Illustration by Sophie Kenyon
In recent months, the Second World War has loomed heavy in the minds of many. Not only have comparisons sprung freely between the battle against the Nazis and our own generation-defining period, but there has also been a sense of the war passing from recent to distant history with the 75th anniversary of VE Day and the death of the ‘Forces’ Sweetheart’ Vera Lynn. Yet, when reading Giles Milton’s account of D-Day, the author’s vivacity of expression and supreme scene-setting abilities make these famous events reawaken in front of our own eyes.
In trawling through personal records of his day, Milton conveys horror and heroism in equal measure. He uses these records like a conductor at the front of his orchestra, drawing accounts from different parts of the offensive to create a fluid harmony of voices. He is able to mix individual encounters with seismic strategies, switching between perspectives as seamlessly as pointing his baton at his protagonists. Through it all, his voice remains at the helm, centring the account with narrative flair and guiding the reader through the turmoil of the battles.
Milton’s skill in portrait-painting is used to great effect, pinpointing personalities in single sentences to make them appear in flesh before our eyes. Legendary figures such as General Eisenhower and Lord Lovat are filled out with quirks and comments, while unheralded heroes are given faces and backstories with easy familiarity. The cinematic accuracy with which these figures are shaped is also prevalent in describing their surroundings, giving a sense of not just the scale of the task which faced the soldiers of Operation Overload, but a live feeling of the dangers that awaited them at every turn. With such vibrant description comes a lot of accompanying gore as Milton censors none of the injuries and violent deaths which were suffered on the day. While his action-packed account fully immerses the reader in the fighting, it is not made for the squeamish.
While Milton enthusiastically unpacks acts of individual heroism, glorifying the extraordinary exploits of Allies and Germans, he is as quick to commemorate the day’s disastrous failures and to display a tender sympathy with those who did not survive. Never is this clearer than in his recollection of the experiences of innocent civilians caught in the action, who lost lives, livelihoods and loved ones in the name of liberation. This balanced view counteracts the gleeful glorification of D-Day that Milton, along with many historians, sometimes slips into, instead emphasising the price paid by many to create the modern world.
Milton builds his narrative hour by hour, mixing frontline accounts and governmental decisions with panoramic precision. Yet, it is individuals’ memories which are placed at its core, stressing the fear, fortitude and bravery of all those involved. Whilst, at times, it seems frantic with overflowing information, Milton’s pulsating chronicle evokes the pandemonium which soldiers faced, creating an astonishment among the reader that anyone could have survived the landing. With excitement and empathy, he ignites D-Day’s facts into gripping narrative, transforming history from dull textbooks into a spellbinding story that keeps the experiences of the war alive for us to admire.
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