D-DAY: The Greatest Invasion: A People's History

This fluently written and lavishly illustrated volume on the Normandy invasion and campaign covers ground that will be familiar to many readers, but offers many details (such as the different weather requirements of different services) that some longer books slide over. It also shifts with ease from grand strategy to tactics, from individual memoirs (frequently accompanied by photographs of the narrators, looking incredibly young in June 1944) to logistics (including such aspects of that essential subject as the Mulberry artificial harbors). The author keeps his promise to tell a "warts and all" story of the campaign and also exhibits admirable balance among the Allies' contribution (the Canadians are honored ) and on such controversial questions as Field Marshal Montgomery's strategy and tactics. All this is done in few enough words to leave room for an exceptional array of graphic material, including highly readable maps, classic war paintings and abundant photographs, few of them overused. As an introduction by John S.D. Eisenhower puts it, the book "recognizes that the everyday solider really occupies center stage." (Nov. 15)