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If Chaos Reigns: The Near-Disaster and Ultimate Triumph of the Allied Airborne Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944 Hardcover – June 2, 2011

by Flint Whitlock (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 381 ratings
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“Gentlemen, do not be daunted if chaos reigns; it undoubtedly will.” So said Brigadier S. James Hill, commanding officer of the British 3rd Parachute Brigade, in an address to his troops shortly before the launching of Operation Overlord—the D-Day invasion of Normandy. No more prophetic words were ever spoken, for chaos indeed reigned on that day, and many more that followed.

Much has been written about the Allied invasion of France, but award-winning military historian Flint Whitlock has put together a unique package—the first history of the assault that concentrates exclusively on the activities of the American, British, and Canadian airborne forces that descended upon Normandy in the dark, pre-dawn hours of 6 June 1944. Landing into the midst of the unknown, the airborne troops found themselves fighting for their lives on every side in the very jaws of the German defenses, while striving to seize their own key objectives in advance of their seaborne comrades to come.

Whitlock details the formation, recruitment, training, and deployment of the Allies’ parachute and glider troops. First-person accounts by the veterans who were there—from paratroopers to glidermen to the pilots who flew them into the battle, as well as the commanders (Eisenhower, Taylor, Ridgway, Gavin, and more)—make for compelling, “you-are-there” reading. If Chaos Reigns is a fitting tribute to the men who rode the wind into battle and managed to pull victory out of confusion, chaos, and almost certain defeat.

Author/military historian Flint Whitlock graduated from the Army's Airborne School at Ft. Benning, GA, in 1965 and spent five years on active duty, including a combat tour in Vietnam. He is the author of nine books, six of which are about World War II, and is currently the editor of WWII Quarterly. He has appeared in documentaries on The History Channel and on the Fox Channel's "War Stories with Oliver North," and now lives in Denver, CO.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Martin K.A. Morgan
Preface
Introduction

Chapter 1: The Germans’ Brilliant Idea
Chapter 2: Training a Brit Paratrooper
Chapter 3: America Joins the Fight
Chapter 4: Canada: Standing on Guard
Chapter 5: Getting Gliders Off the Ground
Chapter 6: The Germans on the Defensive
Chapter 7: The “All Americans” Prepare
Chapter 8: Pathfinders and Paradummies
Chapter 9: The British/Canadian Preparations
Chapter 10: The Sharpening of Knives
Chapter 11: The Decision to Go
Chapter 12: The British/Canadian Take-Off & Drop
Chapter 13: Target: Sainte-Mère-Église
Chapter 14: The Canadian Drop
Chapter 15: The 101st’s Jump
Chapter 16: Shootout at the W-X-Y-Z Complex, the Fight for Brécourt Manor, and Other Skirmishes
Chapter 17: Battle for the Orne Bridges
Chapter 18: Disaster at the Merville Battery
Chapter 19: Securing Pegasus Bridge
Chapter 20: Death at the Château, Battle at the Crossroads
Chapter 21: Battle of Sainte-Mère-Église
Chapter 22: Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer
Chapter 23: Hell in the Hedgerows
Chapter 24: The Battle for Chef-du-Pont & La Fière Bridge
Chapter 25: D-Day Plus 1—And Beyond
Chapter 26: The Battle for Bréville
Chapter 27: Final Fight for La Fière
Chapter 28: The Battles for Carentan & Graignes

Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Sources
Bibliography
Index
Previous page
  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Casemate
  4. Publication date
    June 2, 2011
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1612000002
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1612000008
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“…for anyone with any interest in the airborne operations phase of D-Day…A well written and well researched book…A great book, well worth a read…”
Army Rumour Service

“…excellent and well balanced view of the airborne operations on D-Day as well as tackling the background that led up to the events on that most famous of days…does a great job of organizing the stories of how that chaos sorted itself out so well and makes for a very readable set of accounts to give the wide story of the airborne operations that played such a vital part in the success of the D-Day Landings.”
Military Modelling

"an examination of the Normandy landings that concentrates exclusively on the activities of the American,British, and Canadian airborne forces that descended upon Normandy in the dark, pre-dawn hours of 6 June 1944. Drawing on numerous first-hand accounts, Whitlock details not only the formation, training and deployment of the Allies’ parachute and glider troops, but the events on the ground at the many targets.”"
Britain at War

"Vietnam veteran and former U.S. Army paratrooper Flint Whitlock has written a gem of a book that highlights the 'fog of war' as seen by American. British and Canadian airborne units when they parachuted behind enemy lines to be the vanguard of the D-Day invasion....What makes Whitlock's book such a good read is his no-holds-barred style of writing that accurately depicts the combat that these "devils in baggy pants" endured. The fighting described is intense and savage....Another wonderful aspect of the book is the lesser-known battles that were fought, especially by the Canadians, who have received scant recognition for their tremendous contributions to the campaign....Whitlock's book is a worthy tribute to the airborne and glider units that spearheaded the D-Day invasion...."
WWII History

“It is the personal accounts, the human factor, which drives how wars are won and World War II was no exception. “If Chaos Reigns” highlights this fact in the training and combat accounts on every page… straightforward and captivating. Needless to say, this book is a page turner, filled with cutting edge history and the personal accounts of this crucial and pivotal battle of World War II. The author adds to the importance of Operation Overlord and alos emphasizes the human factor, something often overlooked in many military histories. Whitlock’s work is a great addition to the history of D-Day and the important role played by the Allied Airborne Forces.”
MILITARY

About the Author

Flint Whitlock is a former U.S. Army officer who earned his Parachutist’s Badge at Fort Benning in 1965 and served five years on active duty, including a year in Vietnam. He is the author of several acclaimed, award-winning books of military history and dozens of magazine articles, and is the editor of WWII Quarterly. He lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, psychologist Dr. Mary Ann Watson.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Casemate; First Edition (June 2, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1612000002
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1612000008
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 381 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
381 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars An incredibly well researched and well written book that provides ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
An incredibly well researched and well written book that provides a fascinating look at the airborne operations during D-Day. The book provides a look at a critical part of Operation Overlord that could have ended in disaster but for the tenacity and initiative of our airborne troops and their commanders.

I just returned from a trip to Normandy for the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Reading this book beforehand provided me with a greater appreciation for the accomplishments of our soldiers, sailors, and airmen in ensuring the success of Overlord.
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David in Mississippi
4.0 out of 5 stars A History Book, not an Adventure Novel. Worth the read.
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2015
Verified Purchase
The first thing to understand about this book is that it is a HISTORY book, not an adventure novel. An adventure novel might say something about the troops working through the hedgerows, being raked by machine gun fire, when suddenly three panzer tanks appeared on the causeway. Because this is a history book, Whitlock tells us the name, rank, and unit of several of the men in this battle, plus the unit names of the panzer division and the Germans manning the machine gun.

It's not a textbook, but rather a very well-researched documentation of glider and paratroop operations during the Normandy invasion. That being said, it is quite well written. I found no flaws in the grammar, spelling, etc., and for the most part it was quite readable, if made somewhat ponderous by all the details.

Whitlock does an outstanding job of putting together a deep look into what may be one of the least-well documented aspects of the invasion, and helps us to fully appreciate that while the glider and paratroopers did not single-handedly win D-Day, it is clear that D-Day would not have been successful without them.

Finally, even though Whitlock gives us the cold, hard numbers regarding casualties, KIAs, MIAs, horribly mutilating wounds from the savagery of war, he does a fine job of humanizing these numbers with such statments as this: "For each KIA number, there had once been a living, breathing human being - someone's son, husband, brother, nephew, or father. For each number, there was an anguished, grieving family who would forever mourn their loss..."

If you enjoy military history, you should enjoy this book. It's not a fast read, but it's a good one.
3 people found this helpful
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RicTaylorhard
5.0 out of 5 stars "The best laid plans ...."
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2015
Verified Purchase
I was struck in reading the comment of one officer about being briefed on one of the most important military operations in history--he said he didn't pay attention because airborne operations never go according to plans! Chaos reigns. That was certainly true for airborne and glider units on D-day in Normandy. Be prepared for a fresh look at the strategic decisions and tactical results as told largely through the words of the undaunted participants. This is a must read account of an operation commemorated but with many fresh details seldom read. Airborne!
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Allen
4.0 out of 5 stars I wish the maps were better. As a suggestion
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2014
Verified Purchase
It induces chaos to read this book because the characters and events come at you so fast. However, it is a gripping read and very clearly shows the ultimate confusion of this air invasion and the heroics of the individual American and British solders. I wish the maps were better. As a suggestion, readers might want to purchase "The D-Day Atlas" by John Man because it shows in more detail the overall movement of the forces. I want to particularly compliment the author for his inclusion of so many names and their individual contributions. It should be of great comfort to the families and friends of these heroes. I will probably read this again and again because at each reading, a greater sense of the battles which started our liberation from the Nazi war machine. I am 85 years old, served in the Army during Korea but missed this war by only a couple of years. Thanks to Mr. Whitlock for this well researched book.
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Mike Beunder
3.0 out of 5 stars Definitely adds some details to the existing story but less than expected.
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2016
Verified Purchase
Even though the book presents a lot of details behind the airborne operations related to D-Day I found it somewhat disappointing and had trouble finishing the book. The details are interesting but some of the real details (for instance the pahtfinders and their to the most part lack of success in marking the landing zones) are only sparsely covered even though the results of their failure are of course throughout the book. In some cases interesting details on the equipment (including the gliders) but sometimes also conspicuously absent (yet again the pathfinder equipment, radios, ...).
The overall discussion around the sense of airborne operations has been covered by others in more detail. I am an avid reader of history books with detailed narrative on specific operations but I didn't get a warm feeling with this book. It does add some depth to the existing information but a lot less than I was expecting. There are bigger "fish" out there to "fry".
One person found this helpful
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N. de Lancey
5.0 out of 5 stars GREATEST HEROES OF THE GREATEST GENERATION
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2014
Verified Purchase
One wonders how these brave men parachuted in, marched straight in from ships, etc., and those who survived that, fought and
died within the next few days. I hope nothing like it will ever have to be experienced again. Imagine the terror they faced. Actually,
I don't think any of us who watched on Fox Movietone News shortly after it all occurred, could really understand what it was like.
I am left weeping when I realize what we owe our servicemen, and how little we remember of their great sacrifices.

The author of this book did a great job of expressing the chaos that existed, and the successful outcome of the operation on
D Day. I was "wrung out" by the time I finished reading the book. I would recommend reading "If Chaos Reigns", if you want
a comprehensive description of those days that includes D Day in World War II.
One person found this helpful
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Richard Fortune
5.0 out of 5 stars Great listening
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
Excellent audio book.
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Eduardo Correa
4.0 out of 5 stars Invasão da Normandia pelas tropas aerotransportadas.
Reviewed in Brazil on April 14, 2015
Verified Purchase
O livro trata da invasão da Normandia pelas tropas aerotransportadas Aliadas. É diferente da grande maioria dos livros sobre o assunto porque explora tão somente este lado, sem descrever a invasão por parte das tropas embarcadas. Bastante abrangente, descrevendo desde o surgimento da ideia das tropas aerotransportadas, seu desenvolvimento, treinamento e finalmente o emprego destas tropas, inicialmente na Itália e depois na França.
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Steve the history buff
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoy reading about history
Reviewed in Australia on June 18, 2015
Verified Purchase
Enjoy reading about history,so this was very interesting for me.The actions of those young men on D day make those of our modern day sports and music heroes pale in significance.
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Normandy Battlefield Guide
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent summary of D-Day Airborne Ops
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 26, 2011
Verified Purchase
This book is very slow to get moving and to be frank the first 80 pages; a history of the origins of airborne forces is not neccessary.

If you can survive the tedium of the first third of the book, once the story gets moving this new publication provides an excellent summary of both the US and Commonwealth airborne operations on D-Day. Drawing from a well balanced selection of sources the book does not claim to be a definitive history but none the less would be a great starting point for anyone wanting an introductory insight into some of the most remarkable operations ever mounted.

If you enjoy this and wish to go deeper into this history try searching for the work of Neil Barber, Carl Shilleto, Phil Nordyke and Mark Bando.
6 people found this helpful
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stewart
1.0 out of 5 stars if chaos reigns
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2012
Verified Purchase
I found this book very boring,with too much detail in the begining.
In fact I have not finished it and will not.
There is very little fiction based on fact written about D day
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