Product Description

6 June 1944 is one of the most momentous days in history: the day Allied forces crossed the Channel and began fighting their way into Nazi-occupied Northwest Europe. Preceded by airborne units and covered by air and naval bombardment, the Normandy landings were the most ambitious combined airborne and amphibious assault ever attempted. Their success marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany. Drawing on thousands of hours of eyewitness testimony recorded by the Imperial War Museum, Forgotten Voices of D-Day tells the compelling story of this turning point in the Second World War in the words of those who were there. We hear from paratroopers and commandos, glider pilots and landing craft crewmen, airmen and naval personnel. We learn first-hand of what it was like as men waited to go in, as they neared the beaches and drop zones, as they landed and met the enemy. Accounts range from memories of the daring capture of 'Pegasus' bridge by British glider-bourn troops to recollections of brutal fighting as the assault forces stormed the beaches. Shedding fresh light too on the American contribution, they include the memories of British personnel caught up in the terrible events at Omaha Beach where United States forces suffered over 2,000 casualties. Featuring a mass of previously unpublished material, Forgotten Voices of D-Day is a powerful and important new record of a defining moment in modern history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11328 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 400 pages

Review
'Bailey's account, based on scores of oral histories taken from British troops, is incomparable. The voices speak with utter immediacy of fear, determination, bewilderment, indifference, and unmistakable courage.' --The Spectator

About the Author
Roderick Bailey is a historian attached to the Imperial War Museum and the author of the Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, Forgotten Voices of the Secret War, and the critically acclaimed The Wildest Province: SOE in the Land of the Eagle. He is a graduate of Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities and a former Alistair Horne Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford.

Customer Reviews

Forgotten Voices of D-Day
An excellent collection of memories from those who took part in this momentous invasion. The words are strict quotes from representatives of all ranks in the language of the individual, making this the most personal and emotional account of D-Day that I have read. Do not wonder why old soldiers often do not speak of such days, just wonder how most lived a normal life after the event.
This is war as seen by soldiers, sailors, airmen and planners, not later analysis by historians. It is an account of bravery, death and horific wounds. It tells of men facing unbelievable odds, the loss of friends and colleagues and yet overcoming the enemy and placing a firm foot on Europe on this, the first day of the long last battle of the second world war.
Read it and be thankful for the sacrifices made that day.

Lest we forget
It makes me feel humble when I read of the sacrifices made by so many people on our behalf. I would probably not have the freedom and right to even be writing this review should their sacrifices have been in vain. The fact I am able is testament to the bravery, skill and dogged determination to see the job through. This book should be on every school Curriculum. Buy it.

Hopefully not forgotten voices
I bought this book for my husband, who has enjoyed other books from this series. He thoroughly enjoyed reading it, as the first hand accounts are both fascinating and extrememly moving. The book is very easy to dip into because of its format. My father fought on the Normandy beaches, and so it was especially important for us to read this book. No one can tell the story better than those who were there, and we should record their experiences while they are still with us. Lets hope their sacrifice along with their voices are never forgotten.