A day-by-day re-creation of the D-Day invasion and its aftermath, told through groundbreaking new and highly detailed computer-generated maps, authoritative text by a noted military historian, and contemporary photographs

D-Day was the culmination of four years of planning and preparation. Charles Messenger’s vivid study of the landings and subsequent campaign chronicles the gradual evolution of the plan, encompassing the intelligence efforts, the Anglo-US strategic debate over where the Allies should attack, and the elaborate deception put in place to fool the Germans about the true D-Day objective. The build-up culminates in a day-by-day account of the landings by sea and by air and the ensuing grim, six-week struggle for to break through the German defences.

An important feature of the book is the space devoted to the German point of view, based on the latest archival research. The Nazi defences of western Europe, including the construction of the so-called Atlantic Wall, and the debate as to how to counter the Allied threat, are described in detail. So too is the organization of the French Resistance in northern and western France.

At the heart of this fascinating re-creation of the D-Day campaign are , which incorporate the latest computer technology. Many of the 71 full colour maps are in fact based on the very ones used by the Allies in 1944. Specially commissioned reconstruction drawings and 82 contemporary photographs help bring the beaches and bocage of Normandy to life.

With its superb cartography and authoritative text, The D-Day Atlas is both a compelling narrative history and an essential work of reference.