Continued from Oct. 28th entry from Time Magazine Nov. 2, 2009.
This was the Lev Grossman review of a new book at the time ""D-Day" by Antony Beevor. It must be quite a book just looking at the information in the review.
Allied commanders knew that Omaha Beach was going to be the hardest to take because of its curve (great for crossfire) and imposing cliffs. Bombers were supposed to soften the defenses, but attacked too late and, for fear of hitting attackers, missed the bunkers altogether. "All it's done is wake them up!" remarked one officer.
The attack on Omaha Beach succeeded partly to the bombardment by destroyers and the courage and determination of the soldiers. But, as Beevor says, the purpose of valor is usually to make up for someone else's stupidity. (This would seem to hold true for all wars.
The crossing of the English Channel, alone involved the assemblage of the largest fleet of shops ever assembled, almost 5,000.
This large book, 592 pages, which would mean it would take me forever to read it, is the first comprehensive account in twenty years. Beevor had access to a lot of new material though there are no major revelations, though many surprises in his account.
More to Come, Hopefully Not in Two Months. --Cooter
No comments:
Post a Comment