. A stirring narrative by a pre-eminent historian, Normandy ‘44 offers important new perspective on one of history’s most dramatic military engagements and is an invaluable addition to the literature of war.

©2019 James Holland (P)2019 Random House Audiobooks

Great insight

Great inclusion of peoples stories. What I like best was his exploration into stats and details like how many cars per person before the war and all these other factors that made a difference in the war.

A fantastic listen!

I love how broad and yet how detailed this audio book is. I believe this is one of the most balanced and well told accounts of the Normandy story. For me personally it is the best! Well done James Holland. And as for the narration it was was easy to listen to and I will look for John Sackville again!!

A riveting history

This is perhaps one of my favorite books of the year so far for History. The Battle of Normandy is often narrowed down to D-Day. James Holland allows you to experience the full battle of Normandy in this book, from planning for Operation Overlord and the invasion of Normandy from numerous points of view along the invasion front, and through the 77 day build up and eventual breakout with the closing of the Falaise Gap.

Overall, this is a great book that takes you from a top down view and a personal view from soldiers who fought the beginning of the end for the Third Reich.

The detail and inclusion of communications among Nazis.

Very informative — perhaps too much for most readers to absorb —but difficult to keep track of names, numbers, etc.

Whisper-y narration punctuated by shouting

This narrator was the worst! His American accent was actually pretty good but the way he whispered most of the time but then shouted out the various quotations was definitely off putting and startling. Glad I’m done. The book itself was good - a nice exposition of the post-landing time with lots of detail. If you can get past the narrator, lots of good information!