Nothing Less Than Victory: The Oral History of D-Day

by Russell Miller

Book Overview

As Russell Miller writes in his Foreword to this extraordinary book, Nothing Less Than Victory is "the authentic story of D-Day as it has never been told before -- entirely by those who took part, on both sides. It is compiled...from letters home, diaries, memoranda, official reports, and innumerable interviews with veterans in the Untited States, Canada, France, and Germany." From the exhausted American paratrooper on guard duty who can keep awake only by pulling the pin from a grenade and clutching it tightly in his hand, to the German soldier sitting in a bunker, with the enemy on the roof, helplessly radioing for orders, this extraordinary book shows the human face of one of the most dramatic events in military history.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688168450
• ISBN13: 9780688168452
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 560 Pages
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Extraordinary Is Too Meek A Word

This is history at its best, history at its most priceless, history rescued from the oblivion that time ultimately brings. For the memories of so many first-hand participants to have been gathered together so that actual D-Day veterans can describe in their own words the progress of that momentous, terrible day is a work of extreme value now and for all time. Exceeds all other works on the June 6, 1944 Normandy landing that I've read, not excluding those of the masterful Stephen Ambrose. If a student of the Second World War were to read this book and Studs Turkel's invaluable oral history masterpiece, The Good War, then that person would be as well-versed in facts as an undergraduate who'd taken a dozen credit hours worth of classroom lectures. I sincerely mean that. Russell Miller's Nothing Less Than Victory sets the standard not only for World War Two writing, but for any "first-hand" historical piece yet to be produced.

Of Men and Battle

Men and machine were combined to form one of the most awesome military operations the world has ever seen. On 6 June 1944, this power was unleashed upon Nazi Germany in such a manner that books, stories and documentaries are still being written as if the battle had just been fought.This book goes even deeper, using accounts from both sides of the war to portray the feelings of those in battle. Statistics on the projected wounded, killed and missing meant nothing to the men on that day. Their sole purpose was to carry out their orders and survive to someday make it home to their loved ones.In Mr. Miller's foreword he relates of trying to get those he interviewed to tell of what if felt like to be at Normandy, and what was going through their heads as they approached the beaches.This book is refereshing in that the author hits his mark and works to portray both sides of the struggle by detailing what the men felt, and not just their reflections on the battle or military strategy. As you progress through the book you will find that the author has done just that and more. It's a "riveting soldier's-eye view of the deadly confusion of battle . . . a significant contribution to military and D-Day literature." "Nothing Less than Vistory" is quite moving and comes highly recommended to those interested in first hand accounts detailing the leadup and subsequent invasion of Normandy.

outstanding oral history

This book is one of the most powerful historical accounts I have read relating to D-day. The accounts come from a wide range of sources, from German soldiers manning the bunkers to French civilians caught in the crossfire. This book gives a vivid account of what it was like to be involved in the D-day invasion from all sides. It depicts the boredom pre-invasion to the sheer horror of the invasion itself. I highly reccomend it!!!