In the weeks after D-Day, the level of artillery action in Normandy was unprecedented. In what was a relatively small area, both sides bombarded each other relentlessly for three months, each trying to overwhelm the other by sheer fire power. The Guns of Normandy puts the reader in the front lines of this horrific battle. In the most graphic and authentic detail, it brings to life every aspect of a soldier's existence, from the mortal terror of impending destruction, to the unending fatigue, to the giddy exhilaration at ...
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In the weeks after D-Day, the level of artillery action in Normandy was unprecedented. In what was a relatively small area, both sides bombarded each other relentlessly for three months, each trying to overwhelm the other by sheer fire power. The Guns of Normandy puts the reader in the front lines of this horrific battle. In the most graphic and authentic detail, it brings to life every aspect of a soldier's existence, from the mortal terror of impending destruction, to the unending fatigue, to the giddy exhilaration at finding oneself still, inexplicably, alive. The story of this crucial battle opens in England, as the 4th Field Regiment receives news that something big is happening in France and that after long years of training they are finally going into action. The troop ships set out from besieged London and arrive at the D-Day beaches in the appalling aftermath of the landing. What follows is the most harrowing and realistic account of what it is like to be in action, as the very lead man in the attack: an artillery observer calling in fire on enemy positions. The story unfolds in the present tense, giving the uncomfortably real sense that "You are here." The conditions under which the troops had to exist were horrific. There was near-constant terror of being hit by incoming shells; prolonged lack of sleep; boredom; weakness from dysentery; sudden and gruesome deaths of close friends; and severe physical privation and mental anguish. And in the face of all this, men were called upon to perform heroic acts of bravery and they did. Blackburn provides genuine insight to the nature of military service for the average Canadian soldier in the Second World War - something that is all too often lacking in the accounts of armchair historians and television journalists. The result is a classic account of war at the sharp end. From the Hardcover edition.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good+ in Very Good dust jacket. 0771015003. DJ shows light shelf wear. Small ding on front cover, creased top DJ spine; A bright, solid book, DJ is crisp and clean, in protective mylar cover, unclipped.; B&W Photographs; 9.10 X 6.10 X 2 inches; 511 pages; "In the weeks after D-Day, the level of artillery action in Normandy was unprecedented. In what was a relatively small area, both sides bombarded each other relentlessly for three months, each trying to overwhelm the other by sheer fire power. The Guns of Normandy puts the reader in the front lines of this horrific battle. In the most graphic and authentic detail, it brings to life every aspect of a soldier's existence, from the mortal terror of impending destruction, to the unending fatigue, to the giddy exhilaration at finding oneself still, inexplicably, alive. The story of this crucial battle opens in England, as the 4th Field Regiment receives news that something big is happening in France and that after long years of training they are finally going into action. The troop ships set out from besieged London and arrive at the D-Day beaches in the appalling aftermath of the landing. What follows is the most harrowing and realistic account of what it is like to be in action, as the very lead man in the attack: an artillery observer calling in fire on enemy positions. The story unfolds in the present tense, giving the uncomfortably real sense that “You are here. ”The conditions under which the troops had to exist were horrific. There was near-constant terror of being hit by incoming shells; prolonged lack of sleep; boredom; weakness from dysentery; sudden and gruesome deaths of close friends; and severe physical privation and mental anguish. And in the face of all this, men were called upon to perform heroic acts of bravery and they did."
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Seller's Description:
Like New. First Paperback Edition, 3rd Printing (1999). Not price-clipped ($24.99 price intact). Published by McClelland & Stewart, 1997. Octavo. Pictorial wraps. Book is like new; clean with no writing or names. Sharp corners and spine straight. Binding tight and pages crisp. Covers have light shelf wear and light erasure marks on title page. 512 pages. ISBN: 9780771015038. 100% positive feedback. 30 day money back guarantee. NEXT DAY SHIPPING! Excellent customer service. Please email with any questions or if you would like a photo. All books packed carefully and ship with free delivery confirmation/tracking. All books come with free bookmarks. Ships from Southampton, New York. We Buy Books! Individual titles, libraries, collections. Message us if you have books to sell!
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Seller's Description:
Toronto, McClelland & Stewart, 1995, hardcover, xxiii-511 pp, First Edition, First Printing by numberline, Very Good in Fine dustjacket, Signed by the Author with no personal inscription on the title page. Clean and firmly bound, slight spine lean, former owner's address label to front endpaper. Dustjacket unclipped bearing original price, slight rubs, slight corner bumps, in new Brodart sleeve. Illustrated with 16 pages of black-&-white plates and three maps. Appended: One of Four Allied Armies in Normandy, Record Rates of Shell Consumption, A Comparison of Tanks and Their Performance, Index. Mapped endpapers. ISBN 9780771015007
