A review by ninaprime
When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day by Garrett M. Graff

3.0

3.5 stars - a tremendous work of nonfiction, bridging hundreds of voices and perspectives - from German to Allied, soldier to commander to civilian - into a cohesive accounting of one of the most impactful days in history. While I found the narrative gripping, my favorite sections were action the elaborate planning effort rather than the battle scenes. Some readers might find the constant switches between people in this oral history to be confusing and I agree to a certain point as it started to get confusing who each person was. I wish Graff had mini-bios of each participant in the back (although that would've expanded an already lengthy text) to help keep them straight. I did appreciate the contextual bridges he built into each chapter to help orient the reader to where and when the action takes place. A valid entry into WWII history canon, especially now that so many of the survivors have passed.