MWSA Review

There have been so many books written about D-Day. In The Human Face of D-Day, Col. (ret.) Keith Nightingale adds to the wealth of D-Day knowledge. He has led many trips to Normandy, conducted tours of the beaches and towns, and arranged for the paratroopers under his command to participate in a reenactment parachute drop on the 40th anniversary of D-Day. His book adds depth of understanding to what happened immediately before, during, and after June 6, 1944.

He talked to many "Originals"—the survivors of the invasion and battle. He mingled with French citizens who witnessed that day. Over decades, while walking the beaches of Normandy and through formal interviews, he gathered information from major players whether they were generals or privates in 1944. The book, therefore, focuses a great deal on the people, not only in a macro sense, but also as individuals. And therein lies the human face of D-Day.

The author explains what was planned for each assault location. He informs the reader what was supposed to occur for Omaha Beach, or Utah Beach, or Pointe du Hoc, and many other locations. Then he juxtaposes the plans with what happened, which was often quite different. We hear specific soldiers recount their actions, thoughts, and feelings about battle. After reading these accounts, one is convinced that in addition to the planning for Operation Overlord (as the invasion was called), it was the grit and commitment of the soldiers that ultimately made D-Day successful.

Some takeaways I gathered from this book were the bravery of the troops, their willingness to deviate from orders based on the situations before them, the devastating amount of carnage, and the still-warm gratefulness of the people of Normandy. They have never forgotten that so many young men who were not French died for the liberation of France and Europe.

Throughout this well-researched work, Keith Nightingale makes it abundantly clear, in his own words, that in early June 1944, thousands of “ordinary people did extraordinary things.”

Anyone interested in World War II, D-Day, the bravery of both troops and civilians during an invasion, and true accounts of people involved in the drama of Operation Overlord will find this book appealing.

Review by Pat Walkow (March 2024)

 

Author's Synopsis

Ever since Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, the men who survived have sought to return, to honor their dead, and to teach others of what they went through to liberate Europe.

Soldier Keith Nightingale has conducted terrain walks in Normandy for over forty years with veterans, active-duty military, and local French civilians. Over the decades Nightingale conducted dozens of formal interviews and informal conversations with many of the principals of the day, including Generals Bradley, Collins, Gavin, Ridgway and Hill. Added to this rare, new primary material from the top brass are numerous conversations with lower-ranking vets who did the heavy lifting, many of which took place as they actually walked the battlefield with Nightingale—Major Howard of Pegasus Bridge; LTC Otway of Merville Battery; Captain Piper of La Fière Bridge; LTC Vandervoort, CO of the 2-505/82d; Cpt Raeen of the 5th Rangers; Lt Dick Winters of Brécourt Manor; PFC Marcucci of Omaha Beach; and SSG Lem Lomell of Pointe Du Hoc.

This unique approach to D-Day combines the author’s discussions with veteran and civilian participants in D-Day, his personal reflections on Operation Overlord, and the insights that occur—often at the very site of a battle. Interspersed with veterans’ remarks, Nightingale’s personal essays are inspired by specific discussions or multiple interviews. Taken together, the succinct, human observations of these participants illuminate the hard facts to create a unique work of long-lasting interest that will attract specialists, military history buffs, armchair generals, and general readers alike.

Format(s) for review: Paper and Kindle

Review Genre: Nonfiction—History

Number of Pages: 288

Word Count: 137,342