Saturday, 6th June

Carentan

8.30 p.m.: Dance of Liberation with Big Band “Tea for Two” at salle le Haut Dick (next to the marina).
Organization: CLG – baldelaliberationcarentan@gmail.com or http://carentanlibertygroup.forumgratuit.org/forum

 Méautis-Carentan

8.30 p.m.: Dinner-Jazz concert at the Manor of Donville.
Prior booking: 0033 (0)2 33 42 03 22 or 0033 (0)6 47 51 02 69.

11.30 p.m: Night spectacle with theatre-cinema guided visit of vestiges from the battle field
and re-enactment of the take of the manor of June 1944.
Entrance fee: 10 €.
Prior booking: 0033 (0)2 33 42 03 22 or 0033 (0)6 47 51 02 69.

Saint Côme du Mont

9.30 a.m.-6 p.m.: Opening of the new building “D-Day experience” at the Paratrooper Historical Center.
Information: 00 33 (0)2 33 42 00 42 or paratrooper-museum.org

Dead Man’s Corner museum

 Sainte Mère Eglise

9 a.m.-4 p.m. : Military fair, at the hall market. Organization: Association Timberwolves
– 0033 608 45 24 65 or ballesterbarth@aol.com

4.30 p.m.: Memorial service in the church.
Organization: AVA – contact@avanormandie.org

5.30 p.m.: Ceremony at AVA and Alexandre Renaud Monuments.
Organization: AVA – contact@avanormandie.org

 Saturday, 6th June

Carentan

4.30 p.m.: Arrival of Carentan Liberty March, place de la République.
Organization: CLG – carentanlibertymarch@outlook.com or http://carentanlibertygroup.forumgratuit.org/forum

6 p.m.: Theatre play on themes “WW1”, “V” and “and if we would build Peace together”.
At salle des fêtes. Free. (around 1h15).
Organization: la Langue fourchue du papillon – laurence.bohec.llfdp@gmail.com

Friday 5th June

Sainte-Marie-du-Mont

Sainte Marie du Mont

9 a.m.-5 p.m.: Military fair, in open air, next to the sport field.
Organization: Club du Souvenir Militaire
– 0033 233 71 56 54 or leholdy@orange.fr

 Thursday 4th-Sunday 7th June

Sainte Marie du Mont

Reconstruction of a US military camp with diorama around the church.
Organization: Club du Souvenir Militaire
– 0033 233 71 56 54 or leholdy@orange.fr

 Saturday, 6th June

Carentan

Afternoon:
2.30-5.30 p.m.: Concert of “Bulle Mazette” (1940’s music)
Parade of military and vintage vehicles.
Re-enactment of an exodus.
Start from Aquadick on the harbor (meeting at 3 p.m. for participants),
arrival on place de la République.

Friday 5th June

Picauville

6.30 p.m.: Ceremony at the 90th Infantry Division monument, rue Pasteur, Picauville.
With around 200 American and German paratroopers and German and Scottish military music.
Organization: Association Picauville Se Souvient (in partnership with Picauville Townhall)
– 0033 233 41 02 48 or charles.dennebouy@orange.fr

90th Inf. Div. Memorial Tough Ombres

7.30 p.m.: Friendship dinner at salle Polyvalente.
Offered to the soldiers by Association in order to thank all troops that participated
to commemorations in Picauville during 6th June events.
With around 200 American and German paratroopers and German and Scottish military music.
Dinner can be attended by people with prior booking. (price to be defined).
Organization: Association Picauville Se Souvient
– 0033 233 41 02 48 or charles.dennebouy@orange.fr

 Friday 5th June

Picauville

90th Inf. Div. Memorial Tough Ombres

6.30 p.m.: Ceremony at the 90th Infantry Division monument, rue Pasteur, Picauville.
With around 200 American and German paratroopers and German and Scottish military music.
Organization: Association Picauville Se Souvient (in partnership with Picauville Townhall)
– 0033 233 41 02 48 or charles.dennebouy@orange.fr

7.30 p.m.: Friendship dinner at salle Polyvalente.
Offered to the soldiers by Association in order to thank all troops
that participated to commemorations in Picauville during 6th June events.
With around 200 American and German paratroopers
and German and Scottish military music.
Dinner can be attended by people with prior booking.
(price to be defined). Organization: Association Picauville Se Souvient
– 0033 233 41 02 48 or charles.dennebouy@orange.fr

 Saturday, 6th June

Time to be defined: Hike «  on the traces of Carentan exodus ».
Free. With prior booking: Tourist office
– 0033 233 71 23 50 or ot.carentan@ccbdc.fr-
Organization: Patrick Fissot and Mme Noël

One of the most-asked questions from tour clients has been:
What do you recommend reading that pertains to D-Day and the Battle of Normandy?

There are hundreds of  books on the subject, going back to shortly after the end of World War II.
More are turning up all the time, particularly memoirs of other nations’ soldiers just now appearing in English.
Among the best known works are Cornelius Ryan’s “The Longest Day” (1959) and Stephen Ambrose’s “Band of Brothers” (1992).

I have collected quite a few books and read many more, and I’ll be reviewing one on my website every couple of weeks. Those I review will be those I consider the best of the genre. There are basically two categories: the overview and the individual memoir; the best of both categories contain elements of the other.

Most of these books can be found in your local library, and for those who frequent swap meets and yards sales, some can be real bargains. Several on-line outlets have huge selections.

So, how shall we start?
Maybe with the story of the paratroopers coming from the sky in “The First Men In” by Ed Ruggero  or another great read “D-Day With The Screaming Eagles” by Georges Koskimaki