World War II Database

Although Six Armies in Normandy was originally published in 1982, and a great amount of new information had been uncovered since, this work by John Keegan remained a relevant work on the Allied invasion of France of 1944. Written from the perspective of six separate forces (ie. American, British, Canadian, French, German, and Polish), the book kept a good balance between the leadership of the six contingents and the soldiers on the front lines. While armchair generals might not find detailed accounts of each units' advances and fallbacks, Keegan's careful analysis of the personalities, overview of logistics, and even the trivia about Quebec's popular backing of the Canadian war effort collectively made this book a treasure in the study of the Normandy campaign. Although each of the chapters were crammed with information, his narrative made it relatively easy to digest. While Keegan doubtlessly presented from a British perspective, it was apparent that he made the attempt to be objective, acknowledging the importance of American materiel and the fierceness of German defense; there were instances where I thought he had short-changed various US generals, but as an American perhaps it was my own bias at play.

Fred Williams did a fine job reading for the audio book edition of this title, which was the format that I had reviewed. His voice was authoritative and clear, both of which I enjoyed very much.

Six Armies in Normandy was said to be an important work on the history of the Normandy invasion, and I would heartily agree with that sentiment.

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