Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or Die

How the Allies Won on D-Day

By: Giles Milton

Narrated by: Giles Milton

This program is read by the author.

A groundbreaking account of the first 24 hours of the D-Day invasion told by a symphony of incredible accounts of unknown and unheralded members of the Allied - and Axis - forces.

Seventy-five years have passed since D-Day, the greatest seaborne invasion in history. The outcome of the Second World War hung in the balance on that chill June morning. If Allied forces succeeded in gaining a foothold in Northern France, the road to victory would be open. But if the Allies could be driven back into the sea, the invasion would be stalled for years, perhaps forever.

An epic battle that involved 156,000 men, 7,000 ships, and 20,000 armored vehicles, the desperate struggle that unfolded on June 6, 1944 was, above all, a story of individual heroics - of men who were driven to keep fighting until the German defenses were smashed and the precarious beachheads secured. This authentic human story - Allied, German, French - has never fully been told.

Giles Milton’s bold new history narrates the day’s events through the tales of survivors from all sides: the teenage Allied conscript, the crack German defender, the French resistance fighter. From the military architects at Supreme Headquarters to the young schoolboy in the Wehrmacht’s bunkers, Soldier, Sailor, Frogman, Spy, Airman, Gangster, Kill or Die lays bare the absolute terror of those trapped in the front line of Operation Overlord. It also gives voice to those who have hitherto remained unheard - the French butcher’s daughter, the Panzer Commander’s wife, the chauffeur to the General Staff.

This vast canvas of human bravado reveals "the longest day" as never before - less as a masterpiece of strategic planning than a day on which thousands of scared young men found themselves staring death in the face. It is drawn in its entirety from the raw, unvarnished experiences of those who were there.

©2018 Giles Milton (P)2018 Macmillan Audio

Great delivery by author

Fills in some blanks that I've heard from vets about that bloody & sad day.

Thrilling, Outstanding D-Day Narrative

DO NOT pass this book up. Giles Milton has written, and also reads, a true diamond in the realm of military history here. There's simply nothing like it out there, because it reads like a fast paced thriller. While there are too many outstanding D-Day narratives to count, this one is unique in its pacing. That is due to the BRILLIANT reading by Giles Milton. This is hands down the best author read work out there bar none. It's like one of the old radio broadcast shows with its staccato pace. It leaves the reader breathless, and wondering if it's a fiction thriller or nonfiction. It's that good. It's brutal and awe inspiring. For any military history buff, or just someone with a passing interest, this is pure gold. D-Day is a day that will forever live in infamy, and this is one book that truly does it justice in every way possible. Absolutely outstanding!!!

surprisingly good

I really enjoyed this book. I took a chance on something different and it was very good

Engaging, absorbing, could've used a better edit

I purchased this book after listening to Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (which I highly recommend), written and read by the same author. This book is equally engaging and the author does a similarly excellent job of reading but could have used an editor to weed out some odd and not quite correct word choices that occasionally jarred me out of the narrative. But he does a masterful job of weaving together a multitude of very personal narratives of the D-Day experience.

Great Book Leading to D-Day

The book included many great stories and the impact so many had on the landing at D-Day and wove together the stories nicely. Important to hear the history and would recommend as a great listen.

Needs a map

Great book because it includes individual memoirs from participants
Audiobook should include D-Day maps or link to
https://goo.gl/images/egTLGP
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New information

I enjoyed new individual stories and enthusiastic narration. Books are at their best when read by authors.

Another fabulous book by Mr. Milton

Giles Milton has quickly become my favorite author for books covering individuals involved in war. He has an uncanny ability to take personal stories and weave them together into a coherent narrative regarding large-scale operations: in this case D-Day. While you may know the beaches, the units, the defenses; in this book you will learn the tale of the recently married RAF flyer whose wedding ring is found in 2012. And the English Lady who complains to the Allies that they’re messing up her garden. And the German Panzer commander who launches a counterattack. While many of the stories end in sadness, the lives are not forgotten, and their efforts are honored. As a narrator, Mr. Milton gives his stories the appropriate feeling and tone. He will pull you in for each situation, yet pull you back out to remind you of the scope of the one day when all these lives connected.

Best performance ever

I read several books about world war 2.
If you want to learn more about the context or strategy, then you should read Atkinson’s or Hastings’ work.
However, if you want a “on the ground, first person shooter “ perspective, this is for you. It is like the classic movie “the longest day “ but as audiobooks.
The author gives so much pathos and energy to reading the book, it is unbelievably engrossing. Best performance ever. Refreshingly free of modern day sensibilities, the author lets these heroes speak without any filtering. Recommended.

incredible

everything Milton writes is incredible. this man is a master class in good history. the entire book keeps pace with the anxiety of war and the horrors of those brave souls who fought to protect the world