Normandy ’44: D-Day and the Battle for France

The largest seaborne invasion in history began on June 6, 1944, when more than 150,000 troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France. For the next 76 days, British, American, and Canadian soldiers and airmen slowly fought against a retreating but not yet defeated German army. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the Battle of Normandy was a brutal but ultimately successful retaking of Europe from Nazi control. Historian Holland (Big Week; The Rise of Germany) thoroughly describes the tactical events leading up to and immediately following D-Day, as well as the many challenges, mistakes, and myths surrounding the battle itself. Personal narratives from both Allied and German officers and air and ground troops, along with technical descriptions of weapons manufacture and use, provide an absorbing perspective on one of the most significant events in modern military history.