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.

Incredible photos reveal how D-Day unfolded hour-by-hour 75 years ago . . . . astonishing colour photographs . . . . The collected snaps vividly show the timeline of one of the most crucial military victories for the Allies in the Second World War. --The Sun
Rare photos and historians' painstaking detective work map out [the] reality of how the Allies launched the world's biggest ever military op . . . . The shots, published chronologically for the first time ever, have brought to life one of the key turning points of the Second World War. --The Daily Mail
These images offer a rare insight into this decisive victory. --CNN Style

Anthony Richards is head of documents and sound at Imperial War Museums.