Stephen E. Ambrose draws from more than 1,400 interviews with American, British, Canadian, French, and German veterans to create the preeminent chronicle of the most important day in the twentieth century. Ambrose reveals how the original plans for the invasion were abandoned, and how ordinary soldiers and officers acted on their own initiative.

D-Day is above all the epic story of men at the most demanding moment of their existence, when the horrors, complexities, and triumphs of life are laid bare. Ambrose portrays the faces of courage and heroism, fear and determination -- what Eisenhower called "the fury of an aroused democracy" -- that shaped the victory of the citizen soldiers whom Hitler had disparaged...

1 THE DEFENDERS

2 THE ATTACKERS

3 THE COMMANDERS

4 WHERE AND WHEN?

5 UTILIZING ASSETS

6 PLANNING AND PREPARING

7 TRAINING

8 MARSHALING AND BRIEFING

9 LOADING

10 DECISION TO Go

11 CRACKING THE ATLANTIC WALL

The Airborne into Normandy

12 "LET"S GET THOSE BASTARDS"

The Airborne Night Attack

13 "THE GREATEST Snow EVER STAGED"

The Air Bombardment

14 A LONG, ENDLESS COLUMN OF SHIPS

The Naval Crossing and Bombardment

15 "WE WILL START THE WAR FROM RIGHT HERE"

The 4th Division at Utah Beach

16 "Nous RESTONS ICI"

The Airborne in the Cotentin

17 VISITORS TO HELL

The l l6th Regiment at Omaha

18 UTTER CHAOS REIGNED

The 16th Regiment at Omaha

19 TRAFFIC JAM

Tanks, Artillery, and Engineers at Omaha

20 "I AM A DESTROYER MAN"

The Navy at Omaha Beach

18 CONTENTS

21 "WILL YOU TELL ME How WE DID THIS?"

The 2nd Ranger Battalion on D-Day Morning

22 Up THE BLUFF AT VIERVILLE

The 116th Regiment and 5th Ranger Battalion

23 CATASTROPHE CONTAINED

Easy Red Sector, Omaha Beach

24 STRUGGLE FOR THE HIGH GROUND

Vierville, St.-Laurent, and Colleville

25 "IT WAS JusT FANTASTIC"

Afternoon on Omaha Beach

26 THE WORLD HOLDS ITS BREATH

D-Day on the Home Fronts

27 "FAIRLY STUFFED WITH GADGETS"

The British Opening Moves

28 "EVERYTHING WAS WELL ORDERED"

The 50th Division at Gold Beach

29 PAYBACK

The Canadians at Juno Beach

30 "AN UNFORGETTABLE SIGHT"

The British at Sword Beach

31 "MY GOD, WE HAVE DONE IT"

The British Airborne on D-Day

32 "WHEN CAN THEIR GLORY FADE?"

The End of the Day

Glossary

Endnotes

Bibliography

Appendix A: Veterans who contributed oral histories or written memoirs to the Eisenhower Center

Index

Maps

The Final Overlord Invasion Plan

German Strength in Western Europe

Landing Diagram, Omaha Beach

Utah Beach Airborne Assault on D-Day

The Allied Assault Routes on D-Day

Utah Beach Infantry Assault on D-Day

Omaha Beach First Wave Landings on D-Day

Omaha Beach Eastern Sector

Omaha Beach Evening of D-Day