Pegasus Bridge: D-Day, the Daring British Airborne Raid [Large Print] [Paperback]

Stephen E. Ambrose (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2003

D-Day before dawn. Minute by minute, hour by hour the danger grows...In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, a small detachment of British airborne troops stormed the German defence forces and paved the way for the Allied invasion of Europe. Pegasus Bridge was the first engagement of D-Day, the turning point of World War II. This gripping account by acclaimed author Stephen E. Ambrose brings to life a daring mission so crucial that, had it been unsuccessful, the entire Normandy invasion might have failed. Ambrose traces each step of the preparations over many months to the minute-by-minute excitement of the hand-to-hand confrontations on the bridge. This is a story of heroism and cowardice, kindness and brutality - the stuff of all great adventures.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephen E. Ambrose, leading World War II historian, was the author of numerous books on history including the Number 1 bestselling BAND OF BROTHERS, D-DAY (on which SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was based) PEGASUS BRIDGE and WILD BLUE. He is founder of the Eisenhower Center and the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. He died in 2002. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 270 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Pr (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786256656
• ISBN-13: 978-0786256655
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,958,815 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Stephen Ambrose was a renowned historian and acclaimed author of more than 30 books. Among his New York Times best-sellers are: Nothing Like It in the World, Citizen Soldiers, Band of Brothers, D-Day - June 6, 1944, and Undaunted Courage.He was not only a great author, but also a captivating speaker, with the unique ability to provide insight into the future by employing his profound knowledge of the past. His stories demonstrate how leaders use trust, friendship and shared experiences to work together and thrive during conflict and change. His philosophy about keeping an audience engaged is put best in his own words: "As I sit at my computer, or stand at the podium, I think of myself as sitting around the campfire after a day on the trail, telling stories that I hope will have the members of the audience, or the readers, leaning forward just a bit, wanting to know what happens next." Dr. Ambrose was a retired Boyd Professor of History at the University of New Orleans. He was the Director Emeritus of the Eisenhower Center in New Orleans, and the founder of the National D-Day Museum. He was also a contributing editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, a member of the board of directors for American Rivers, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council Board. His talents have not gone unnoticed by the film industry. Dr. Ambrose was the historical consultant for Steven Spielberg's movie Saving Private Ryan. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks purchased the film rights to his books Citizen Soldiers and Band of Brothers to make the 13-hour HBO mini-series Band of Brothers. He has also participated in numerous national television programs, including ones for the History Channel and National Geographic.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Depiction, March 1, 2008

By 

Mark Twain - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pegasus Bridge: D-Day, the Daring British Airborne Raid (Paperback)

I thought this was a great book. Very well-written and exciting. It was a little short, which made for an excellent quick-read. I think Mr. Ambrose deserves some credit for writing on a relatively uncovered topic. That being said, those of us who choose to bash on his writing simply because it is allegedly simplistic at times really ought to ease up. Try writing a well-researched book yourself if you have such a problem with this well-written and exciting page turner.

5.0 out of 5 stars A crucial and critical event which helped decide the fate of Germany in WW2, August 14, 2011

By 

Adrian T. Bell - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pegasus Bridge (Paperback)

Pegasus Bridge - located in a small area of occupied France. The British attack on this stronghold was critical for D-Day to occur, let alone succeed. A story of courage, resourcefulness, mateship and ingenuity - with humorous anecdotes.
Many familiar names of heroic deeds by many who went on to become stars of the British screen and stage. There are interesting insights into the rigidity in the German command which inhibited the independent decisions of senior officers.
An excellent book - easy to read - totally absorbing.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointingly simplistic, December 22, 2007

By 

Anthony Bates "Tony & Julia" (Wellington, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pegasus Bridge (Paperback)

I have just finished reading this book tonight and it was a hard task to make it to the end.

For a historian that is as acclaimed as Ambrose I was really disappointed in the quality of this work. While the historical timeline of the actual assualt on the Orne crossings is accurate, the book makes light work of the other elements involved in this critical D-Day operation. At some points his simplistic treatment made me quite angry - for instance when describing the Whermacht command structure and the difference between Rommel and Rundstedt's operational decisions. He also seems to be a huge fan of F/M Montgomery and given the 20/20 nature of hindsight, I don't know why.

Ambrose's narative borders on the annoying at times and the disjointed nature of the switch between narative and quote is frustrating (although one could put this down to bad editing).

Equally annoying is Ambrose's penchant for repetition. He repeats 'ad nauseum' the process by which John Howard prepared D Coy for the coup de main operation. Likewise, he failed to instill any sense of urgency or danger in me as the reader - it was all very 'ho-hum' and I was looking forward to finishing it.

If you're looking for a book to explain this critically important operation then you can do far better than this offering.