The D-Day Atlas: Anatomy of the Normandy Campaign [Hardcover]

Charles Messenger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2004

June 2004 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the largest amphibious military operation in history. D-Day was the culmination of four years of planning and preparation, which had begun in summer 1940 when Britain stood alone and under imminent threat of a German cross-Channel invasion. This groundbreaking study of D-Day and the subsequent campaign charts the gradual evolution of the invasion plan, encompassing the intelligence efforts, the Anglo-U.S. strategic debate over where the Allies should attack, and the elaborate deception put in place to fool the Germans about the true D-Day objective. The buildup culminates in an hour-by-hour and day-by-day account of the landings by air and by sea on the beaches of Normandy--Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword--and the subsequent grim struggle for six weeks to break through the German defenses. At the center of this fascinating re-creation of the D-Day invasion are 70 maps in full color, which incorporate the latest computer technology. Many are in fact based on the same maps used by the Allies in 1944. Detailed drawings and 80 photographs, both modern and contemporary to the period, help bring the beaches of Normandy to life. The book also includes contributions by French and German historians.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The 178 illustrations of this annotated atlas include 71 full-color maps, which stand out among its rather indifferent images. A veteran of Britain's Royal Tank Regiment and Territorial Army, historian and defense analyst Messenger (The Second World War in the West) is the author of more than 30 books and has written and directed three BBC Worldwide television series. His knowledge of his subject comes through in the clear, info-packed, subtopic-laden essays that make up the five chapters here, systematically taking readers through D-Day and its aftermath.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Charles Messenger served in Britain's Royal Tank Regiment and in the Territorial Army. A distinguished military historian and defense analyst, he has written more than thirty books, including The Second World War in the West and The Illustrated Book of World War II.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; First edition (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500251231
• ISBN-13: 978-0500251232
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #868,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Travel > Europe > France > Normandy
  • #59 in Books > Education & Reference > Atlases & Maps > Historical

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect guide for touring the Normandy battlefields, July 10, 2006

By 

Art (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The D-Day Atlas: Anatomy of the Normandy Campaign (Hardcover)

I used this book as my bible during a multi-day tour of the Normandy battlefields. The level of detail and first rate analysis really set this book apart. I carried this book the entire time I was in Northern France and referred to it constantly.

The maps as some of the most beautiful historical maps I have ever seen. They are clear, well designed, and contain a wealth of information. The level of detail is down to small roads and individual building in many maps. So many military history books skimp on maps. The full-color works of art in this book are almost worthy of framing. The author provides great commentary on the strategy and tactics of the invasion. Crisp line drawings of important weaponry are used throughout the book. I wish every major historical battlefield had such a great guide.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Color Maps, May 18, 2009

By 

Dave Schranck "Dave" (Anaheim Ca) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The D-Day Atlas: Anatomy of the Normandy Campaign (Hardcover)

The book is almost 12 in by 9 in and most of the 71 maps are large with good detail and are easy to understand. The coverage starts before the landing and contains 14 Allied related maps and five maps dealing with German dispositions. The atlas then runs through the major offensives of Normandy through mid September when Montgomery reaches the Netherlands border, Patton reaches Metz and Nancy and Devers is approaching Belfort.
The third chapter covers only D-Day landings and contains 13 maps. After D-Day, the Cherbourg liberation, the fall of St Lo, Operation Cobra, Epsom, Charnwood, Goodwood, the Mortain counter offensive, Operation Bluecoat, Totalize, Tractable, and a nice sequence in closing the Falaise pocket are covered. Scattered throughout these specific maps are Situation maps showing Allied progress. There is a running dialog that describes the action that is represented on each map. The overview is sufficient but I would have preferred greater depth of the action but perhaps its not in the purview of the publisher to do so. (That's the reason for 4 stars; the maps are 5 star quality. I study these maps quite often when reading other books on Normandy.)
Besides the excellent maps, there are many illustrations, sidebars and photos that will peak your interest as well.
The Table of Contents is comprehensive and makes your job easy finding what you need. The index is also well done. There is a section that include "Codewords" which is interesting; it describes what each Codeword operation covers. Another section lists the units on both sides that were fighting in France.

If your looking for great, useful maps of France, give this book serious consideration. If your interested in useful maps of the entire war, including the Pacific and China try Mr Messenger's "The Chronological Atlas of World War Two".

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As the Title Projects, May 10, 2006

By 

CE Durham (US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The D-Day Atlas: Anatomy of the Normandy Campaign (Hardcover)

Messenger's D-Day Atlas has many maps that are very easily read and the text within the book itself is very well written. If you are looking for a good overview of the invasion and it's aftermath, complete with anecdotes and easy to follow maps, then this is a book that you should be happy with.