Overlord - Max Hastings

This book had been quietly gathering dust on my shelf since I purchased it some months ago, but feeling that I had neglected military history in my recent reading activities, decided to give it my undivided attention. Essentially, this is an account of the D-Day landings in June 1944, and the subsequent campaign in North West France.

Hastings adopts a clever and novel approach, in combining straight historical chronicling with some poignant and insightful quotes and recollections from the men who were on the ground, placing their experiences in the context of the overall operation.

Some of the most hard-hitting content concerns not the invasion itself and its aftermath, but rather the build-up and preparations for Overlord.  The author details the disagreements about overall strategy between the Allies, and also within the services themselves.  The passages addressing the reluctance of the British and US air forces to embrace Overlord, and to switch their resources accordingly, are particularly startling.  I had been aware previously that the RAF took some persuading to transfer the emphasis of strategic bombing, but Overlord offers new analysis.

Reading this book, it is sobering to reflect on how many of the disputes were not resolved until shortly before the landings, and also how much of the acrimony lingered afterwards.  Belying the displays of unity offered up for public (and enemy) consumption, it appears that there was plenty of discord and rancour behind the scenes!

I was also greatly moved and impressed by the chapters which covered the actual landings, and the hardships and travails endured by the troops. I almost felt like I had been transported to the Normandy beaches of June 1944, and was observing events as a spectator.  When an author can elicit this kind of feeling in the reader, he or she must be doing a good job...

The book goes on to dissect some of the deficiencies of both armies, in terms of men and material. Where possible, Hastings moves beyond patrotic and ideological considerations to offer an objective and candid assessment of  fighting vigour and technology.  Some attention is also given to the conduct of the various commanders, and how their relations with their peers and subordinates were affected by the vicissitudes of the campaign.

It was refreshing to find a commentator from either Britain or the United States who is willing to discuss so openly and frankly some of the failings of the Allied operations, and to acknowledge that the main reasons for their ultimate victory in Normandy were their superiority in overall firepower and the scale of their material resources.

There may be more detailed or technically comprehensive accounts of this particular stage of World War 2 out there, but as a one-stop, accessible and well written example, Overlord will be difficult to surpass.