D-Day: Minute by Minute

Mayo (The JFK Assassination) delivers an accessible, fast-paced, first person view of D-Day and the events immediately preceding the Allied landing. The book covers, in five- to 15-minute increments, the 48 hours ending at midnight June 6, 1944. Mayo uses diaries, journals, letters, oral histories, and other primary sources to take the reader from Winston Churchill strategizing over his dinner to the violent and bloody fighting on the beaches. His balanced perspective gives voice to both Allies and Axis, including many of the smaller contingents such as the Free French Forces. Though the experienced military history reader will be familiar with many of the stories Mayo relates, there are new insights and anecdotes that will capture their attention, for example the role that British midget submarines played in the landings. Mayo's clear descriptions and engaging storytelling work as a great introduction to the battle as it unfolds. (June)