“Right[s] some of the injustices done to the Canadians” on their maligned actions during the Invasion of Normandy. “An absorbing account” (Firetrench). The Canadian Fourth Armoured Division crossed the Channel in July 1944 to support the invading forces and assist in the Allied attempts to break out of the Normandy beachhead. They were heavily engaged in Operation Totalize and Operation Tractable but have been criticized for their failure to close the ‘Falaise gap’ and complete the entrapment of withdrawing German forces. Their commander, Major General George Kitching, was relieved of his command after just twenty-one days in action. Angelo Caravaggio reexamines the division’s performance and particularly that of its leadership. Using new information, he establishes that, despite entering battle for the first time during one of the most challenging phases of Allied operations in August 1944, the 4th Armoured Division, under Kitching’s leadership, proved resilient and adaptive in overcoming the volatile and unpredictable nature of warfare in Normandy. The combat operations of August 1944 transformed the division into a battle-hardened combat formation that would later distinguish itself through its ability to generate a sustained drive across France out of the chaos and destruction of the Normandy battles. “The author uses new information to demonstrate the unit did show flexibility and adapted to the battlefield quickly, despite being thrown into battle during one of the Normandy Campaign’s critical phases. His arguments are detailed and based upon in-depth research, and the book has many detailed maps to help the reader follow the action.” —Warfare History Network

Peace has now returned to Normandy. The blood-soaked beaches have been cleansed by the waves of the English Channel. The cows and Camembert cheese have returned. Screams and gunfire have been replaced by the sounds of wind in the bluffs above and the pounding of the surf below. The smell of apple blossoms and cider have replaced the stench of gunpowder and death. All is well in Normandy, but history will never let us forget the events that occurred here in June of 1944, the battle known as ¿Operation Overlord.¿***For the past seven decades, the region of Normandy, France, has lived in the shadow of one of the most infamous times in history: the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. On this day seventy-five years ago, the Allied Forces clashed with Nazi soldiers on the beaches of Normandy. Now, where their gunfire once thundered, the beaches and hamlets have returned to their original serenity.In Normandy, 75 Years Later, Dennis P. Klein takes readers on a photographic journey through modern-day Normandy and the historical remnants left behind from the beginning of the end of World War II in the European theater. Poignant in its accurate retelling of the invasion of Normandy, Normandy, 75 Years Later offers readers invaluable insight into the history and beauty of Normandy, France, on the seventy-fifth anniversary of D-Day.

The story behind D-Day begins in 1939 when Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, attacked Poland and ignited World War Two. The following year, the Germans occupied France and Western Europe and launched a vicious air war against Britain. In 1941, they invaded the Soviet Union. Seemingly unstoppable, the Nazis now held virtually all of Europe. They imposed a ruthless system of control and unleashed the horror of the Holocaust. However, by 1943, the tide had begun to turn in favor of the Allies, the forces opposed to Germany. In the east, despite huge losses, the Soviets began to force the Germans back.

Here, for the first time in paperback, is an outstanding military history that offers a dramatic new perspective on the Allied campaign that began with the invasion of the D-Day beaches of Normandy. Nationa advertising in Military History.

In the hours before dawn on June 6, 1944, an unprecedented assemblage of men, weapons, and machines swung into action. The long-awaited, highly secret D-Day invasion had begun. By the end of the day, the mission to liberate Europe had made its most crucial advance. This book marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of D-Day through a richly illustrated account of the invasion and its aftermath. Drawing on the unparalleled collections of IWM, it reconstructs the historic landings and the subsequent battle for a foothold in Normandy through images of artifacts, documents, period photographs, and art. Interviews, firsthand accounts, and film stills put the reader right into the action, reminding us that even with all the careful planning and firepower the Allies were able to muster, the outcome of the invasion was far from certain. Re-creating the drama and danger of D-Day, this book will be the perfect commemoration of a day that truly changed the world.

The inspiring story of 162 US paratroopers, dropped hopelessly off target, and the French villagers who assisted and supported them.