D-Day

Abridged
Author: Stephen E. Ambrose
Narrator: Stephen E. Ambrose
Genres: History
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: August 2001
Length: 6 hours
Ratings:
  • Book Rating: 4/5
Formats:
  • CD
  • MP3

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Overview

They wanted to be throwing baseballs, not hand grenades, shooting .22s at rabbits, not M-1s at other men. But when the test came, when freedom had to be fought for or abandoned, they fought. They were soldiers of democracy. They were the men of D-Day.

When Hitler declared war on the United States, he bet that the young men brought up in the Hitler Youth would outfight the youngsters brought up in the Boy Scouts. In this magnificent retelling of the war's most climatic battle, acclaimed World War II historian Stephen E. Ambrose tells how wrong Hitler was.

Drawing on hundreds of oral histories as well as never-before-available information from around the world, Ambrose tells the true story of how the Allies broke through Hitler's Atlantic Wall, revealing that the intricate plan for the invasion had to be abandoned before the first shot was fired. Focusing on the 24 hours of June 6, 1944, D-Day brings to life the stories of the men and women who made history -- from top Allied and Axis strategic commanders to the citizen soldiers whose heroic initiative saved the day.

From high-level politics to hand-to-hand combat, from winner-take-all strategy to survival under fire, here is history more gripping than any thriller -- the epic story of democracy's victory over totalitarianism.

Selected Reviews

Let someone else read

by Shane
  • Book Rating: 2/5

D-Day

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 5/5

More...

Read All 12

Reviews (12)

Let someone else read

Written by Shane from Whitsett, NC on April 20th, 2009

  • Book Rating: 2/5

I think the book is probably OK. The history is well done. The story is well told. The characters well defined. But this guy should have let someone else do the reading. I stopped early, because I couldn't stand it anymore. There were a couple of spots where I was genuinely afraid the poor guy wasn't going to make it he sounds so bad.

D-Day

Written by Anonymous on April 1st, 2009

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Outstanding book! The listener can hear first hand the experiences of the many brave individuals who participated in this battle. Having the author read it is an added plus.

Good Book - Bad Read

Written by John Stollar on September 27th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 4/5

Excellent book but somewhat bothered by the speech problems of the author. Not sure why the producers let Ambrose do the read. Still, very informative and well planned book, covering the invasion from A-Z.

D-Day

Written by Bonnie on September 14th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 4/5

I usually avoid books when the writer is doing the narrating. Ambrose did a pretty good job although he either had a lisp or badly fitting dentures. No matter. It's a really good story compounded by the fact that it's a true story. The discs that I had skipped - every one of them - which distracted from the the tale, but I still enjoyed it.

D-Day

Written by Anonymous on February 18th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 3/5

The story of D-Day told through personal stories of people involved. If you don''t like history, you won't like this.

D Day June 6, 1944

Written by Tony Franz from Albany, NY on February 1st, 2006

  • Book Rating: 5/5

An awe inspiring book. Read it and then feel free to shake the hand of a combat veteran and offer a special salute to those men who had to step off ramps, unto heavily mined and obstacled beaches and then under merciless fire take heavily armed enemy positions. What men they were.

D-Day

Written by Paul Harbison from Fredericksburg, VA on August 5th, 2005

  • Book Rating: 4/5

Stephen E. Ambrose devotion to the soldiers of World War II is on the same scale as those soldiers, sailors, and airmen who sacrificed the ultimate sacrifice -their lives. This audio book list the logistical, environmental, command and control issues that took place on both the American and German side prior to D-Day. Ambrose's personal touch of using actual D-Day veterans to describe the horrors of this 20th century battle gives the reader the small insight into the bravery of these men who fought for their country. I highly recommend listening to this audio CD if you have any respect for the brave individuals who fought in any war. It will make you appreciate our veterans even more!

D-Day

Written by David Stricklin on March 18th, 2005

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Stephen Ambrose is the master of taking the individual stories of the common soldier and then weaving them into the larger story of historical events. While listening to D-Day, I found myself really caring what happened on that fateful day. Furthermore, I developed a much better understanding of the how and why of the invasion of Europe. History is about people, and Ambrose is a great story-teller who is able to bring the people to life in this account of D-Day. When I listened to this book, I found myself wanting to keep driving just so that I could keep listening. I listen to the books as I drive in my car. You can't go wrong with a book by Stephen Ambrose.

Not sure the author should narrate

Written by Chris Milson from Forest Hills, NY on December 22nd, 2004

  • Book Rating: 3/5

The book is good - but the author is obviously a better writer than narrator. I found his voice monotonous and uninspiring.

D-Day

Written by Daniel Wainwright from Fresno, CA on December 3rd, 2004

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Another fabulous historical effort by Ambrose. Along the lines of Band of Brothers and his other books. Well written and very interesting. I wish it were in the unabridged form because I really wanted to hear/learn more.

Selected Reviews

Let someone else read

by Shane
  • Book Rating: 2/5

D-Day

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 5/5

More...

Read All 12

Author Details

Author Details

Ambrose, Stephen E.

"Dr. Stephen Ambrose was a renowned historian, biographer, and acclaimed author of more than 30 books. Among his New York Times best-sellers were: NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD, CITIZEN SOLDIERS, BAND OF BROTHERS, D-DAY - JUNE 6, 1944, UNDAUNTED COURAGE, and WILD BLUE. TO AMERICA: Personal Reflections of an Historian is his latest book; and coming out in the winter 2002 is MERIWETHER LEWIS, THOMAS JEFFERSON, AND THE OPENING OF THE AMERICAN WEST: The Climactic Battle of World War II.

He was not only a great author, but also a captivating speaker, with the unique ability to provide insight into the future by employing his profound knowledge of the past. His stories demonstrated how leaders use trust, friendship and shared experiences to work together and thrive during conflict and change. His philosophy about audience engagement was best put in his own words:

As I sit at my computer, or stand at the podium, I think of myself as sitting around the campfire after a day on the trail, telling stories that I hope will have the members of the audience, or the readers, leaning forward just a bit, wanting to know what happens next.


Dr. Ambrose was a retired Boyd Professor of History at the University of New Orleans. He was the Director Emeritus of the Eisenhower Center in New Orleans, and the founder of the National D-day Museum. He was also a contributing editor for the Quarterly Journal of Military History, a member of the board of directors for American Rivers, and a member of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council Board.

His talents did not go unnoticed by the film industry. Dr. Ambrose was the historical consultant for Steven Spielberg's movie Saving Private Ryan. Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks also purchased the film rights to his books CITIZEN SOLDIERS and BAND OF BROTHERS, which resulted in a 13-hour HBO mini-series in 2001.

Ambrose also participated in numerous national television programs, including ones for the History Channel and National Geographic."