Overview
It was the greatest invasion the world had ever seen. Officially known as "Operation Overlord," this World War II assault began on the morning of June 6, 1944. Thousands of American, British, and Canadian soldiers aboard hundreds of landing craft attacked beaches along nearly fifty miles of France's coastline in Normandy. Backing them up were the big guns of some of the mightiest ships in the Allied navies, and countless bomber, fighter, and transport aircraft. By the end of that day, an Allied army had made it ashore despite sometimes fierce opposition, signaling the end of Nazi tyranny over Europe. Using the real-life stories of young men caught up in this great event, along with original paintings, photographs, and memorabilia, D-Day, the book, will present a compelling account of this world-changing day. Shelly Tanaka is the author of many acclaimed books of nonfiction for children, including the first two books in The Day That Changed America Series: Gettysburg and The Alamo. She is also the author of Attack on Pearl Harbor and many of the books in the "I Was There" series.
Describes the Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, from the point of view of four soldiers who were there.
Editorials
Children's Literature
The author recounts "the greatest invasion in the history of warfare" in this compelling look at D-Day, June 6, 1944. By telling parts of the story through the experiences of paratrooper Don Jakeway, bomber pilot Quentin Aanenson, Seaman 1st Class Bob Giguere, and Medic Jack Fox Tanaka captures the immediacy of the day, with so many misfortunes turned to opportunity. Photos of these men taken during the war authenticate the vivid oil paintings of the action and make this account difficult to put down. As in other books of the "I Was There" series, this one uses sidebars to explain details like Eisenhower's commanding of the invasion, background on Hitler and the Axis powers, and why this battle was the turning point of the war. Small pictures are compelling: a tribute replica of the paratrooper who landed on a church steeple in Ste-Mere-Eglise; the "cricket" issued to Jakeway to identify himself to other US troops in the dark; a medic's small kit of tools. Tanaka's dramatic text ends with accounts of what happened to the four men and the changes the war wrought in America and Americans. A glossary, index, recommended reading and websites are included. But readers should not miss the authentication: Tanaka's thanks to her primary sources, the four men who provided so much emotional detail to her factual account. 2004, Madison Press/Hyperion, Ages 10 to 14.—Susan Hepler, Ph.D.