D-Day And The Battle For Normandy 2020

There are very
few moments in history
in which
you
can see the shape ofworld events shift in just 24 hours. D-Day was one ofthose rare occasions.
Although
the Second World War would rumble
on for another year, June 1944 marked the
beginning ofthe end. Its fallout was felt across
the globe.
Looking back with the comfort ofhindsight,
it’s easy
to forget that, in 1944, the success of an Allied invasion was no foregone
conclusion. The night before the
landings, Dwight Eisenhower, supreme Allied commander, drafted
short message
for the invading
forces. Scrawled in pencil,
it accepted
all
responsibility
for the failure ofthe invasion and the withdrawal ofAllied
troops
from France. As it turned out, the note was never needed it
remained tucked in Eisenhower's wallet.
The scale ofthe operation was mind-boggling. It was massive
enterprise, reliant on the contributions of countless men and women,
from infantrymen and paratroopers
to pilots, scientists, factory workers
and Resistance agents. Released to mark the 75th anniversary year ofthe landings, this
special edition brings together some ofthose incredible personal stories,
charting
the dramatic events of June 1944 hour by hour, and the bitter
battle to liberate Nazi-occupied
France that followedEllie Cawthorne, Editor