Sterling Point Books(r) Invasion: The Story of D-Day

by Bruce Bliven Jr.

Book Overview

June 6, 1944: The greatest amphibious invasion the world had ever seen was launched, involving thousands of ships, incredible planning and preparation, and a million courageous soldiers, sailors, and airmen willing to sacrifice their lives for victory. Author and journalist Bruce Bliven was there that day, on the beaches of France, and he recounts it all, from the risky plans developed by the American and British military leaders through the daring...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402741413
• ISBN13: 9781402741418
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Sterling
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

A day when the actions of a few made an enormous difference

By May of 1944, it was clear that Germany could no longer win the war in Europe. However, it was also possible that the Nazi armies could fight the Allies to a stalemate. While the Soviet armies were making progress in their eastward advancement, the Atlantic coast of Europe seemed impenetrable. Only by attacking and overcoming this obstacle could the Allies hope to send Germany to a total defeat. That invasion took place on June 6, 1944 and as everyone who has studied it knows it was the greatest amphibious invasion ever carried out. The Allied leaders spent years creating their meticulous plans and it was time to carry them out. However, it is also the case that it came very close to being a catastrophic failure. This book presents all the facts, all of the statistics, the broad strategies as well as several stories of individual heroism. For the invasion succeeded, but only because a relatively few men found the courage to rise above their fear. In a battle that involved so many men, it is amazing to read how few men made the difference. By leading from the front and moving forward in the face of fire, these men were the spears that pierced the impenetrable. Written at the appropriate level for the middle school student, this is a history that all students should read. There are times in the life of a nation when the actions of a small number of men make a very large difference. D-Day was such a time and we should all honor their memory by learning what they accomplished.

Mostly about the facts.

This book contains plenty of facts. It is engrossing because of its details. It could have been a little longer.I recommend it for kids who are new to D-Day.

a good book

How much do you know about what really happened on June 6th 1944? This book has many tales of heroism and great leaders who fought to the finish for our country. This book is about how the allies launched a massive amphibious invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France. It tells stories of all of the parts of the attack, American, British, and Canadian. I liked this book very much and am happy with my choice. One thing in this book that pleased me was the description of what it must have been like to be a soldier during those times. It told of many hardships, and what is was like being on the battlefield surrounded by death. An example of this is when the author tells the story of a captain who had to remind a group of soldiers how to fire a rifle because they were in shock from all of the dead bodies lying around them. This book would not have been nearly as interesting if the author hadn't used such vivid vocabulary and wonderful written expression throughout the book. A wonderful example of vivid vocabulary is when the author is explaining the naval bombardment of the beaches. "There were shells flying through the air in every direction. The ear shattering sounds of 50 pound shells hitting the sand were abundant like rain." The only thing about this book that I didn't particularly find interesting was how random the book was. The author would switch from an intense battle scene straight over to a standstill nothingness on another beach. This is perhaps the only thing that was wrong with this book. The Story of D-Day by Bruce Bilven Jr. is a wonderful book of many tales, and should be read by all.

My favorite book

One of the best book I have ever read in the past year has to be the Story of D-Day June 6,1944 by Bliven. It is a marvelous book about the invasion of Normandy. One of the major reasons I enjoy this book is how they planned, and how they trained and how they put it to good use. At night and in the morning of D-Day the paratroopers jumped by the thousands and their supplies were lost. Their supplies were in the hands of the enemy. Another reason I found the book to be so wonderful is the landing at Pointe de Hoc. The allied troops had to carry the rocket launchers up the cliffs even as the enemy cut their ropes , but they made it . Of course my favorite reason for loving this book is the vehicle called Ducks. This vehicle could move like a boat on water and drive like a vehicle called Ducks. This vehicle could move like a boat on water and drive like a vehicle on land . Most of the Ducks sank except for one and it was trying to stay afloat and a small ship came to the rescue and saved the crew of the Duck . To conclude ,the story of D-Day by Bliven was truly my favorite book.