Our Finest Day: D-Day, June 6, 1944 [Hardcover]

Mark Bowden (Author), Stephen E. Ambrose (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002

D-Day is one of the significant turning points in wartime history and was the largest single military operation ever launched. In Our Finest Day, best-selling author Mark Bowden reveals the human faces behind this brutal battle, using reproductions of original documents. Included in these pages are personal letters and poignant journal entries from soldiers, secret dispatches and pages from code books, and strategic battle plans and maps. These removable artifacts-from the collection of the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans-allow readers to hold a piece of history in their hands. Imagine holding a replica of the last letter written home by a soldier as he waited nervously for the attack to begin, or the message sent to Allied headquarters in England informing them that the beaches had been taken. From the commanders of Operation Overlord to the airborne troopers and resistance fighters, Our Finest Day introduces readers to the brave men who risked their lives and triumphed over Hitler s Germany.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Both Ambrose and Bowden have been in the news lately, Ambrose for allegations of plagiarism and Bowden as the author of the now screen-adapted Black Hawk Down. Ambrose's contribution is minimal, a brief foreword that sets the stage for Operation Overlord, as the D-Day invasion was called. Bowden's text for this vivid, thick-paged picture book is peppered with first-person accounts of the event by journalist A.J. Liebling and other enlisted men, but is sometimes hard to read among the photos and illustrations. Produced in conjunction with the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans, the book is chock-full of D-Day mementos tucked into Griffin & Sabine-style compartments from Eisenhower's handwritten notes to the troops to a replica of the tag on a grenade pin. Highlights among the texts included in pockets and fake manila envelopes are a disarmingly quaint "Pocket Guide to France," with line drawings and common French phrases on the back; a reproduction of the front page of the New York Times from June 6 with news of the "Great Invasion" in bold letters; and the Operational Orders for the 29th infantry division, stamped "top secret" in red across the top. The overall tone is appropriately patriotic and solemn, evocative of a time when men were men and invasions were invasions.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In what could be described as an adult picture book of the D-Day invasion, the best-selling author of Black Hawk Down gives readers a brief overview of Operation Overlord. The book, which was produced in cooperation with the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans, uses a multicolored text, illustrations, and photographs to create what Bowden calls "an interactive history with removable artifacts." Bowden effectively uses "pullouts" of personal diaries and letters of Allied soldiers along with other facsimile documents, which include reconnaissance maps and Eisenhower's inspirational letter to the troops just before the 1944 invasion. The text outlines the preparations, execution, and outcome of the landing from both the Allied and the German perspectives. The personal side of war is also revealed in diaries and letters. Students will find many facts and much analysis crammed into this small work about a monumental event in world history. Although the book's unusual format (with its removable facsimile documents) may be problematic for some libraries, both school and public libraries should consider it for purchase. David Alperstein, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; First Edition edition (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811830500
• ISBN-13: 978-0811830508
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,418,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Bowden is the bestselling author of Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, as well as The Best Game Ever, Bringing the Heat, Killing Pablo, and Guests of the Ayatollah. He reported at The Philadelphia Inquirer for twenty years and now writes for Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, and other magazines. He lives in Oxford, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brief but Revealing, October 25, 2002

By 

BeachReader (Delaware) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Our Finest Day: D-Day, June 6, 1944 (Hardcover)

Despite its brevity, this book is both informative and revealing. Bowden gives a good overview of what preceded and led up to D-Day. He describes Operation Overlord and the German defenses on the French coast, as well as the air and land assault plans.

Especially interesting are the authentic photos and artifacts from the collection of the D-Day Museum in New Orleans, founded by the late Stephen Ambrose. These artifacts include a soldiers' diary, the front page of the New York Times, a letter from Roosevelt, and an inspirational message from Eisenhower. All are able to be pulled out and looked at by the reader.

One of the artifacts, "A Pocket Guide to France" was given to the military and is included in this book as a pull out. It was simple and patriotic as it explained the military mission in France, the history of the conflict, and told the soldiers how to behave while in France.

Bowden also writes of the possible pitfalls in the plan, including dropping soldiers at night and the unpredictability of the weather. He concisely relates the events of D-Day, the airborne efforts, the invasion of Utah Beach, and the action of the armada, all interspersed with the words of those who were there.

Following this is a section about the Allied advance through France and into Germany...and less than a year later, the Reich was in ruins and Hitler was dead.

I liked this book most of all for its simplicity and authenticity.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars D-Day Militaria Book, July 4, 2002

By 

John Fraser (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Our Finest Day: D-Day, June 6, 1944 (Hardcover)

This short 30 page account of the D-Day invasion with first hand
narrative is unique in that it contains reproductions of various items associated with the invasion. There are personal items such as notebooks and Bibles and operational items such as orders
and after-action reports. All in all this is an interesting look into the history of D-Day made more so by the inclusion of historical artifacts. I recommend it to you, inspite of its brevity and price.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our Finest Day: D-Day, June 6, 1944, October 8, 2010

By 

Alice H. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Our Finest Day: D-Day, June 6, 1944 (Hardcover)

Our Finest Day: D-Day, June 6, 1944

A friend lent me a copy of this rather short book before I decided to order two copies, one for another friend and one for myself. It's unique, as it includes reproductions of letters, a map, The New York Times front page announcing the invasion, directions for arming (or disarming!) a hand grenade, etc. I'm pleased I have it. The seller packaging was very good, as was the condition of the book.