$18.89 with 42 percent savings
List Price: $32.50
The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Wednesday, October 23 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tomorrow, October 19. Order within 15 hrs 46 mins.
In Stock
$$18.89 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$18.89
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day Hardcover – June 4, 2024

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 323 ratings

Great on Kindle
Great Experience. Great Value.
iphone with kindle app
Putting our best book forward
Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.

Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.

View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.

Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.

Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.

Get the free Kindle app: Link to the kindle app page Link to the kindle app page
Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$18.89","priceAmount":18.89,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"18","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"89","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"0b8aSckpoGSAyJl%2Bbl%2FxXHe2bSbTWKx5cKrpNDjM6%2B4dhZFyAY5x7XHem7hgw%2BgDXw78KcWYRUfr5pTBkzL6ti3%2Bua%2FygBKjdkRlcK4UkEAPUGIwTTGHGcbMa4hyEv1pBYLVHb7LQs4nUy%2FWIvt1pQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Absolutely gripping.” —The Washington Post • “A masterpiece of oral history…stirring, surprising, grim, joyous, moving, and always riveting.” —Evan Thomas

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Plane in the Sky and Pulitzer Prize finalist for Watergate comes the most complete and up-to-date account of D-Day—the largest seaborne invasion in history and the moment that secured the Allied victory in World War II—featuring hundreds of eyewitness accounts.

June 6, 1944—known to us all as D-Day—is one of history’s greatest and most unbelievable military triumphs. The surprise sunrise landing of more than 150,000 Allied troops on the beaches of occupied northern France is one of the most consequential days of the 20th century. Now, Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff, historian and author of
The Only Plane in the Sky and Watergate, brings them all together in a one-of-a-kind, bestselling oral history that explores this seminal event in vivid, heart-pounding detail.

The story begins in the opening months of the 1940s, as the Germany army tightens its grip across Europe, seizing control of entire nations. The United States, who has resolved to remain neutral, is forced to enter the conflict after an unexpected attack by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor. For the second time in fifty years, the world is at war, with the stakes higher than they’ve ever been before. Then in 1943, Allied leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meet in Casablanca to discuss a new plan for victory: a coordinated invasion of occupied France, led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Failure is not an option. Over the next eighteen months, the large-scale action is organized, mobilizing soldiers across Europe by land, sea, and sky. And when the day comes, it is unlike anything the world has ever seen.

These moments and more are seen in real time. A visceral, page-turning drama told through the eyes of those who experienced them—from soldiers, nurses, pilots, children, neighbors, sailors, politicians, volunteers, photographers, reporters and so many more,
When the Sea Came Alive “is the sort of book that is smart, inspiring, and powerful—and adds so much to our knowledge of what that day was like and its historic importance forever” (Chris Bohjalian)—an unforgettable, fitting tribute to the men and women of the Greatest Generation.

The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

This item: When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day
$18.89
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Oct 23
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$15.03
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Oct 23
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$18.00
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Oct 23
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Choose items to buy together.

From the Publisher

When the Sea Came Alive

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Absolutely gripping. . . . Graff, who was a Pulitzer finalist last year for Watergate, has collected thousands of short statements from soldiers, nurses, pilots, children, neighbors, sailors, politicians, volunteers, photographers, reporters and so many more and then woven them together to create a contemporaneous narrative of the Allied invasion on June 6, 1944. . . . Given the political situation in the United States today, when some of our leaders are so complacent, even enthusiastic, about the resurgence of fascism, the power of this story feels spiked with foreboding. . . . Never before have I approached Memorial Day in a state of such somber awe.” ― Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“Garrett Graff is a treasure: a historian rather like Erik Larson with a vast curiosity. He's written some of the very best books out there on UFOs, Watergate, and 9/11 (
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 is brilliant—and not for the faint of heart.) Now he has turned his attention to D-Day, the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, and again he has added so much to what we know and what happened that day (and in the months leading up to it). Using the words of the men and women who were there—some famous, most not—he has crafted a moment by moment and beach by beach narrative that is riveting. As the nephew of a member of the 101st Airborne, Easy Company, it was deeply moving to learn more specifically what my uncle experienced. But, the fact is, you don't need a personal connection to someone who was there to have 'all the feels.' This is the sort of book that is smart, inspiring, and powerful—and adds so much to our knowledge of what that day was like and its historic importance forever.” ― Chris Bohjalian, New York Times bestselling author of The Lioness and The Flight Attendant

"When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day by Garrett M. Graff is a book you must pick this summer. It is a work that weaves the sprawling story of the Normandy invasion, capturing the raw, human essence of this pivotal day from the perspectives of those who lived it. ... Graff excels at sifting through an extensive trove of materials to bring the Normandy landings to life. ... The book stands as a testament to the power of preserving historical memories, demonstrating how much can be gleaned from even the most familiar stories." ―
Gulf News

“From books by historian Stephen Ambrose to films like Steven Spielberg’s 'Saving Private Ryan,' there’s ample works chronicling the June 6, 1944, landing during World War II that ultimately led to the downfall of Nazi Germany. But in
When The Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day, Graff weaves together hundreds of eyewitness accounts to create a history that stands alongside those works, expanding readers’ understanding of D-Day and offering a new, complete portrait in time for the 80th anniversary commemorations. . . The book excels in highlighting the experiences of Black soldiers who landed on D-Day beaches and women who were part of the story, such as correspondent Martha Gellhorn. . . . [A] testimony to the value in preserving memories from grand historical events, demonstrating how much can be unearthed from even the most familiar stories.” ― Associated Press

“With well over 200 volumes written about this most important day in World War II, it’s difficult to imagine any book breaking new ground. Yet Mr. Graff manages to bring a completely different perspective. . . . Drawing from numerous memoirs, published histories, and thousands of oral histories from all the involved countries, especially the extensive archive at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, the author captures the perspectives of generals and civilians and the numerous ordinary soldiers and sailors that fought on that momentous day. . . . This is the real distinction of this book—it presents D-Day history not as some sweeping battle narrative, but as the thousands of individuals stories that collectively decided the course of the battle that day.” ―
New York Journal of Books

“Gripping and propulsive. . . . A panoramic view of an astonishingly intricate plan coming to fruition, undertaken by men and women with a clear sense of its momentousness. Readers will be spellbound.” ―
Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

“The author of
The Only Plane in the Sky has a knack for finding fresh ways to consider exhaustively rehashed historical episodes. . . . The oral-history template lends the tale a striking immediacy, and he excavates stories from a wide swath of people from both sides of the war whose testimonies recall immense bravery and utter devastation while reminding readers of the capriciousness of victory, not to mention survival. As one U.S. Navy veteran put it: 'Call it luck, divine providence, call it what you please, but here I am.'” ― The Washington Post, "Seven Historical Books to Read This Summer"

“From the wonderfully evocative title to the last mournful memory, this is one of the greatest war stories ever told. Through the words of the people who made D-Day happen or bore the brunt, Garrett Graff has crafted a masterpiece of oral history.
When the Sea Came Alive is stirring, surprising, grim, joyous, moving and always riveting.” ― Evan Thomas

"Graff’s collection of 700 participants’ stories provides a compelling window into the kind of military maneuvers few living Americans can remember. . . . Reading about survivors’ experiences in their own words proves a solemn practice.” ―
Los Angeles Times

“A sprawling history of D-Day from the point of view of participants on both sides. . . . [and] a timely reminder of the cost of war, as well as the bravery of those who stormed the beaches all those decades ago.” ―
Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Garrett M. Graff has spent two decades covering politics, technology, and national security. Today, he’s a columnist for The Washington Post, where he writes on leadership, serves as the director of cyber initiatives at the Aspen Institute, and hosts the history podcast, Long Shadow, which received a 2024 Edward R. Murrow Award. The former editor of POLITICO Magazine and a longtime contributor to WIRED and CNN, he’s written for publications like Esquire, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Foreign Affairs, and authored nine books—including the #1 national bestseller The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11, the FBI history The Threat Matrix, Raven Rock (about the government’s Cold War Doomsday plans), and the New York Times bestsellers When the Sea Came Alive (an oral history of D-Day) and Watergate: A New History, whichwas a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster (June 4, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 166802781X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1668027813
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.13 x 1.6 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 323 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Garrett M. Graff
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Garrett M. Graff, a distinguished magazine journalist, bestselling historian, and regular TV commentator, has spent more than a dozen years covering politics, technology, and national security—helping to explain where we’ve been and where we’re headed.

Today, he serves as the director of the Aspen Institute’s cybersecurity and technology program, and is a contributor to WIRED, Longreads, and CNN. He’s written for publications from Esquire to the New York Times, and served as the editor of two of Washington’s most prestigious magazines, Washingtonian and POLITICO Magazine, which he helped lead to its first National Magazine Award, the industry’s highest honor.

Graff is the author of multiple books, including "The First Campaign: Globalization, the Web, and the Race for the White House," which examined the role of technology in the 2008 presidential race, and "The Threat Matrix: Inside Robert Mueller’s FBI," which traces the history of the FBI’s counterterrorism efforts. His book, "Raven Rock," a national bestseller, about the government’s Cold War Doomsday plans, was published in May 2017, and his most recent book, co-authored with John Carlin, examined the rise of cyber threats, "Dawn of the Code War: America's Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat."

Previously, he was the founding editor of mediaBistro.com’s FishbowlDC (www.FishbowlDC.com), a popular blog that covers the media and journalism in Washington, and co-founder of EchoDitto, Inc., a multi-million-dollar Washington, D.C.-based internet strategy consulting firm. During his time at FishbowlDC, he was the first blogger admitted to cover a White House press briefing in 2005, a moment considered significant enough that his reporter’s notebook from that first briefing is on display at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. A Vermont native, he served as deputy national press secretary on Howard Dean’s presidential campaign and, beginning in 1997, was then-Governor Dean’s first webmaster.

He taught at Georgetown University for seven years, including courses on journalism and technology, and his writing and commentary has appeared in publications like the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, New York, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Rolling Stone, 5280, Politico, AARP Magazine, Eater, Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine, USA Today, GQ UK, NextCity, and he has appeared on CBS This Morning, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBC, the BBC, Al Jazeera English, the History Channel, National Geographic, and various NPR programs, including “This American Life,” “Fresh Air,” and “All Things Considered.”

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
323 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book excellent, interesting, and well-researched. They say it gives history an immediacy with extraordinary individual deeds, touching moments of pure humanity, and remarkable instances of great bravery.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
21 customers mention "Readability"19 positive2 negative

Customers find the book excellent, interesting, and well-researched. They say it has amazing sourcing and the reader feels deeply involved. Readers also mention the personal stories really pull them in.

"...In fact it reads much like a novel, but with many more characters that Tolstoy would ever had imagined, over 700 here...." Read more

"...Very readable, like Studs Terkel's interviews,but without the questions...." Read more

"...It is remarkably clever - each story is told in multiple voices, stitched together brilliantly by the author. It gives the history an immediacy...." Read more

"...Written in a unique way that gives the feel to the events before and during the most important day in the war, but from the servicemen's viewpoint...." Read more

4 customers mention "History"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the history in the book immediacy. They also appreciate the extraordinary individual deeds, luck, skill, and sometimes horrible results. Readers mention there are touching moments of pure humanity and remarkable instances of great bravery.

"...There are also some touching moments of pure humanity, putting aside the antagonism of the moment." Read more

"...It gives the history an immediacy. I bought a copy from Amazon (better value than the airport). I couldn't put it down." Read more

"...person narratives from diaries & letters makes for a far more compelling view of history than ever an author’s interpretation could do" Read more

"...Extraordinary individual deeds, luck, skill, and sometimes horrible results, combined for the invasion to succeed...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2024
Much has been written about the D-Day landing of 6 June 1944, but this book is still added value. Instead of 500 pages of dry historical discussion, it takes a very different approach. In fact it reads much like a novel, but with many more characters that Tolstoy would ever had imagined, over 700 here. Apart from some explanatory remarks for context, it consists of brief first-person remarks relevant to the events at the particular time. They may be Prime Minister Winston Churchill, General Eisenhower, or Marshall Erwin Rommel, or they might be various other participants, such as ordinary soldiers, sailors, or airmen. The result is that the reader feels deeply involved. The statements are ordered to give a narrative of the atmosphere and the difficulties that were part of the operation.

The first part of the book deals with the run-up to D-Day, with the massive inflow of troops into England. In it, there are views of life among the soldiers as well as among the ordinary citizens. There is also a chapter dealing with the difference of attitude of US people and British people towards African American soldiers. The British were very accepting, but the US were not.

Once the invasion begins, the events become intense and unfold rapidly; it is hard to stop reading. Again, the personal stories really pull the reader in, and there are some very remarkable instances of great bravery. There are also some touching moments of pure humanity, putting aside the antagonism of the moment.
11 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2024
Graff has succeeded in capturing detailed first person accounts (from foot soldier, swabie, and airman to general, admiral and leaders of Operation Overlord) of the hell that was the first few hours and days of the Normandy invasion of June 6,1944. About 200,000 men that included allied armies, navies and air forces, mounted a Herculean effort to take back Europe from Hitler in what became the "beginning of the end" of WW II.
Very readable, like Studs Terkel's interviews,but without the questions. Interviews are preceded by a one page synopsis that helps frame a particular event.
Graff is to be commended for preserving the voices of these hero's. I hope to someday read Graff's compendium of Pacific War voices.
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2024
I heard Garrett Graff talk about this book on NPR, so I picked up a copy at an airport and took a look. It is remarkably clever - each story is told in multiple voices, stitched together brilliantly by the author. It gives the history an immediacy. I bought a copy from Amazon (better value than the airport). I couldn't put it down.
One person found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2024
What I liked about the book was reading actual words all these brave men spoke of the D-Day, Neptune operations. From the concept of a second front to the actual landings, the author weaves the oral histories into a seamless conversation.
What I didn’t like were 2 glaring historically inaccurate statements or comments.
1. The 8th American Army Air Force (B-17’s and B-24’s) did not conduct night time bombing. That was the RAF under the command of Bomber Harris. The Americans were focused on daylight precision bombing.
2. An interview indicates there 101 Abn in assault cart headed to Omaha beach. Not so. The 101 and 82nd were dropped behind the German lines on the night of June 5th 1944. I disappointed in such a fine author that either he, his reachers, or editor didn’t catch these mistakes prior to publishing. It’s a overall good read
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2024
The author utilized many new eyewitness accounts that were collected for past sixty years but not used until this book. Written in a unique way that gives the feel to the events before and during the most important day in the war, but from the servicemen's viewpoint. A Must read if its the first book you read on D-Day or the most recent after the other forty books you have read on "The Day Of Days"
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2024
I bought this book for my son-in-law who lives in the UK. The book was just released in the US, and won’t be released in the UK until October. I was happy that Amazon could mail it to the UK for just nine dollars shipping. He loved the book. Said it was just what he was looking for after visiting Normandy for the D-Day anniversary. The stories were thoroughly interesting and took him right back to the battlefield
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2024
Very interesting book about D-Day and the planning and events leading up to it. Liked the quotes format. Kept me reading at up into the night!
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2024
While a somewhat stilted approach, once you get into the pacing and flow of the narrative it starts to make sense. The highly personal comments (and supporting history bits) fill out the story in a way no traditional history book can. While some D-Day stories are first hand and poignant they still only represent a slice of the story. I appreciate that this book added a hundred new voices to the living history of that event in 1944.
3 people found this helpful
Report