Juno Beach: Canada's D-Day Victory

Paul Dickson is a strategic analyst at the Directorate of Air Strategic
Plans, National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa.

Book-length accounts of Canada’s role in the Normandy landings are
surprisingly few, although that has been remedied somewhat by the spate
of books prompted by the 60th anniversary of D-Day. Mark Zuehlke’s
narrative history of the contribution made by Canadian sailors, airmen,
and soldiers blends the accounts of the combatants with a solid
narrative drawn from secondary and primary sources. The book addresses a
need (even if it is not quite as gaping as the author suggests in the
introduction) and is the best of those published to commemorate the
anniversary.

Two things distinguish Juno Beach from the competition. First, it
spends a proportionate amount of time relating the role of the navy and
the air force, roles that are often simply afterthoughts in most
narratives. Second, Zuehlke stresses both the magnitude of the
undertaking and what a huge gamble it really was. Despite the massive
preparations and training, it could have ended in disaster—witness
Omaha Beach—and Zuehlke does a good job of bringing an element of
suspense to the proceedings.

Nevertheless, the focus remains firmly fixed on individual Canadians.
Zuehlke manages to weave their story into the larger picture, providing
context and keeping the narrative moving along at a brisk pace. He moves
with relative ease between recounting anecdotes and providing
information on units, weapons, and tactics. Indeed, one of the book’s
great strengths is the author’s ability to demonstrate the tactics and
operations through the story of the men themselves.

Characterizing Juno Beach as a narrative popular history does a
disservice to the research and writing; it serves only to signify the
target audience. The book, if not startlingly unique, is meaty enough
for academics and reflects much of the current literature on D-Day. One
can debate whether the lessons learned at Dieppe had that much influence
at Normandy, but the purpose of the book is not to open up debates. If
you have to make a choice among the books on offer as the commemorative
activities surrounding the various 60th anniversaries reach a crescendo,
this is one of the best.