Normandy ’44

The Allied invasion of Normandy begins with airborne landings, naval bombardment and assaults on five beaches, but D-Day is only the first stage of a campaign fought through fortified towns, bocage and the approaches to Caen. German forces retain enough strength to delay the breakout despite Allied control of the sea and growing superiority in the air.

Holland follows commanders, soldiers, aircrew and civilians through the landings, the struggle for Caen, Operation Cobra and the Falaise encirclement. The account emphasises logistics, coalition command and combined arms, explaining why the campaign was neither an effortless Allied victory nor a simple contest between superior German tactics and overwhelming material.