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D DAY Through German Eyes

The Hidden Story of June 6th 1944

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D DAY Through German Eyes

By: Holger Eckhertz
Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
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About this listen

This is the hidden side of D-Day which has fascinated readers/listeners around the world.

Almost all accounts of D-Day are told from the Allied perspective, with the emphasis on how German resistance was overcome on June 6, 1944. But what was it like to be a German soldier in the bunkers and gun emplacements of the Normandy coast, facing the onslaught of the mightiest seaborne invasion in history? What motivated the German defenders, what were their thought processes - and how did they fight from one strong point to another, among the dunes and fields, on that first cataclysmic day? What were their experiences on facing the tanks, the flamethrowers and the devastating air superiority of the Allies?

This book sheds fascinating light on these questions, bringing together statements made by German survivors after the war, when time had allowed them to reflect on their state of mind, their actions and their choices of June 6. We see a perspective of D-Day which deserves to be added to the historical record, in which ordinary German troops struggled to make sense of the onslaught that was facing them, and emerged stunned at the weaponry and sheer determination of the Allied soldiers. We see, too, how the Germans fought in the great coastal bunkers, perceived as impregnable fortresses, but in reality often becoming tombs for their crews. Above all, we now have the unheard human voices of the individual German soldiers - the men who are so often portrayed as a faceless mass.

©2015 Holger Eckhertz (P)2016 Audible, Inc.
Military World War II War Solider Thought-Provoking
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What listeners say about D DAY Through German Eyes

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A different perspective on D-Day

I’ve listened to a number of books recently concerned with the Second World War largely from the perspective of the Allies and thought it would be interesting to hear what it was like for the German soldiers. This book documents detailed interviews with four German soldiers who were on active service on the French Northern coast on D-Day as they were confronted with the huge onslaught of Allied troops at the invasion points of Omaha and Juno.

Books like this are not enjoyed but are a salutary reminder of just how awful combat is for the men involved. This is a grim listen. The details of the numerous men on both sides who were blown to bits or terribly injured is sickening. The narrative give a realistic account of what it is like to be under bombardment and the terror of close combat.

The four stories are somewhat repetitive in the horrors described and I was glad that it is a relatively short book. There is little relief from this other than the soldiers thoughts about their treatment when captured and their interactions with the civilians in France.

The stories are depicted as an interview with the soldiers narrated as if a German is speaking in English and the interviewer with an American accent so it easy to know who is speaking.

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12 people found this helpful

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Great book

I've read a lot of WW2 History and it's interesting to see it from the other side. What I find amazing is that Germans genuinely felt they were defending a united Europe, the felt France was their soil.

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3 people found this helpful

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Fascinating

A fascinating insight into the average soldier and officer in Normandy.
The language and rhetoric is essential listening in order to dispel the 'Hollywood' German soldier.
The power of propaganda is evident throughout.
A great listen, harrowing in parts, which gives a fresh look at key points on D-Day.

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Insightful.

A very unique book, must listen for any history fan.
Five interviews about a personal experience on each D-Day beachhead.

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views from a different angle

loved it the individuals offer story's from those who where there and lived through it

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D day through German eyes

Very interesting to hear about it from the other perspective, well worth a read in my opinion.

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Great!

This was very moving and interesting! I will listen to this again in the future.

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D Day from the German perspective

Really interesting book. A must for anyone with an interest in WW2 history. Highly recommended.

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an excellent seemingly ballanced account

its hard at times to listen to these accounts of what it was like for "the other side" during DDay. A sombre but ehgaging listen, and the fact it is read with German accents makes more so.

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Excellent, a must listen for all.

Excellent, a must for anyone who has an interest in the War , also well worth a listen to hear to other side of this part of history that we only really know from the Allies side.

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