Bruce Bliven (1916–2002)

First: This book is for the rabid bibliophile only. It's essentially a time-capsule; an article from 1973 converted into a tidy book form in 1975. It offers a glimpse into the back-end of what the book world used to (and to some degree, I suppose, still does look like.)

What I found most interesting was the statements made about how the industry would not change in the future. Apparently, the author never saw the Internet, print on demand publishing, and Amazon.com coming. Then again, who can show more fault him for that, in 1973?

Sadly, the things bemoaned in the work - specifically the overlooking of excellent books due to time constraints on the part of reviewers, salespersons, etc. - are still prevalent today. How many amazing books are either never published, or are never 'discovered'? Conversely, how many pablum-spewing authors ARE made household names, a the expense of these potential treasures? show less

I loved the Random House Landmark Books series when I was a kid...this book would have been no exception. Aimed at the grade schooler, it provides a easily understood picture of the assault. Keeping in mind its target audience, it doesn't attempt to explain the larger context of the war or campaign strategies. Instead, it lays out the major events of the assault, gluing them together with colorful stories of individuals that will engage the reader's imagination and keep their attention.

The show more book treads lightly on the gore, merely noting, for example, that, "Omaha beach had cost a lot. Two thousand men were killed, wounded or missing." I'm sure the Ryan book—aimed at adults—will portray that side of things more fully. I stood in the German positions overlooking Omaha Beach many years ago and still cringe to think what it must have been like to slog through the water and up that unprotected sand.

A well-done book for a child to learn about that day. show less

A Short but informative book about the British landings in the New York area in September 1776. They held the city until the evacuation in 1782. Bliven went to military school and was an artilleryman in WWII, and his comments are interesting.

In the American colonies of the 1770s, people were fed up with British laws. Local farmers and tradesmen secretly formed a militia. In 1775, when the British marched into Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, the Americans were ready. From that first battle to the final showdown at Yorktown, the Americans fought against tremendous odds. The British army was bigger and better trained. Food and guns were scarce. But George Washington's ragged army fought for and won the freedom and show more independence we cherish to this day. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, the tale of our country's fight for independence is brought to life in fast-moving, dramatic detail. show less