Customer Reviews

Holding Juno

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Like Zuehlke's "Juno", "Holding Juno" follows the men of the Canadian military during their first week after landing on D-Day.

For any Canadian wanting to know what a relative who may have landed on D-Day and survived (or not) did during his first week ashore in Normandy, this is the book that will tell you. There's the necessary military jargon and dry historical material included in the book (but kept to a minimum compared to other authors on the subject), but intertwined are the stories of the men who were there. Mr. Zuehlke's research and interviews of the veterans help the book to read very easily and, while not a novel, not a history book either.

I've just finished "Juno", am 1/2 way through "Holding Juno", and cannot thank the author enough for what he has done in these two books. I have a family connection to Juno Beach/Normandy and through reading Mr. Z's two books, have learned more about what happened on the ground than I have through previoulsy reading a small library of other books on the subject. My only regret is that his third book in the trilogy, apparently to cover the taking of Caen and the closing of the Falaise gap, will not be out until the Fall of 2011.

Even if one has no family connection to the Juno Beach "story", this book and Mr. Z's "Juno" will clear up many, many misconceptions concerning the supposed "lacklustre" participation, performance and contribution of the brave Canadian volunteers who fought and died in Normandy so many years ago. Bravo Mr. Zuehlke and the veterans who were there.

Although belated this is the best historical analysis of the much ignored Candian Forces contributions in life and limb to the Normandy invasion and further liberation of Western Europe.
It is not a story aclaiming heroics but a thoughtful analysis of viewpoints and decision making at all levels that culminate in atrocious sacrifice of the ordinary fighting man-excluding 98% of generals!