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Roderick Bailey
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Forgotten Voices of D-Day: A Powerful New History of the Normandy Landings in the Words of Those Who Were There Kindle Edition

by Roderick Bailey (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 out of 5 stars 419 ratings

6 June 1944: the day Allied forces crossed the Channel and began fighting their way into Nazi-occupied Northwest Europe. Initiated 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 World War 2. Hearing from paratroopers and commandos, glider pilots and landing craft crewmen, airmen and naval personnel, we learn first-hand what it was like as men waited to go in, as they neared the beaches and drop zones, and 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.

Featuring a mass of previously unpublished material, Forgotten Voices of D-Day is a powerful and important new record of a defining moment in modern history.

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  1. Print length
    418 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Ebury Digital
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    19 Jan. 2010
  6. File size
    8.6 MB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Product description

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.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00352B446
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ebury Digital
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 19 Jan. 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 8.6 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 418 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1407027562
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 419 ratings

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Roderick Bailey

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
419 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a brilliant read that brings history to life through powerful veterans' accounts of D-Day. Moreover, the pacing is moving and provides a balanced perspective, while customers describe it as an emotional read.

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ReadabilityInformation valuePacingEmotional content
36 customers mention ‘Readability’36 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a brilliant read, with one mentioning it is totally absorbing from first-hand accounts.

"great read" Read more

"Great read." Read more

"excellent book,cannot believe how quickly it arrived" Read more

"...Absolutely brilliant...Don't hesitate to read if at all interested in that momentous day.." Read more

26 customers mention ‘Information value’26 positive0 negative

Customers find the book brings history to life through powerful veterans' accounts, with one customer noting it serves as a wonderful resource for researching D-Day events.

"...and penchant for understatement which goes towards making this a harrowing, exciting,emotional and educational read...." Read more

"Brings history to life in the way other books cannot do. Forgotten voices series are a must for any keen historian." Read more

"...So, this book really is an excellent tool to set history straight...." Read more

"...searchable from a list of contributors, beatifully edited, and grouped by date, subject or event...." Read more

10 customers mention ‘Pacing’10 positive0 negative

Customers praise the book's pacing, finding it moving and incredibly gripping, with one customer noting how it gives a more balanced view of the events.

"What a read. So many brave soldiers stories. I found it very moving. I have read most of the forgotten voices books" Read more

"Excellent and moving reading ." Read more

"The Forgotten Voices series of books are, for me, some of the most moving, eye opening and valuable insights into war and its impact on individuals..." Read more

"...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...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Emotional content’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book emotionally engaging, with some describing it as quite emotional, and one mentioning it left them sobbing.

"...I soon became immmersed in it and thoroughly enjoyed the personal statements, each attributable and searchable from a list of contributors,..." Read more

"...of the people involved it's also their sense of humour and penchant for understatement which goes towards making this a harrowing, exciting,..." Read more

"...It left me sobbing my heart out, the day being recalled so openly and fully by men my grandad would have known...." Read more

"A very good and insightful read." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • milliemumof7
    5.0 out of 5 stars Testimonials: "For your tomorrow, we gave our today"
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 June 2012
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I highly recommend this book for several reasons. For the first thing, we all have got a warped sense of D-day and who fought that day. Like the introduction says in the book, "Hollywood revels in depicting D-day and the ensuing Battle of Normandy... as an overwhelmingly, if not exclusively, American affair". Hollywood, Stephen Ambrose and Tom Hanks/Stephen Spielberg, all being guilty as charged. And to my horror, being a historian, I discovered, that it's mostly what is taught in schools all over as well. So, this book really is an excellent tool to set history straight.

    Secondly, the book is so well put together and so organized that even if you are not particularly well versed in battles and reading about them, you can make a mental picture of what was going on. No, I know very little of guns and tactics, but still could get a lot out of this book, and understand. The different chapters and sub-chapters, always explain what the plan was and what actually happened. Then you get comments from all layers. From top brass down to the privates and THIS makes the book so wonderful. One event is described by many, the bird's view and the little ant's view. Those people at the imperial war museum, really know what they are doing when they commission a book! The major chapters are: Build Up, Countdown, Airborne Assault, Seaborne Assault, Pushing Inland, Holding On, Day's End. So it covers a lot of angles and interesting aspects.

    What this book shows more than anything, is that British and Commonwealth citizens were involved on all 5 beaches, in one way or the other. There were as many of them, as there were of Americans! Which both are overlooked facts. And they did not have an easy time on their "own" beaches, at all. Nor in taking their goals, even if Pegasus bridge was taken rather quickly.

    The men that have written down their experiences for the IWM are all different. Some bring up all the horror. Some bring up things that make you laugh. Some bring up eccentric leaders or just crazy things that happened. Some what saved their lives. But every comment/story, feels valuable and I am very grateful that they took the time to record all this, since nothing can beat this, first hand accounts.
    16 people found this helpful
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  • Dr. N. K. I. MCIVER
    5.0 out of 5 stars Forgotten Voices of D-Day
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 June 2011
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is a book which should be on the shelves of every school and general public library. When it arrived (very promptly from Amazon) I was initially concerned when I found it was a compilation of statements made by 240 people who were directly involved, were of all ranks and some of whom had made a number of statements. I soon became immmersed in it and thoroughly enjoyed the personal statements, each attributable and searchable from a list of contributors, beatifully edited, and grouped by date, subject or event. The Name, Rank and Unit of every contributor is listed at the start of each contribution. I commend this book to anyone interested. I now understand this approach has been taken in writing about a number of different topics and situations. I will certainly read others after I have (shortly) visited the Normandy Battlefields. I understand that the statements were recorded (also listed and searchable) by the Imperial War Museum. I now feel well-prepared and keen to read other books in the series of "Forgotten Voices". NKIM.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Ms Stephanie Frances Enid Layne.
    4.0 out of 5 stars d-day the forgotten voices.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 May 2011
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This is yet another very good book in the Forgotten Voices series.
    The book is compiled using interviews with those who took part, were involved in Operation Overlord.
    It includes accounts of the preparations for D-Day, the deceptions, the tragedy of the exercise off Slapton Sands, the airborne attack prior to the landings, and the landings and the fight to gain a foothold in Normandy and so head towards Germany, and end the war.
    The book looks at this operation from a British perspective, which makes a change, having read a few books about D-Day.It proves that the Yanks didn't win the war single handed.
    A recommended read for those interested in the history of WW2,we owe those guys so much, young men mostly putting their lives on the line in the fight against Hitler!
    One person found this helpful
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  • DavyA
    5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute must
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 June 2010
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    The Forgotten Voices series of books are, for me, some of the most moving, eye opening and valuable insights into war and its impact on individuals that are available.
    Forgotten Voices of D Day, carries on in the same vein as previous worthy volumes. This is eye witness, participant history of the highest order.
    From bomber and glider pilots to naval personnel, paratroopers to meteorologists, Royal Marines to the infantry and even the contribution of conscientious objectors - it's all here, the whole range of human emotion and achievement in the face of huge adversity.
    This book sets its stall out early on - one of its "missions" is to redress the balance. That is, to show the D Day landings were not solely an American venture - as the book points out, recent film and TV portrayals and indeed, some non fiction writing, has been dismissive (and in my opinion hugely disrespectful) about the contribution made to the D Day landings by British armed forces and indeed the level of challenge they faced.
    This is D Day, unashamedly from a British perspective.
    This book covers the preparation, the postponement, the raids on vital bridges and batteries, the landings and the push inland.
    The entries are vivid and you can only admire the strength of character of the people whose accounts are included (and of course the many thousands whose are not).
    There is so much to admire in this book. It is not just the bravery and utter drive and determination of the people involved it's also their sense of humour and penchant for understatement which goes towards making this a harrowing, exciting,emotional and educational read.
    If you are not gripped, if you are not moved, when you read this book,then you may as well give up !
    18 people found this helpful
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  • Eagletree
    5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing Format
    Reviewed in the United States on 3 March 2015
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    This took me by surprise, I expected that the fragmented style would make it sloppy. It was not, it's a rather brilliant presentation. It's individual testimony, so it's not likely to be 100% accurate for any given moment, but it offers something in that, which actual researched facts lose. It's very personal.
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  • Caracalla
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ganz nah dran
    Reviewed in Germany on 30 September 2013
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Ein weiteres Buch aus der Reihe "Forgotten Voices". Diesmal wird mit Berichten von Zeitzeugen der D-Day (der Tag der alliierten Invasion in der Normandie) von der Planung über die Vorbereitung bis hin zum eigentlichen Geschehen geschildert. Dass dabei nur Angehörige der damaligen britischen Army, Navy und RAF zu Wort kommen, tut der Eindringlichkeit des Erzählten keinen Abbruch. Der Leser erlebt die Gefühle und Ängste Einzelner hautnah mit, auch das Grauen, das viele erlebt haben.

    Wieder sind zahlreiche Fotos enthalten, die dem Geschehen und den Personen ein Gesicht verleihen.

    Wer Geschichte ganz ohne Pathos, Heldentümelei und aus dem persönlichen Blickwinkel der Beteiligten erleben will, ist hier genau richtig.
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  • David Dingman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Share the journeys of these soldiers and sailors in their own words!
    Reviewed in the United States on 16 August 2015
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Like stepping into a time machine, Forgotten Voices takes you along for the often turbulent ride of the glider and airborne troops as well as into the different landing craft as they approach their respective landing spots on D-Day. Well worth reading for any history enthusiast.
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  • Robert Harris
    4.0 out of 5 stars History from the horses mouth
    Reviewed in the United States on 2 October 2013
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    Another well-edited product of the Imperial War Museum, this is history from the horses mouth. Interviews from participants of all ranks and even a few of the Bosch are expertly weaved together to tell a story you won't get from either historical analysis or fiction. None of the dreary historiography associated with the former or the chest beating that permeates the latter, this is the story from the ground up told by the people in the best position to do the telling. I've read and enjoyed a number of the Forgotten Voices series and have been impressed by the lot. Thanks to these oral histories the voices herein will never be forgotten
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  • Richard F. Underwood
    5.0 out of 5 stars "You are there on D Day" when you read this book
    Reviewed in the United States on 23 July 2015
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    A down to earth (and sea too) account of D Day in the British sectors, told by the men who were in fact there. A gut wrenching series of personal narratives , unvarnished and real.
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