Overlord: The D-Day Landings (General Military)

Steven J. Zaloga, Ken Ford

$27.45

Publication Date: March 31st, 2009

Publisher:

Osprey Publishing

ISBN:

9781846034244

Pages:

368

Description

Operation Overlord was the largest amphibious military operation ever launched. The greatest armada the world had ever seen was assembled to transport the Allied invasion force of over 150,000 soldiers across the English Channel and open the long-awaited second front against Hitler's Third Reich. Just after dawn on June 6, 1944, the Allied troops assaulted the beaches of the Cotentin peninsula against stiff German resistance. The code names for these beaches, Omaha, Utah, Juno, Gold, and Sword, have taken on a legendary status in the annals of military history.

Coordinated with the amphibious landings were a number of aerial assaults. These troops, dropped in either by parachute or glider carried out crucial missions to take key areas, enable the vital link up between the beaches and secure the bridgehead. Casualties, especially on Omaha Beach, were horrendous, but the assaults were successful, and the troops began the arduous task of liberating Europe from Nazi occupation. This book looks in detail at the plans and build-up to the operation, and, accompanied by photos, maps and artwork, discusses the events of D-Day in each of the key areas of the operation.

About the Author

Steven J. Zaloga received his BA in History from Union College and his MA from Columbia University. He has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for over two decades, covering missile systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think tank. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and military history, with an accent on the US Army in World War II as well as Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Praise for Overlord: The D-Day Landings (General Military)

“Ken Ford and Steven Zaloga's new book Overlord: The D-Day Landings takes a broad look at the opening chapters of the campaign, chronicling what is considered one of the major turning points of the European War. In fine detail, it reviews the German Normandy defenses, the Allied preparation and planning for the assault, the decision makers (both on strategic and tactical levels) of each side, and the unfolding at each of the five invasion beaches. With all those topics covered, it is an exhaustive account of the Normandy landing which ranks high among other works of similar scope. Osprey is a publisher known for its ability to use photographs and maps to supplement the narratives effectively, and once again this is done most wonderfully. Overlord: The D-Day Landings will remain at my study within easy reach as my ready reference for the Normandy beach assault.” —C Peter Chen, World War II Database, ww2db.com (February 2009)

“All the features one has come to expect from an Osprey book are here in this handsomely produed coffee-table volume -- only more of them... Scores of authentic photographs, many of which will not be familiar to most readers, help move the story along... Illustrated with three-dimensional maps, a wealth of tables, and wonderful paintings and photographs, Overlord is both the complete story of the invasions and the best reference book to date on D-Day. No matter how you approach the study of World War II, this book belongs on your bookshelf.” —Brian John Murphy, America in World War II (June 2009)

“Osprey has applied its highly effective formula to D-Day. There's nothing new here--this work is essentially a hardcover amalgamation of four shorter Osprey efforts that were in Osprey's more usual paperback format--but readers will conveniently find good research by two practiced authors who are thoroughly familiar with their subject from both Allied and German perspectives. There are thoughtfully selected pictures and Osprey's usual excellent diagrams of battles. This comprehensive work will do good service in library circulation as a sturdy rendering of the earlier separate volumes. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal (May 1st, 2009)

“It is gripping and informative and best of all, at a price that is hard to pass up. It is one that every student of history should have on their shelves.” —Scott Van Aken, www.modelingmadness.com (April 2009)