D-Day, 75th Anniversary: A Millennials Guide

Wertz (The Civil War Experience 1861–1865), a military history documentarian, intends this informative but idiosyncratic anthology to introduce the Allied invasion of Normandy to the millennial generation, a group the author believes do “not think as much about history as prior generations did.” Wertz uses a wide variety of authors and addresses a host of diverse subjects designed to put D-Day in context, explain what happened, and connect it to popular culture and human interest (with, for example, sections like “D-Day Pets and Mascots”). In Part I, “The Past,” essays address the war as a whole and the events of D-Day in textbook fashion; Part II, “The Present,” discusses pop culture representations of D-Day in films, television, games, and so on (and, oddly, includes a crossword and a “millennial sudoku” puzzle); Part III, “The Future,” includes essays on D-Day monuments and, somewhat less on topic, a personal account from a millennial history teacher about the importance of the discipline. The articles are short, entertaining, and informative. Readers who don’t have a general knowledge of the events of WWII and can look past the generational assumptions and odd tangents will find this book an engaging introduction to D-Day. (May)