Customer Reviews

The D-Day Encyclopedia

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This volume is the result of the collaboration of many academics and historians and is loaded with all kinds of info about the first 12 days of the invasion. This book is well balanced in regards to coverage of Army, Navy, Air Force and the people who commanded those organizations and those that made an impact within thos organizations on the war. There is a good representation of the divisions of both sides that fought at Normandy that includes their history as well as their general actions taken in France. There are many biographies, with portraits, of officers who influenced the planning and execution of the invasion on the Allied side as well as Germans who did everything they could to thwart those actions.
This is a relatively large book at 11 in. by 8.5 in and 665 pages that is laid out in alphabetical order. It contains many nice photos and some maps to help your reading and though the book has a wealth of information, I frequently had to study the extensive Index to find my interested topic. For example, If you go to the "O" section looking for the Overlord Plans you won't find them. You have to look under COSSACK Plans to read about the detailed process of bringing Neptune and Overlord to fruition. This happens fairly often. A feature that was appreciated was that running throughout the book, the contributors would include additional reading choices if their comments peaked your interest on a specific topic.
For enthusiasts, this book would be an excellent supplement but its no replacement for books you may already own. Books by Ambrose, Balkoski, McManus, Kershaw, Eisenhower and others. If you can find a copy reasonably priced it would be worth it.