Through 1400 oral histories, research and interviews with those who stormed the beaches June 6, 1944 on the beaches of Normandy, Ambrose gives us the ultimate account of the largest and most successful amphibious invasion in history.

That day, D-Day, could be the most important day of the 20th Century. The battle culminated from years of planning in order to end Germany's occupation of Western Europe, where Hitler believed stood an invincible Atlantic Wall, thereby forcing the Allies to embark on a suicidal mission, and keep them fighting in Europe's underbelly of Italy and the Balkans. But in order to win the war, and appease an embattled Russia there needed to be a larger western front.

Published to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the invasion of Normandy, Ambrose traces the events of the battle from the year before when extensive planning began. He lets us into the minds of the generals who spent 20 hours a day making sure the young fighting men would take the beaches with the fewest number of casualties. Gilbert Taylor of the American Library Association adds that "the book might more accurately be thought of as an organization of the chaotic, terrifying and courageous experiences of the first soldiers to face the Nazi hellfire."

Ambrose, a historian at the University of New Orleans whose biographies of Eisenhower and Nixon won widespread praise, also provides the story of the German leaders who were eager to preserve their Atlantic "fortress" and not let their fuhrer down. But through the oral histories of the soldiers assigned to guard the beaches, we discover few pure Germans. These Axis fighting men were not the top notch divisions, but disposable, from countries such as Russia, Poland and even Koreans. They were a weak front line forced to fight for a madman's cause of world cleansing. But they were just as afraid to not fight for fear of being shot by superiors as they witnessed the miles of Allied ships and men determined to drive them from fortified bunkers. When the onslaught came, many surrended after a mediocre fight, some shot their superior in order to surrender, and others faught long and hard, killing many in the opposition.

Ambrose also gives us the stories of the heroes in the background, especially Andrew Higgins, the New Orleans ship builder. Higgins designed the boats needed for a successful amphibious landing. The soldiers may not have thought them a pleasure cruise, but without his genius design and cheap method of mass building, the invasion of Europe would have been longer and more deadly.

The American paratroopers are featured prominently in D-Day. More often than not, it's because of their horrendous drops during the night before. But they regrouped enough to make a difference, with men in groups of two to ten wandering through the farmland accomplishing their objectives.

Postscript: This is especially a good read before or after seeing Saving Private Ryan. You'll know how much more there was than just that little section, Dog Green, of Omaha Beach. And you'll especially notice how much worse the supposed gore was in real life.

Director Steven Spielberg used D-Day as a reference for many of the scenes of the battles in order to keep the film true to the facts. Ambrose was treated to a private screening before the films' release and was very impressed. It's no wonder I got so much out of it as well.