★★★★★ 5
Multiple perspectives and fascinating battle plans
Format: Hardcover
D-Day: The World War II Invasion that Changed History by Deborah Hopkinson is a non-fiction book about the events of D-Day. This was an invasion of allied troops onto four German occupied beaches. It took months of painstaking planning and coordinated efforts of multiple nations to pull of this heroic feat. D-Day is widely considered one of the most important military efforts in history.
This book does an amazing job of bringing a pivotal point in human history to life. It shows the perspectives of military commanders, journalists, world leaders and soldiers, which allows the reader to become immersed in the story of D-Day. The book was divided into 6 main parts that covered events before, during, and after D-Day. Within these parts, there was numerous other sections, like “Invasion Briefings” and “Reporter’s Notebook.” This broke up the information and made it easier to understand.
My favorite aspect of the book was the invasion briefings. As a World War II buff, it was fascinating to see the intricate maneuvers involved with each invasion, and how different units worked in unison. The labeled maps, captions, and diagrams made the information very accessible. Each of the four beaches (Sword, Juno, Omaha, and Utah) had separate invasions that defied the tremendous odds against them. The Allied troops braved beach obstacles, enemy fire and terrible weather, sacrificing everything for a common goal.
I also loved how this book displayed the bravery of those behind the scenes during D-Day. Though they were not present on the battlefield, thousands of people worked to build machinery, predict the weather, and plan the invasion. If President Roosevelt had picked the wrong day to invade, the entire D-Day operation may have been for nothing. But under extreme pressure, Roosevelt rose to the occasion and picked the right date. I think he said it best: “I thank the gods of war we went when we did.”
I would recommend this book to any reader over the age of ten who enjoys history and reading about World War II. I believe that the best and worst of humanity can be witnessed in wartime situations, and reading about prolific wars is very important. Such a momentous event like D-Day should be appreciated by readers old and young.
I give this book five out of five stars because of the multiple perspectives and fascinating battle plans. This book did justice to the importance of such a pivotal point in our history, and was simply a great read.
Review by Anya A, age 14, Metropolitan Washington Mensa
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Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2018
