D-Day: The Unheard Tapes - by Geraint Jones

About the Book

History is brought vividly to life in this fresh, authentic and action-packed account of the largest amphibian assault the world has ever seen,

Book Synopsis

A powerful, immersive account of the D-Day landings and battle for Normandy tied into the groundbreakding BBC2 documentary series D-Day: The Unheard Tapes and published for the 80th anniversary.

'Everybody who was involved in the invasion was afraid, basically. This is what war is about - it's two groups of very frightened men facing each other' Joe Minogue, Westminster Dragoons

D-Day was bloody, chaotic and frequently terrifying. Its outcome was far from certain. And at its epicentre were tens of thousands of young men, many seeing their first active service. It was a single day that changed millions of lives. A critical turning point of the Second World War.

Using audio interviews with British, American, Canadian and German veterans, as well as French civilians, this immersive new oral history describes what it was actually like to take part in the landings on 6 June 1944 and the weeks of ferocious fighting in Normandy that followed.

Stories include the forward observer hiding alone on Omaha beach, under the noses of the German defenders. The commando racing to Pegasus Bridge. The Typhoon pilot who is about to be shot by the SS when he is saved by a Luftwaffe officer. The German soldier haunted by the fact he was forced to abandon his dying friend.

Published for the 80th anniversary, in D-Day The Unheard Tapes military historian Geraint Jones has skilfully brought the battle for Normandy to life in a gripping and vivid narrative that allows the voices of those who fought to shine through, authentic and unforgettable.

About the Author

Geraint Jones is a Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author and military historian who served as an infantry soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan. His first work of non fiction, No Way Out with Major Adam Jowett, was a Sunday Times top 10 bestseller. He has also written a memoir of his final Afghanistan tour, Brothers in Arms, and co-authored Escape from Kabul with Levison Wood, using first-hand accounts to describe the dramatic military evacuation of the city in 2021. He has published several novels, including titles with James Patterson. His podcast, Veterans State of Mind, includes interviews with D-Day survivors.