D-Day

Untold stories of the Normandy Landings inspired by 20 real-life people.

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Pub Date 07 May 2019 | Archive Date 18 Jun 2019

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Description

Relive the events of June 6, 1944, through eye witness accounts that describe 20 real-life stories from the D-Day landings. This book—which presents collated photographs, personal accounts, and testimonies from all sides with full-page illustrations dramatizing individual roles—brings a key moment in history to life for young readers hearing about the event for the first time, as we commemorate its 75th anniversary. 
 
Meet:

  • Company Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis, the only person to receive the Victoria Cross for their actions that day
  • Lt. Richard Winter, among the first to be parachuted into action (as depicted in Band of Brothers)
  • American journalist Martha Gellhorn, the only woman known to have been present, after disguising herself as a stretcher bearer
  • As well as a host of other inspiring individuals who each played an important part in the turning point of World War II

From those involved in reconnaissance, planning and logistics, espionage, and development of new technology, through to the military units involved in the invasion and landings, and the subsequent phases of the invasion, this authentic retelling provides a view from every angle of the action.

Relive the events of June 6, 1944, through eye witness accounts that describe 20 real-life stories from the D-Day landings. This book—which presents collated photographs, personal accounts, and...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781786036278
PRICE $17.99 (USD)
PAGES 48

Average rating from 24 members


Featured Reviews

A pivotal point in the conflict known as World War II.
The author with simple ease takes a complex part of a larger story and places it into context without over dramatising it or devaluing the bravery and courage shown on D-Day. He goes further in the use of eye witness testimony to relate the story impartially and in a balanced manner.
The voice of Germans is heard, civilians, journalists and the bravest of the brave.
I particularly enjoyed the sense of collaboration between the Allies and participation of various countries personnel. In addition it touches on segregation still used in American units and the important roll of women often overlooked.
A fine piece of historical writing utilising first hand accounts to build a comprehensive picture of what it took to plan, prepare and produce an invasion force into mainland Europe.
The separate pages packed with drawings, photos and illustrations gives a wealth of information to assimilate which helps bulk out what a colossal effort went into this military operation.
Much to enjoy and stimulate the young person’s mind. I already have looked up separately more information on photojournalist Robert Capa’s images of this historic day.

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When I taught fourth grade, this book would have been quite popular--especially with my boy students. But, one of the things I liked best about this book, is the contributions of women are noted as well. The format of the book is unlike other nonfiction books about D-Day I've seen before. The main illustrations are accompanied by actual photographs of people in the battle, from soldiers to nurses and everyone in between. It was engaging to read about people who took part in the invasion, on both sides. This book would be a nice addition to a classroom or as a gift to an avid reader and lover of historical books.

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This is quite a book! It has a little bit of everything....real life stories & pictures of people who participated in the D-Day invasion, also nice colored drawings accompany the telling of each person's story. 'Additional information' is also given for each profile, telling where/how they ended up after the war. There are all walks of life & jobs profiled & told about what they did that day: nurses, plotters, pilots, medics, generals, truck drivers, journalists, tug boat crew members & also those from different countries: Germans, Americans, Belgians, Canadian, & British........many different perspectives are brought to life in these pages. A real good book that young readers can enjoy & adult readers can learn something too! I can definitely recommend this book ......especially to those with a WWII history interest. Very good book!
I received this e-ARC from the Quarto Publishing Group- Wide Eyed Editions via NetGalley, giving me an opportunity to read it & offer my own fair & honest review.

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A great introduction to D-Day for children's literature. Graphic Novel layout with superb pictures really add to the charm of the book. The book briefly gives background on World War II and dives deeper into the main subject of stories of actual people involved in D-day. The book portrayed many different people during the war from both sides, Allies (US, Canada, England, France, Scotland, Belgium) and Axis (Germany). It was refreshing to read about woman during the war and their role. It also touches on segregation in the US military. It also gives additional information about each person. Great for Children interested in WWII.

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I was excited to see this book. D-Day was one of the most significant events of World War Two, and yet Hollywood and American government propaganda have managed to transform it in many minds into something that only involved the United States.

Children have a thirst for history, and there are some amazing stories to be told (e.g. the first Allies to liberate parts of France in 1944 were the Canadians). I also appreciate that the contributions of women were noted.

The idea to tell this story from different perspectives was a great one, and I think the artwork finds the right balance between the seriousness of the event and the lightness needed in books for young readers.

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D-Day: Untold Stories of the Normandy Landings by Michael Noble is a fabulous history book for children ages about eight to ten. Told through the stories of diverse participants such as Major-General Percy Hobart, an engineering wizard, Stanley Hollis VC, awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery during the fighting, Waverly Bernard Woodson, Jr., a brave African-American medic, and journalist Martha Gellhorn, the only woman among the invasion force, the book provides a personal and up-close view of this critical World War II turning point.

Each spread in the book contains an historical photograph and a box with a brief first person “autobiography” against a beautiful full-page illustration highlighting the action. Every time I look at the book, I see a new detail! Easy to follow and engaging text explains the theme of the spread, paratroopers and their role in the invasion, or the importance of journalists, for example. Finally, the page updates the reader on the person’s life after the war.

The personal stories are arranged in such a way that they seamlessly tell the story of D-Day from early planning to right after the invasion. Noble includes many different roles, from generals to weather forecasters to front line soldiers and medics. Additionally, he has made an effort to include women and people of color as well as individuals fighting for the Germans.

The text is not sensational or overly graphic, but given the subject matter, does discuss injuries and death. While the most challenging word for readers of this age might be “emplacements,” there is a two-page glossary with this and other terms with which kids may be unfamiliar.

For children in this age range who are interested in history, D-Day is an absolute must. It is also a very valuable addition to any school or public library. Once more, did I say how much I loved Alexander Mostov’s illustrations?

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This is an incredible insight into D Day. It’s meticulously illustrated, impeccably presented and well researched. It will be of use for educating little ones about history and the inner workings during warfare, but it also shows empathy by presenting those who worked to make D Day happen and those who helped with the aftermath.

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This was a nice overview of what was involved for those people who had to face the beaches on D-Day, June 6th 1944. It's told truthfully but not too graphically, so it tells the story, and how bad things were, without overdoing it or skipping the truth about what those men - and women - faced.

Yes, there are women featured here, including one who went onto the beach with the men. She wasn't supposed to, but Martha Gellhorn was resentful that her then husband, Ernest Hemingway, got to go, and she was passed over for a male journalist when it came to her publication's chance to send someone. Martha had an interesting history (not covered here). She was fired from a job after she reported a coworker for sexual harassment. After other adventures, She hid in a lavatory on a ship during D-Day, and then went up on the beaches disguised as a stretcher bearer. She was arrested on her return to England.

She's not the only remarkable woman covered here. We learn of others, along with many men from several nations, including Germany, who were involved in one aspect or another of the landing, either taking part in it on land, sea, or air, preparing weather forecasts for it, designing vehicles to deal with conditions they would find there, or defending the beach, and so on. One story was of a fifteen-year-old boy who was on a boat tasked with towing materials across the channel which would be used to create a temporary harbor for other ships coming later. This was another critical mission which, had it failed, would have hampered the effort.

One of my favorites is Dave Shannon, an RAF pilot who hailed from Australia. The book doesn't mention this, but he was part of the Dam Busters raid in May of 1943 that took down the Eder and the Moehne dams in Germany and dealt a severe blow to the Nazi war effort. On the night before the Normandy landings, this same squadron, used to difficult flying tasks, were assigned to fly progressively in precise order across the channel dropping what the Brits called 'window' which was material that would give a radar echo that made it look like a convoy was crossing the channel. They would fly so far, return, then fly the same route again, but advancing very slightly each time. This is where the precise flying came in. If they had not been exact, the radar signal would have jumped and given the game away, but they did not fail. The Germans were convinced that a large convoy was approaching and that this was where the landing would be, when it was in fact a hundred miles away. It was one of the greatest deceptions of the war.

All of these stories are remarkable, and all worth knowing. I commend this as a worthy read.

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D-Day by Michael Noble has only 48 pages but its full of illustrations, photo's, personal accounts, testimonies and so much information about the events of June 6th 1944. Its eye witness accounts that describe 20 real-life stories from the D-Day landings.

You read and learn about:-

*Company Sergeant Major Stanley Hollis, the only person to receive the Victoria Cross for their actions that day

*Lt. Richard Winter, among the first to be parachuted into action (as depicted in Band of Brothers)

*American journalist Martha Gellhorn, the only woman known to have been present, after disguising herself as a stretcher bearer and many more.

This wonderful book and would be great for all schools and it brings brings a key moment in history to life for young readers hearing about the event for the first time, as we commemorate its 75th anniversary.

I received this e-ARC from the Quarto Publishing Group- Wide Eyed Editions via NetGalley, giving me an opportunity to read it & offer my own fair & honest review.

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Definitely a book to buy for the classroom. Beautifully illustrated, this book contains accounts of both well and lesser known people - civilians and soldiers - involved in D-Day. The information is presented in easy-to-read paragraphs arranged around the page, backed with full colour, double-spread illustrations meaning there is always something new to notice. I look forward to sharing this at school.

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If you have a child interested in military history, you have to grab this book! Great attention to detail, and full of facts and illustrations.. we spent an hour in heaven going through this book! Complete with maps and more!
Get to know some of the names behind the D-Day invasion, and fall back into history!

My kids LOVED this book! I think this is one that we are going to have to get a copy of. My boys are enthralled with anything military related and spent a good amount of time going through this book and finding something new each time.

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A beautifully written, designed and executed book for children on this key WWII event. Loved the mix of historical photos and illustrations, plus personal stories of real people to make history come alive. 5 of 5 Hearty Stars!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine. Pub Date 07 May 2019. #Dday #NetGalley.

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It has been 75 years, come June 6, 2019, since D-Day. Many of the people who participated are in their 90s and 100s, so the stories are leaving us, the living stories. So, a book like this, that gets down to the personal level, with personal stories is important to telling the story.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5152" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/d-day1-1.png" alt="" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5151" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/d-day2-1.png" alt="" />

By choosing real people and their stories, we learn how this very important moment in World War II affected them.

This is a good resource to have on hand, to introduce D-Day and World War II. Highly recommended for libraries and schools as a way to get children interested in learning about this moment in time.

Thanks to Netgallay for making this book available for an honest review.

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I read "D-Day" on the 75th anniversary of the famous invasion, and I savored every moment while flipping through the book. This short picture book presents the stories of "bravery, sacrifice and innovation." Through the stories of those who participated in the Normandy Invasion, readers learn about the intensive efforts and collaborations everyone put into. Most of the stories are from the Allies, but few from the Axis. An interesting take to talk about this important historical event. Short texts and illustrations help young readers to get a sense of the tension behind carrying out and implementing the invasion plan without overburdening them with too much information.

There are twenty stories of the soldiers and the civilians. The stories begin with short introductions about themselves and their roles in the war. Random facts, about four to five short paragraphs for each story, are scattered throughout the pages to highlight something interesting. Few random paragraphs of a couple of stories would make more sense if read in order (from left to right, top to bottom) but even reading them randomly would not cause any confusion.

"D-Day" a wonderful book to own especially to those who are interested in war and military history.

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This is a great book telling the story of D-day for children. I would recommend it for use in the classroom. The use of photographs and personal stories made this book different and in my opinion better than others on the subject. The illustrations were also brilliant.
I highly recommend this book.

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5 stars. I was impressed with this children's book on D-Day.

The layouts are a combination of graphic arts, photographs of real people and commentary. The color scheme is very appealing with subdued orange, blue, tan, gray and turquoise. The author made efforts to include both women, African Americans, and common people along with some of the battle leaders. A few Germans were also included in this short book.

The text was clear and a glossary is included. The book covers the D-day story from many angles: journalist, nurse, parachutists, German leaders, ordinary soldiers, French citizens. The content was well organized. Noble uses language appropriate for children, while still stating the terror of the day. He talks of separate units for black and white soldiers.

D-Day by Michael Noble tells an important story for people of all ages and races. The appealing graphic novel format and the concise, but broad range of stories makes it a book that all libraries should definitely have.

Thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing group for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This is a great illustrated non-fiction book for young kids. It combines illustrations with actual photographs of people in the battle on both sides, with everything from soldiers to nurses and a lot in between. The book includes women as well, in addition to quickly touch upon segregation in the US. The glossary in the back will aid kids if/when they come across a word they are unfamiliar with, which was a nice touch. I honestly think this book would work great as a teaching tool with young kids.

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Non-fiction and fiction on the topic of WWII is hugely popular with my 4th and 5th so it was with great anticipation that I downloaded an ARC of Noble’s book. Each 2 page spread is written from the perspective of a participant in Operation Overlord and includes men, women, Americans, Germans and others and includes photographs and cartoon-style illustrations. I am unsure which age group this book is written for. The text is written on at least a 5th or 6th grade reading level and a great deal is included on each page, but the drawings and book length seem designed to appeal to younger students. This may be a good choice to provide a bridge between true non-fiction picture books and much longer works that appeal to more advanced 5th-8th grade students.

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I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

D-Day tells the story of the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy through twenty real-life individuals who were there that day. For the most part, these were just ordinary people, though a few famous names pop up (like Ernie Pyle). Those featured are a fairly diverse group from different countries, different backgrounds, and even different sides of the war. By featuring such ordinary people, D-Day does an excellent job of showing the importance of working together and the difference an individual can make. I was disappointed by the absence of French Resistance members, as they were an integral part of the invasion's success.

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This isn’t my usual type of book. But it was good and I enjoyed it all the same. It was good to read and well written. It flowed well and was easy to read

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'D-Day: Untold stories of the Normandy Landings inspired by 20 real-life people' with words by Michael Noble and pictures by Alexander Mostov is a picture book about real events leading up to D-Day.

Starting with the people who planned, invaded, defended, and reported, the story of D-Day is told. Every aspect leading up and through the invasion is accompanied by a two page illustration, a picture representing someone in that phase, and text and additional information about what happened to the person after the war. Both sides of the war are represented, although more from the Allies than the Axis. There are men and women from quite a few different countries.

I really liked how well this was laid out. The illustrations are fantastic. The way the story is written is in the present tense, so it makes the story feel more alive. This was a pretty good read for younger readers who might like history.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing - Wide Eyed Editions, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

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