D-Day: Reflections of Courage

Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower's bold gamble to invade Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944--popularly known as D-Day--marked the turning point of World War II in the European theatre. Using a seamless combination of personal narratives, on-the-scene combat newsreels, and skillful recreations of specific events, BBC's D-Day: Reflections of Courage (a companion book by the same name by Dan Parry is also published by BBC Books) is a superb production that illustrates the bloody battle from the points of view of everyone from the boots-on-the-beach grunt to the top echelons of the German high command. One of the most important military actions in the history of warfare (and--indeed--Western civilization), D-Day continues to attract the attention of scholars, Hollywood (as evident in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, among other films), and students of history. DVD extras include eyewitness accounts, four behind-the-scenes featurettes, fact files, and a photo gallery. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Carlson)