Seventy years ago, more than six thousand Allied ships carried more than a million soldiers across the English Channel to a fifty-mile-wide strip of the Normandy coast in German-occupied France. It was the greatest sea-borne assault in human history. The code names given to the beaches where the ships landed the soldiers have become immortal: Gold, Juno, Sword, Utah, and especially Omaha, the scene of almost unimaginable human tragedy. The sea of crosses in the cemetery sitting today atop a bluff overlooking the beaches recalls to us its cost.
Most accounts of this epic story begin with the landings on the morning of June 6, 1944. In fact, however, D-Day was the culmination of months and years of planning and intense debate. In the dark days after the evacuation of Dunkirk in the summer of 1940, British officials and, soon enough, their American counterparts, began to consider how, and, where, and especially when, they could re-enter the European Continent in force. The Americans, led by U.S. Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall, wanted to invade as soon as possible; the British, personified by their redoubtable prime minister, Winston Churchill, were convinced that a premature landing would be disastrous. The often-sharp negotiations between the English-speaking allies led them first to North Africa, then into Sicily, then Italy. Only in the spring of 1943, did the Combined Chiefs of Staff commit themselves to an invasion of northern France. The code name for this invasion was Overlord, but everything that came before, including the landings themselves and the supply system that made it possible for the invaders to stay there, was code-named Neptune.
Craig L. Symonds now offers the complete story of this Olympian effort, involving transports, escorts, gunfire support ships, and landing craft of every possible size and function. The obstacles to success were many. In addition to divergent strategic views and cultural frictions, the Anglo-Americans had to overcome German U-boats, Russian impatience, fierce competition for insufficient shipping, training disasters, and a thousand other impediments, including logistical bottlenecks and disinformation schemes. Symonds includes vivid portraits of the key decision-makers, from Franklin Roosevelt and Churchill, to Marshall, Dwight Eisenhower, and Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, who commanded the naval element of the invasion. Indeed, the critical role of the naval forces--British and American, Coast Guard and Navy--is central throughout.
In the end, as Symonds shows in this gripping account of D-Day, success depended mostly on the men themselves: the junior officers and enlisted men who drove the landing craft, cleared the mines, seized the beaches and assailed the bluffs behind them, securing the foothold for the eventual campaign to Berlin, and the end of the most terrible war in human history.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Craig L. Symonds is Professor of History Emeritus at the U.S. Naval Academy. He is the author of many books on American naval history, including The Battle of Midway and Lincoln and His Admirals, co-winner of the Lincoln Prize in 2009.
"[Symonds] has written a marvellous account of Operation Neptune. While emphasizing the American side of the equation, he is even-handed and covers the British side of events with sensitivity and generosity. He is a rare American historian in his willingness to credit the contribution of the British and essentially accepts that it was a genuine partnership between, if not equals in the material sense, certainly so in the moral one...Symonds provides an excellent account of the strategic planning, discussions and compromises that led to the invasion of June 1944...This is a useful history of Operation Neptune. It tells a neglected story well and it is a story that deserves to be known much better. Symonds book is an excellent addition to the shelf of anyone interested in the Second World War and I recommend it accordingly."--The Northern Mariner
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 3.95
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Bellwetherbooks, McKeesport, PA, U.S.A.
hardcover. Condition: Good. First Edition. DAMAGED - Bruise/tear to cover/dust jacket. Seller Inventory # OX-HCD-G-0199986118
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Acceptable. Item in acceptable condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00071777252
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # 5576799-6
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: HPB Inc., Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_410974713
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 4-0199986118-G
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Book Deals, Tucson, AZ, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Good condition. This is the average used book, that has all pages or leaves present, but may include writing. Book may be ex-library with stamps and stickers. 1.6. Seller Inventory # 353-0199986118-gdd
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books Unplugged, Amherst, NY, U.S.A.
Condition: Fair. Buy with confidence! Book is in acceptable condition with wear to the pages, binding, and some marks within 1.6. Seller Inventory # bk0199986118xvz189zvxacp
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Pennywhistle Books, Greensboro, NC, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: As New. Dust Jacket Condition: As New. 1st Edition. 1st printing. Mint condition. Seller Inventory # 001311
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Inquiring Minds, Saugerties, NY, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Used - Very Good. Seller Inventory # 540495
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Artis Books & Antiques, Calumet, MI, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Book Club (BCE/BOMC). 422pp. Notes. Biblio. Index. Photos. Size: 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" Tall. Seller Inventory # 090850
Quantity: 1 available