D-Day: The Essential Reference Guide. Edited by Spencer C. Tucker. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2017. 280 p. Acid-free $89 (ISBN 978-1-4408-4974-9). E-book available (978-1-4408-4975-6), call for pricing.

The Normandy Landings, commonly referred to as D-Day, was a pivotal moment in the course of the Second World War. This successful invasion of the northwestern beaches of France marked the beginning of the Allied liberation of the western front, and would ultimately lead to the defeat of Nazi Germany. D-Day: The Essential Reference Guide successfully provides quality reference information on this major historical event.

This single-volume, 280-page work is home to a wealth of reference information on seemingly every relevant aspect of D-Day. Organized alphabetically, entries run between one and five pages in length. Fortunately for students and history buffs alike, each entry features a bibliography of further readings, enabling and encouraging users to continue their study and research. Editor Spencer C. Tucker has crafted an exceptional collection of well-written, illuminating entries covering such topics as Allied Warships, the French Resistance, Charles de Gaulle, and Operation Cobra.

Additionally, this reference work features numerous maps and charts of the invasion, a collection of nine facsimile primary source documents consisting of letters and speeches from the likes of President Franklin Roosevelt and General Dwight D. Eisenhower, an exceptionally detailed chronology of events that outlines (in some instances to the minute) the invasion, and a comprehensive bibliography of all sources cited in the creation of this volume. Despite the single-volume format, this encyclopedia contains all of the features one would expect from an expansive, multi-volume set.

One important consideration to take into account, and the only potential weakness of this work, is the scope of this encyclopedia. While a great many libraries would benefit from a general reference work on World War II in its entirety, adding a reference work singularly focused on one (admittedly very important) event within World War II could potentially limit the appeal for libraries and readers. High school and undergraduate libraries are most likely to have students studying World War II in moderate to significant detail and would probably benefit the most by having access to this reference work.

The many strengths of this encyclopedia, such as its diminutive size, approachable writing style, ease of use, and the breadth of its coverage on all aspects of D-Day, far outweigh its only notable weakness being its singular focus on D-Day itself. This encyclopedia is highly recommended for high school and undergraduate libraries.—Matthew Laudicina, Reference Program Coordinator, Sojourner Truth Library, State University of New York at New Paltz