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D-Day (Abridged): June 6, 1944 -- The Climactic Battle of WWII Audiobook
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(4.00) - 9,316 listener ratings
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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.
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"A great book that details the difficulties faced by allied forces in order to land, capture, and hold the beaches of Normandy. I especially liked the comparison of the opposing generals(Eisenhower and Rommel). A must read book for anyone who is interested in WWII and the struggles men faced to secure freedom for our time."
— Stephen (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“D-Day 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.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“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.”
— New York Times -
“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.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“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.”
— San Francisco Chronicle
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
D-Day Listener Reviews
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" Excellent book on D-Day "
— Rob, 2/19/2014 -
" Though I enjoyed reading about many of the individual accounts of D-Day in this book, I didn't like the way Ambrose pieced them together. It just kept going and going.... "
— Scott, 2/18/2014 -
" fantastic book for the most part. It offers a fascinating look at the individuals that took part in the battle...towards the end, it gets a little repetitive, but overall offers some great insights into the personalities that shaped D-Day "
— Hari, 2/14/2014 -
" its was about all the details of the D Day ivasion "
— Nate, 2/6/2014 -
" D day takes the reader to the front line. As you read this book, you are in the fox holes with the men vicariously living their harrowing experiences. Excellent book "
— Michele, 1/29/2014 -
" I found this book confusing at times (all the a cronyms) but it really gave me a feel for D-Day. I was crying on the bus folks! "
— Jenny, 1/19/2014 -
" Stephen Ambrose was one of the premier Historians of the 20th century. I heartily recommend all of his Histories. "
— Brendan, 1/5/2014 -
" Very well written narrative of Operation Overlord. Ambrose makes it clear, interesting and relatable. I listened to this book and it unfortunately was an abridgement. "
— Russell, 1/5/2014 -
" The book was a little too technical for my tastes, but it's still a great read on WWII history. "
— Sophia, 12/16/2013 -
" The definite account of this important event! "
— José, 11/17/2013 -
" A great book on the subject. "
— Brent, 11/9/2013 -
" It's WWII!!! "
— Josh, 11/6/2013 -
" There is no WWII historian better than Ambrose. If June 6, 1944 was the biggest day in World War II, then I suppose this is the biggest book about that day. Just amazing good stuff. "
— Robert, 11/3/2013 -
" Ambrose is great and this is perhaps the definitive book on D-Day. "
— Dale, 10/23/2013 -
" This book gives me great information about D-Day, but i was a little disspapointed because i was thinking it was going to be a first person view not a documentry. "
— Tyler, 10/12/2013 -
" One of my first experiences reading about WWII, and reading Ambrose. It was pretty good, but suffers from Ambrose's typical heroics. "
— Seth, 10/6/2013 -
" Really interesting to get a total overview of what happened that day from different points of view. "
— Dan, 7/17/2013 -
" Ambrose is pretty good at the larger view, but he dips too often into individual soldier stories that comes across as a little to inspirational. "
— Aaron, 2/26/2013 -
" Very fact heavy. I have read this book a couple of time to refresh my memory on the subject. Ambrose writing style in my mind is very dry. That being said his books have carved out a great may details about the subject. "
— Sean, 12/24/2012 -
" A complicated story to read, but so worthwhile. What these men accomplished was remarkable - world changing. Very worthwhile read "
— Linda, 11/11/2012 -
" Read this book leading up to a trip to Normandy. I finished it on the plane. A great study of D-Day and Normandy conquest. A must read for anyone who wants to walk the beaches and understand the sacrifice given to ensure victory. "
— Jason, 11/2/2012 -
" Great book on the details of D-Day. Extremely sad. Our greatest generation at its finest. "
— Catrena, 10/28/2012 -
" A good read overall, but the portion about the individual soldiers is very detailed and monotonous. "
— The, 8/25/2012 -
" Enjoyed this book very much. "
— Chris, 8/8/2012 -
" Anything by Ambrose is top notch history! "
— Tom, 12/14/2011 -
" Great HIstorical read. I learned a lot about WWII and what led up to D-Day, and Enjoyed it! "
— Emily, 9/10/2011 -
" What an amazing combination of historical fact and personal feelings. Astonishingly well written piece if history. "
— Brandon, 8/20/2011 -
" I found this book fascinating, but at 583 pages it's probably a little too much D-Day for all but the most ardent WWII buffs! "
— Ann, 8/11/2011 -
" My respect for those in World War II has gone up significantly since reading this book. It's amazing to read the stories of the near impossible situations the Allies faced on D-Day, and yet still achieved their objective. If you are interested in stories of World War II, this is an excellent book. "
— Gregg, 5/14/2011 -
" As all of Stephen Ambrose's books it is both well written and extremely informative. "
— Thom, 5/9/2011 -
" "Great Details on what went into the strategy of D-Day. The thick plans that were created and then what actually happend." "
— Kendar88, 3/26/2011 -
" Stephen Ambrose is among my favorite historians, and D-day is among my favorite historical topics. This book absolutely thrilled me from start to finish. The method, based on oral interviews with over a thousand veterans, results in solid history that leaps off the page. "
— Ben, 2/28/2011 -
" the second best book i've read on the normandy invasion behind only the longest day, it's incredibly detailed, great read "
— Ray, 2/28/2011 -
" It's more about the Americans then the Brits so can hardly be called definitive but if you want to know about the Americans in D-Day, read this book! "
— Joris, 2/28/2011 -
" this book describes details you have to know that will never be in a movie because those details are too hard to describe and are more important than the action taking place. "
— Billy, 2/17/2011 -
" I read this book slowly to absorb the incredible amount of detail packed into the pages. I don't know how many times I felt my eyes become wet while reading this. Very moving. "
— Jennifer, 2/14/2011 -
" This book was written by the good version of Stephen Ambrose. He did an excellent job of conveying the enormous challenges the allies faced planning and executing Operation Overlord. One of the best books I've read about WWII. "
— David, 2/12/2011 -
" This is such a great book if you want an accurate look into what happened on that great and terrible day. Also, part of it is what the movie Saving Private Ryan was based on as well. "
— Paula, 2/3/2011 -
" A gripping account of one of the most important days in the history of the world. If you liked Ambrose's "Band of Brothers" you will love this book. "
— Greg, 1/27/2011 -
" Its a very stout book. (for lack of better words). Starts slow which is hard for me, I like books that grab my attention right away...but very moving. "
— A.J.K., 1/9/2011 -
" The best book on D-Day I have ever read. Stephen Ambrose is amazing. "
— Sara, 12/26/2010 -
" Interesting, deep deep book and hard to digest all at once. Took a while to sift through the data and ever piling layers of information. But interesting to read as it it accounts both sides, leading up and the after math, of a time period I can not imagine living through. "
— B, 12/22/2010 -
" Very well written narrative of Operation Overlord. Ambrose makes it clear, interesting and relatable. I listened to this book and it unfortunately was an abridgement. "
— Russell, 12/19/2010 -
" Excellent account of the historic battle, by the leading historian on the topic. "
— Brian, 12/14/2010 -
" Stephen Ambrose is an excellent historian and story teller. I have enjoyed his books very much. "
— Olyj, 12/10/2010
About Stephen E. Ambrose
Stephen E. Ambrose (1936–2002) was the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including Citizen Soldiers, Undaunted Courage, and D-Day, as well as biographies of Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon. He also founded the Eisenhower Center and was president of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. His book, Band of Brothers, was the basis for the HBO miniseries. 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.