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Herbert

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The Story of a D-Day Beach

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 05-02-12

What did you love best about D-Day?

Ambrose's narratives always are attention holding. He starts with spectacular and challenging aspects of the first parachutes into Normandy and gives specifics that enable one to understand the inability of some participants to exercise judgments that would have saved lives and equipment. An example: The landing ship operator that refused to take his ship into shallow water and subsequently emptied trucks into water to deep for them to operate. On the other hand, he offers stories of indivduals who gathered troops to move up draws from the beachhead to the bluffs above the beach--behind the German fixed-placed fortifications. His summary at the end addresses the strengths of the Allied forces (as in leaving tactical decisions to troops on the battlefiedld) and the weaknesses of the German troops: Hitler's insistence in making tactical decisions; the inability of a chain of command to make decisions in battle, and the weakness of depending upon 'impressed troops' from the conquered countries on the Eastern front-most of whom were untrained and many of whom were quick to surrender when confronted by Allied troops.

This is an abridged version of the original--a benefit in that it takes about six hours of listening. This abridgment leads to a focus on one of the beaches: Omaha.

What other book might you compare D-Day to and why?

I have not read/listened to other books on the D-Day landings.

What about Stephen E. Ambrose’s performance did you like?

As one who frequently gave television interviews, Ambrose's style was engaging. His narration of this book is no less so.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The infantryman's judgment takes the day.

Any additional comments?

While I appreciated the shorter listening time of the abridged edition, I do wonder what the full edition would have added to my knowledge as I prep for a trip to Normandy's beaches.

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