Beschrijving

This volume offers a firsthand contemporary photographic chronicle of the 1944 Normandy campaign, drawing from testimonies of soldiers, correspondents and civilians who witnessed the invasion and its aftermath. Edited by Hal Buell, the book presents numerous full-page and archival images alongside journal-style commentary, capturing the scale of the landings, battles inland and the human dimensions of the liberation of France.

In addition to illustrating the military operations—from beach assaults, airborne drops and hedgerow fighting to the logistical flows and towns recaptured—the book reflects on what the invasion meant for individual participants: their fears, camaraderie, losses and hopes. The visual immediacy of the photographs is paired with short narrative captions that often echo the language and tone of wartime dispatches and letters, making the history both vivid and personal.

Finally, the book aims to situate the Normandy campaign within the broader context of World War II and its aftermath. While the emphasis is on the physical geography and chronology of June 1944 and the following weeks, the editors also note how this moment became a turning point for the Allies in Europe, how the civilian populations endured and recovered, and how memory of the events has been shaped by the images themselves. It is thus a powerful fusion of photo-journalism, documentation and historical narrative—suitable for history enthusiasts, students of visual wartime culture and anyone interested in the liberation of Europe.