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An Oral History of D-Day
by Garrett M. Graff
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Plane in the Sky and Pulitzer Prize finalist for Watergate comes the most complete and up-to-date account of D-Day—the largest seaborne invasion in history and the moment that secured the Allied victory in World War II—featuring hundreds of eyewitness accounts.
June 6, 1944—known to us all as D-Day—is one of history's greatest and most unbelievable military triumphs. The surprise sunrise landing of more than 150,000 Allied troops on the beaches of occupied northern France is one of the most consequential days of the 20th century. Now, Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff, historian and author of The Only Plane in the Sky and Watergate, brings them all together in a one-of-a-kind, bestselling oral history that explores this seminal event in vivid, heart-pounding detail.
The story begins in the opening months of the 1940s, as the Germany army tightens its grip across Europe, seizing control of entire nations. The United States, who has resolved to remain neutral, is forced to enter the conflict after an unexpected attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. For the second time in fifty years, the world is at war, with the stakes higher than they've ever been before. Then in 1943, Allied leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meet in Casablanca to discuss a new plan for victory: a coordinated invasion of occupied France, led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Failure is not an option. Over the next eighteen months, the large-scale action is organized, mobilizing soldiers across Europe by land, sea, and sky. And when the day comes, it is unlike anything the world has ever seen.
These moments and more are seen in real time. A visceral, page-turning drama told through the eyes of those who experienced them—from soldiers, nurses, pilots, children, neighbors, sailors, politicians, volunteers, photographers, reporters and so many more, When the Sea Came Alive "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" (Chris Bohjalian)—an unforgettable, fitting tribute to the men and women of the Greatest Generation.
What was the last book you bought, where did you buy it (online, indie bookstore) and how soon will you read it?
When the Sea Came Alive by Garrett Graff Barnes and Noble I'm reading it now. A fascinating account the Allied assault on Normandy from the first planning through the final hours. It consists of actually messages, Transcripts of meetings, letters from soldiers, memories of soldiers, who lived thr...
-Becky_Haase
"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." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"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." ―The Washington Post
This information about When the Sea Came Alive was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Garrett M. Graff has spent two decades covering politics, technology, and national security. The former editor of Politico and longtime Wired and CNN contributor, he writes the popular Doomsday Scenario newsletter and hosts the Edward R. Murrow Award–winning podcast Long Shadow. He is the author of ten books, including the #1 national bestseller The Only Plane in the Sky, the FBI history The Threat Matrix, Raven Rock, and the New York Times bestsellers The Devil Reached Toward the Sky, When the Sea Came Alive, and Watergate: A New History, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History.
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