D-DAY The Oral History
On sale
23rd May 2024
Price: £29.99
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A LANDMARK NEW ACCOUNT OF THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF WW2, IN THE WORDS OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IT
**** ‘Comprehensive… from a large and wide range of witnesses on both sides’ –The Telegraph
‘A sprawling history of D-Day from the point of view of participants on both sides.’ –Kirkus
‘A masterpiece of oral history. Stirring, surprising, grim, joyous, moving and always riveting.’ –Evan Thomas
‘A new, complete portrait in time for the 80th anniversary […] Graff uses a wide array and diversity of voices that give a fuller picture of the lead-up to the invasion, as well as the fighting itself.’ –Associated Press
On 6th June 1944, the Allied invasion began. For hours, wave after wave of soldiers, sailors, and airmen crossed the channel and stormed the Normandy coast, fighting to gain a foothold in Nazi-occupied Northwest Europe. It was the largest combined air and seaborne invasion ever, involving over 150,000 Allied troops on the ground, and its eventual success became a critical turning point in the war, spelling the beginning of the end for the Third Reich.
As the events of that day fade from living memory, it’s more important than ever to understand what it felt like to be there and to live through it, on both sides. In this definitive work, Garrett M. Graff, the bestselling author of The Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11, compiles over 600 US, Canadian, UK, French and German voices to tell the full story of exactly how that historic day unfolded, in visceral detail – as well as the weeks and months leading up to it. From paratroopers to fighter pilots to nurses, generals, French villagers, German Defenders to Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, this is the most intimate re-telling of D-Day published to date.
Praise for THE ONLY PLANE IN THE SKY:
“The most moving and chilling oral history you will read.” The Times
“Incredibly evocative and compelling.” The Washington Post
“A hugely powerful new book.” Dan Snow
“Astonishing book about an astonishing, terrifying atrocity, relived in real time by those who were there. I read it in one sitting & was utterly gripped from start to finish.” Piers Morgan
A LANDMARK NEW ACCOUNT OF THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF WW2, IN THE WORDS OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IT
**** ‘Comprehensive… from a large and wide range of witnesses on both sides’ –The Telegraph
‘A sprawling history of D-Day from the point of view of participants on both sides.’ –Kirkus
‘A masterpiece of oral history. Stirring, surprising, grim, joyous, moving and always riveting.’ –Evan Thomas
‘A new, complete portrait in time for the 80th anniversary […] Graff uses a wide array and diversity of voices that give a fuller picture of the lead-up to the invasion, as well as the fighting itself.’ –Associated Press
On 6th June 1944, the Allied invasion began. For hours, wave after wave of soldiers, sailors, and airmen crossed the channel and stormed the Normandy coast, fighting to gain a foothold in Nazi-occupied Northwest Europe. It was the largest combined air and seaborne invasion ever, involving over 150,000 Allied troops on the ground, and its eventual success became a critical turning point in the war, spelling the beginning of the end for the Third Reich.
As the events of that day fade from living memory, it’s more important than ever to understand what it felt like to be there and to live through it, on both sides. In this definitive work, Garrett M. Graff, the bestselling author of The Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11, compiles over 600 US, Canadian, UK, French and German voices to tell the full story of exactly how that historic day unfolded, in visceral detail – as well as the weeks and months leading up to it. From paratroopers to fighter pilots to nurses, generals, French villagers, German Defenders to Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, this is the most intimate re-telling of D-Day published to date.
Praise for THE ONLY PLANE IN THE SKY:
“The most moving and chilling oral history you will read.” The Times
“Incredibly evocative and compelling.” The Washington Post
“A hugely powerful new book.” Dan Snow
“Astonishing book about an astonishing, terrifying atrocity, relived in real time by those who were there. I read it in one sitting & was utterly gripped from start to finish.” Piers Morgan
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
This is one of the greatest war stories ever told. Through the words of the people who made D-Day happen or bore the brunt, Garrett Graff has crafted a masterpiece of oral history. Stirring, surprising, grim, joyous, moving and always riveting.
A sprawling history of D-Day from the point of view of participants on both sides. . . . [and] a timely reminder of the cost of war, as well as the bravery of those who stormed the beaches all those decades ago.
This is truly an excellent read. Unique, in many ways, and thoroughly recommended.
The author of The Only Plane in the Sky has a knack for finding fresh ways to consider exhaustively rehashed historical episodes. . . . The oral-history template lends the tale a striking immediacy, and he excavates stories from a wide swath of people from both sides of the war whose testimonies recall immense bravery and utter devastation while reminding readers of the capriciousness of victory, not to mention survival. As one U.S. Navy veteran put it: 'Call it luck, divine providence, call it what you please, but here I am.
Absolutely gripping. . . . Graff, who was a Pulitzer finalist last year for Watergate, has collected thousands of short statements from soldiers, nurses, pilots, children, neighbors, sailors, politicians, volunteers, photographers, reporters and so many more and then woven them together to create a contemporaneous narrative of the Allied invasion on June 6, 1944. . . . Given the political situation in the United States today, when some of our leaders are so complacent, even enthusiastic, about the resurgence of fascism, the power of this story feels spiked with foreboding. . . . Never before have I approached Memorial Day in a state of such somber awe."
A new, complete portrait in time for the 80th anniversary commemorations [...] Graff uses a wide array and diversity of voices that give a fuller picture of the lead-up to the invasion, as well as the fighting itself... His skills at sifting through the accounts and documents propel the action throughout the book. [...] A testimony to the value in preserving memories from grand historical events, demonstrating how much can be unearthed from even the most familiar stories.
Garrett Graff is a treasure: a historian rather like Erik Larson with a vast curiosity. He's written some of the very best books out there on UFOs, Watergate, and 9/11 (The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 is brilliant-and not for the faint of heart.) Now he has turned his attention to D-Day, the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, and again he has added so much to what we know and what happened that day (and in the months leading up to it). Using the words of the men and women who were there-some famous, most not-he has crafted a moment by moment and beach by beach narrative that is riveting. As the nephew of a member of the 101st Airborne, Easy Company, it was deeply moving to learn more specifically what my uncle experienced. But, the fact is, you don't need a personal connection to someone who was there to have 'all the feels.' This is the sort of book that is smart, inspiring, and powerful-and adds so much to our knowledge of what that day was like and its historic importance forever.
When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day by Garrett M. Graff is a book you must pick this summer. It is a work that weaves the sprawling story of the Normandy invasion, capturing the raw, human essence of this pivotal day from the perspectives of those who lived it. ... Graff excels at sifting through an extensive trove of materials to bring the Normandy landings to life. ... The book stands as a testament to the power of preserving historical memories, demonstrating how much can be gleaned from even the most familiar stories
With well over 200 volumes written about this most important day in World War II, it's difficult to imagine any book breaking new ground. Yet Mr. Graff manages to bring a completely different perspective. . . . Drawing from numerous memoirs, published histories, and thousands of oral histories from all the involved countries, especially the extensive archive at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, the author captures the perspectives of generals and civilians and the numerous ordinary soldiers and sailors that fought on that momentous day. . . . This is the real distinction of this book-it presents D-Day history not as some sweeping battle narrative, but as the thousands of individuals stories that collectively decided the course of the battle that day.
Gripping and propulsive. . . . A panoramic view of an astonishingly intricate plan coming to fruition, undertaken by men and women with a clear sense of its momentousness. Readers will be spellbound.
Graff's collection of 700 participants' stories provides a compelling window into the kind of military maneuvers few living Americans can remember. . . . Reading about survivors' experiences in their own words proves a solemn practice.