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Overlord

D-Day and the Battle for Normandy 1944

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Overlord

By: Max Hastings
Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
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About this listen

With an introduction read by Max Hastings. The famous D-Day landings of 6 June, 1944, marked the beginning of Operation Overlord, the battle for the liberation of Europe.

Republished as part of the Pan Military Classics series, Max Hastings’ acclaimed account overturns many traditional legends in this memorable study. Drawing together the eyewitness accounts of survivors from both sides, plus a wealth of previously untapped sources and documents, Overlord provides a brilliant, controversial perspective on the devastating battle for Normandy. Max Hastings, author of over 20 books, was born in 1945. He was a scholar at Charterhouse and University College, Oxford, before working as foreign correspondent for newspapers and BBC television, reporting from over 50 countries. He was editor of the Daily Telegraph for almost a decade, and then for six years edited the Evening Standard. He has won many awards for his journalism, particularly for his dispatches from the South Atlantic in 1982. He was knighted in 2002.

©1984 Max Hastings (P)2014 Audible Studios 20th Century Europe France Germany Great Britain Military Modern Thought-Provoking War

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All stars
Most relevant  

What did you like most about Overlord?

It was very informative and in depth with regards to D-Day and Overlord.

What does Barnaby Edwards bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The ability to listen while driving the car. Reading a book while driving is frowned upon in the UK. Narration was very good.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it was too heavy for one sitting, plus I needed to research some of the things that were talked about and work out the acronyms that were mentioned, before proceeding.

Any additional comments?

I felt I learned a lot but there seemed to be quite a high degree of assumed knowledge of military acronyms, types of weapons, tank types and generally in depth knowledge of WWII. In hindsight I think a book that details D-Day at a higher level would have been a good pre-read before embarking on this one.

Not For Beginners

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Good book enjoyed very much. Anyone with even a slight interest will like this one.

Liked it

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An excellent job of bringing this important piece of World history to the general public. Narration was top notch and the narrator even got the American and Canadian accents spot on. I usually listen to audio books in the car but found myself listening to this excellent narrative in the house, in bed, even in the bath and will certainly listen to this audio book over again and again, there is so much detail I'm certain it will continue to inform and entertain .

A very impressively written and narrated account.

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Found this impressive piece of work very well narrated. But there are shortcomings and some remedies. Firstly , would be so invaluable to see a map - remember we are listening. Secondly , would be useful to have the dynamic balance of power in terms of troops , aircraft , tanks and men on a sheet of paper. Finally the detail often delves in micro biographies but does often fail to give you an idea of the decision making and strategy. Overall a superb read.

Excellent overview of D day however too much detail.l

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A clear and thoroughly researched masterpiece. Lacking any jingoistic tendencies. The great, the good and the bad of all the major combatants is explained in detail. The story is told in such aeay that the detail and facts never become boring. If I had to be picky I just wish the narration avoided using fake accents. But a great story nonetheless.

Setting the Record Straight

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A clear description of why the German army was such a powerful war machine, even with just its reserve troops fighting to defend against the invasion of Europe. The difference between the mindset of men fighting for a democracy and men fighting for a totalitarian regime plays its part, but the German military way of training and leadership goes back to the days of Prussia, where NCO’s and Junior Officers were allowed to take the initiative in the field; improvise and counterattack without being hampered by higher command. This single factor prolonged the liberation of France after D-Day.

The British, Americans and Canadians were learning to improvise and adapt as they pushed forwards, often being held back by the pressure and unexpected tactical ferocity of their adversary.

Phenomenal and Factual.

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Great audiobook. Well read. It would be great if you could include a PDFs of the campaign maps.

Excellent unbiased account of Overlord

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Various accounts of courage and challenges in Normandy, important for anyone wanting to understand Operation Overlord.

history lovers listen here

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Read beautifully, learned a lot, all stuff I wanted to know as my dad went in on the first wave.

Excellent

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An absolutely amazing recount of an unimaginable event. The story telling is fantastic, often times it felt nearly like a work of fiction and a war novel. Reality is often just as or more amazing than fiction.
The narration was also some of the absolute best I've ever listened to!
Highly recommended!

Rivetting!

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