Max Hastings

 Sword

by

Max Hastings

On 6 June 1944 when the Allied armies landed on D-Day, the Second World War had already lasted almost five years. Yet many of the British and American troops who invaded Normandy were virgin soldiers, never before committed to battle. They quit England in summertime to face within hours a storm of machine-gun and mortar fire. They witnessed scenes, above all of sudden death, such as no exercise had prepared them for.

I’ve always had a soft spot for war non‑fiction, and Sword by Max Hastings is absolutely top shelf. Focusing on the D‑Day landings, it drops you straight into the gliders during the airborne assault on Pegasus Bridge, along with the follow‑up operations by the 6th Airborne Division.

From there, Hastings shifts to the beach landings, placing you shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the troops as they come ashore — including Lord Lovat’s Commandos. He also covers the ordeal of the DD tanks, some of which were swamped with their crews lost, while others managed to reach the beach only to be destroyed in the shallows.

What makes the book stand out is its focus on a single sector of the invasion. Most works fixate on Omaha Beach, so it’s refreshing — and frankly one of the reasons I bought it — to see such detailed attention on the British beach.

I’ve also got Hastings’ book on Operation Pedestal sitting on my shelf, covering the convoy that fought its way to Malta. And I’ve already got my eye on a few more of his titles that might end up here before long.

5/5.