“Bold and engaging, Divided on D-Day brings renewed attention to the personalities surrounding Operation Overlord and the Allied campaigns in France and the Low Countries during World War II. With its share of heroes, including Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, Montgomery, and the often overlooked Sir Bertram Ramsay, this book does not necessarily overturn existing historiography but highlights interpersonal conflicts, especially those stemming from Montgomery, which hampered Allied efforts before, during, and after the Normandy landings. Although some would disagree with the idea that the Germans were broadly better than the Allies at the tactical level, the adverse effects of the rivalries between various Allied commanders is hard to dispute, even if, as Gordon and Ramsay note, the Allies were less dysfunctional than the German Wehrmacht. A quick and lively read.”
—James Villanueva, captain, US Army
“This fast-paced and engrossing study of the Normandy campaign's major leaders illustrates how the interaction of their heavyweight personalities shaped the results. Edward E. Gordon and David Ramsay know their facts, and readers will enjoy assessing their conclusions.”—David Freeman, editor, Finest Hour, journal of the International Churchill Society“This is one of the most profound what-if books written on World War II.”
—Alan Axelrod, author of The Real History of World War II and Patton's Drive
“References to the Anglo-American ‘special relationship' notwithstanding, the partnership between Britain and the United States during World War II was marked by frequent disagreements, quarrels, and even occasional bitterness. Each country needed the other, of course, so the disputes never quite derailed the alliance. In this new book, two scholars—one American and one British (in fact, the son of the Allied naval commander at Normandy, Sir Bertram Ramsay)—show just how close the Allies came to fracturing. The authors' vivid portraits of the key figures in the D-Day campaign are entirely convincing.”
—Craig L. Symonds, author of Neptune: The Allied Invasion of Europe and the D-Day Landings
“A meticulously researched examination of the key personalities in the Normandy campaign and their campaign highs and lows. Some readers will disagree with the authors' assessments, but with hundreds of supporting quotes from participants, the authors have provided substance and weight to their arguments. None of the Allied commanders were without flaws, and with the events seventy-three years in the past, it is time for a fresh study. Provocative and sometimes scathing, this book will create debate and reevaluation, and that can only be a positive thing.”
—Paul Woodadge, Normandy tour guide and author
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