D Day In Numbers

Discover the numbers that promised to change the balance of power in Europe, and indeed, the world, as Deliverance Day, 1944 got underway.

The story behind D-Day begins in 1939 when Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, attacked Poland and ignited World War Two. The following year, the Germans occupied France and Western Europe and launched a vicious air war against Britain. In 1941, they invaded the Soviet Union. Seemingly unstoppable, the Nazis now held virtually all of Europe. They imposed a ruthless system of control and unleashed the horror of the Holocaust. However, by 1943, the tide had begun to turn in favor of the Allies, the forces opposed to Germany. In the east, despite huge losses, the Soviets began to force the Germans back.

D - Day, 6 June 1944, the day on which the Allies landed on the beaches of Normandy with the intention of reclaiming mainland Europe from German occupation. The significance of the operation has captured the collective imagination to become the defining moment of World War Two and represents the ending to the struggles of the early twentieth century. D - Day in Numbers sets the scene for the largest seaborne invasion of all time. It covers the mammoth preparations for the landings, their savage, awesome scale, and their aftermath in the battle for Normandy, taking in the most poignant events and looking at each through the numbers involved. Each number signifies an important moment within a larger story as they are explained in the context of the surrounding events. And with the vast amount of planning that went into the execution of such an ambitious operation, the numbers involved are staggering, surprising and often inspiring. Discover the numbers that promised to change the balance of power in Europe, and indeed, the world, as Deliverance Day, 1944 got underway.

This unique encyclopedia provides detailed entries for everything you ever wanted to know about D-Day, the invasion of Normandy. Organized alphabetically, the entries give detailed descriptions of weapons, equipment, divisions, air and naval units, geography, terminology, personalities, and more. Every Allied division that crossed the English Channel on June 6, 1944 has its own listing as do the major Axis divisions that fought them. Brief biographies of major military and political leaders on both sides provide a handy who's who of the campaign. The book also includes entries for related popular culture: GI slang, the best movies about D-Day, and major writers such as Stephen Ambrose and Cornelius Ryan. Cross-references make the book easy to use. With hundreds of entries, The D-Day Encyclopedia is an indispensable reference tool for history buffs and great browsing for readers who want to know more about World War II.

Discusses the Allied invasion of Normandy, with extensive details about the planning stage, called Operation Overlord, as well as the fighting on Utah and Omaha Beaches.

Balkoski's depiction of 'Bloody Omaha' is the literary accompaniment to the white-knuckle Omaha Beach scene that opens Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. -- John Hillen, New York Post

This historical account of humanity's 5000 year history of recorded conflict looks at ancient wars, modern conflict, and everything in-between.

An authentic account of one of the most pivotal battles of World War Two. The World War Two invasion known as D-Day was one of the largest military endeavours in history. It involved years of planning, total secrecy and not only soldiers but also sailors, paratroopers and many specialists. Acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson weaves together the contributions of key players in D-Day in a masterful tapestry of official documents, personal narratives and archival photos to provide an action-packed and authentic account.

Chronicles the events, politics, and personalities of this pivotal day in World War II, shedding light on the strategies of commanders on both sides and the ramifications of the battle

A revised and updated single-source reference book accurately detailing the German field forces employed in Normandy in 1944 and their losses. In this book, military historian Dr. Niklas Zetterling provides a sobering analysis of the subject matter and debunks a number of popular myths concerning the Normandy campaign—the effectiveness of Allied air power; the preferential treatment of Waffen-SS formations in comparison to their army counterparts; etc. He supports his text with exhaustive footnoting and provides an organizational chart for most of the formations covered in the book. Also included are numerous organizational diagrams, charts, tables, and graphs. “A valuable reference for anyone seriously interested in the battle for Normandy.” —The NYMAS Review