Not For Beginners

What did you like most about Overlord?

It was very informative and in depth with regards to D-Day and Overlord.

What does Barnaby Edwards bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The ability to listen while driving the car. Reading a book while driving is frowned upon in the UK. Narration was very good.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it was too heavy for one sitting, plus I needed to research some of the things that were talked about and work out the acronyms that were mentioned, before proceeding.

Any additional comments?

I felt I learned a lot but there seemed to be quite a high degree of assumed knowledge of military acronyms, types of weapons, tank types and generally in depth knowledge of WWII. In hindsight I think a book that details D-Day at a higher level would have been a good pre-read before embarking on this one.

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3 people found this helpful

Liked it

Good book enjoyed very much. Anyone with even a slight interest will like this one.

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A very impressively written and narrated account.

An excellent job of bringing this important piece of World history to the general public. Narration was top notch and the narrator even got the American and Canadian accents spot on. I usually listen to audio books in the car but found myself listening to this excellent narrative in the house, in bed, even in the bath and will certainly listen to this audio book over again and again, there is so much detail I'm certain it will continue to inform and entertain .

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Excellent overview of D day however too much detail.l

Found this impressive piece of work very well narrated. But there are shortcomings and some remedies. Firstly , would be so invaluable to see a map - remember we are listening. Secondly , would be useful to have the dynamic balance of power in terms of troops , aircraft , tanks and men on a sheet of paper. Finally the detail often delves in micro biographies but does often fail to give you an idea of the decision making and strategy. Overall a superb read.

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An excellent account of the Battle for Normandy.

“Overlord” is a history of the Allied campaign in Normandy from June to August 1944. Hastings combines description and analysis of the campaign at the strategic (corps, army and division) level with vivid personal accounts of combat by soldiers from both sides.

For me one outstanding feature of this book was Hastings unbiased appraisal of the performance of the Allied soldiery. British and American soldiers were citizen-soldiers from liberal democracies. These men regarded war service as an unpleasant duty and, in combat, displayed a lack of initiative. The Germans, by contrast, came from a totalitarian state that placed a high value on a warrior ethos. German soldiers in Normandy were superior to Allied troops in fieldcraft, initiative and overall fighting ability. German weaponry was also superior. Despite their ultimate defeat in Normandy the soldiers of the Wehrmacht gained a psychological dominance of the battlefield in the West that was to last to the end of the war.

Nonetheless the Allies finally triumphed after a bitter, hard-fought campaign. Despite their limitations Allied soldiers fought doggedly to achieve ultimate victory. Hastings shows that they were aided by German strategic incompetence, Allied air superiority and massive Allied superiority in logistical resupply.

The book is very well read by Barnaby Edwards.

All in all, an excellent audiobook.

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Excellent book, expertly narrated.

I really enjoyed the listen. Excellent book with quality narration. Will seek something similar in future.

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Outstanding - this is a "must read"

Having already understood that Overlord was a hard-won operation, I was taken aback at just how vicious it was. This account draws from those that took part but also includes the "military" politics that went with the complexity of coordinating such a multi-national operation.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in WW2 history or a student of strategic studies.

I am left in awe at those that took part and assured us of our freedom.

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Top notch

Really enjoyed the experience of the different allied perspective. This audio book captures the imagination and brings the events to life in your head.

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D-Day & The battle of Normandy - very interesting

D-Day & The battle of Normandy - very interesting
Good book seen from the different prospective for
British & American troops & different ranks &
divisions
Narration was good

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Please don’t do Scottish accents

If you’re not Scottish then there’s a good chance you’ll be agonising to listen to if you try it.

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