An "unforgettable . . . magnificently stirring" account of the most important offensive in World War II—and a day that decided the fate of humanity (The New York Times).

June 6, 1944, is one of the most famous dates in world history, and a defining date in countless personal histories. Rather than a sweeping overview of the 7,000 vessels, 12,000 aircraft, and 750,000 men, this intimate chronicle observes D-Day through the eyes of the men on the ground. Through personal accounts, the author weaves together the larger story of the battle of Normandy with the stories of the beachhead itself.

In this "book of careful research and a sensitivity" the scope of Howarth's vision—focusing on England and France, on sky, beach, and hedgerow, on divisions and squads—makes Dawn of D-Day a stark and honest portrayal of the greatest amphibious operation in history (Kirkus Reviews).