Normandy '44: D-Day and the Battle for France

Description

From established historian James Holland, this is the top ten bestselling and second biggest history book of 2019. 'A superb account of the invasion that deserves immense praise. To convey the human drama of Normandy requires great knowledge and sensitivity. Holland has both in spades' The Times Renowned World War Two historian James Holland presents an entirely new perspective on one of the most important moments in recent history, unflinchingly examining the brutality and violence that characterised the campaign, and totally recalibrating our understanding of this momentous event. D-Day and the 76 days of bitter fighting in Normandy that followed have come to be seen as a defining episode in the Second World War. Its story has been endlessly retold, and yet it remains a narrative burdened by both myth and assumed knowledge. In this reexamined history, James Holland challenges what we think we know. Drawing on unseen archives and testimonies from around the world, introducing a cast of eye-witnesses from foot soldiers to bomber crews, sailors, civilians and resistance fighters.

James Holland is a historian, writer and broadcaster. The author of a number of bestselling histories, including Battle of Britain, Dam Busters, Normandy '44 and, most recently, Sicily '43, he has also written nine works of historical fiction, including the Jack Tanner novels. He is currently writing an acclaimed three-volume new history of the Second World War, The War in the West. He has presented - and written - a large number of television programmes and series for the BBC, Channel 4, National Geographic, and the History and Discovery channels. A three-part documentary series based on his bestselling book Normandy '44 under the same title can be found on Amazon Prime. James is co-founder of the Chalke Valley History Festival and of WarGen.org, an online Second World War resource site, and presents the Chalke Valley History Hit podcast. He also presents We Have Ways of Making You Talk, a podcast with Al Murray in which they discuss the Second World War. A fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he can be found on Twitter and Instagram as @James1940.

As an account of this mighty and vitally significant clash of armies, Normandy '44 stands as richly impressive, hard to surpass * William Boyd, TImes Literary Supplement * A superb account of the invasions that deserves immense praise...To convey the human drama of Normandy requires great knowledge and sensitivity. Holland has both in spades * The Times * An invigorating new history of the Allied invasion of France * Strong Words Magazine * A readable account of one of the 20th century's most defining battles provides a strategic overview enlivened by personal accounts of the horror ... for the general reader there are plenty of surprises * The i * An impressive new account of D-Day ... Holland knows his stuff when it comes to military matters ... he reads the minds of the generals, their tactics, their blunders - on both sides * Daily Mail *