Overview

An immersive narrative non-fiction account of the landings on Sword Beach by new maritime historian Stephen Fisher 'Stephen Fisher is one of the best kept secrets in military history. With his wealth of knowledge and exacting eye for detail, his book on D-Day is sure to impress a vast audience' Dan Snow 'Stephen Fisher... is a very rare beast - a man who can bring stunning research and scholarship hand-in-glove with the gifts of a fine storyteller' James Holland 'Written with verve and panache, I can almost hear the splash of waves against the LCTs, the whine of bullets overhead, feel the concussive thud of shells and mortars, and experience the rush of sweat, fear and adrenaline as Fisher describes the opening battle in Normandy on that day of all days - D Day on Sword Beach. It's a brilliant evocation of one of the greatest days in history, and Fisher has done it proud. Bravo!' Robert Lyman, author of Victory to Defeat- The British Army 1918-1940 _________ 6th June 1944 saw the largest seaborne assault in human history- D-Day. The landings on the five Normandy beaches, Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, will go down in legend as the first footsteps on the journey to end the war in northern Europe. While much has been written about the operation as a whole, little detailed attention has been paid to the battle for Sword Beach itself, the easternmost of the amphibious attack areas. For the first time, historian and archaeologist Stephen Fisher puts the British landing under the spotlight and using previously unseen research, documents and personal testimonies pieces together the buildup, the day itself and its aftermath in such a way as to uniquely bring the operation to vivid life. Following a massive air and naval bombardment that began before the sun had even risen, the stage was set for the first of tens of thousands of troops to come ashore on Sword that day. It was to be a day of triumph and tragedy as the Allies pushed forward to the key objective of Caen against German defenders who were, uniquely on D-Day, backed up by an armoured division. Never before has this campaign been afforded such insightful and detailed scrutiny. Stephen Fisher brings his considerable knowledge and expertise to paint a thrilling picture of how the deep beachhead was established and pays tribute to the heroism and sacrifices that were made on that fateful day.

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9781787636712

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Stephen Fisher is a historian and archaeologist, specialising in military history. Growing up on British Forces bases in Germany and then the British Army’s training area on Salisbury Plain, Stephen’s professional career includes cataloguing the entirety of World War II archaeology of the New Forest National Park and researching First World War shipwrecks in the English Channel. He was the heritage adviser for the National Museum of the Royal Navy’s restoration of LCT 7074, the last surviving landing craft tank used in D-Day. As well as studying the events of World War II on the Normandy coast, Stephen has extensively investigated the extent of surviving D-Day infrastructure on England’s south coast, contributing to television programmes such as ITV’s My Grandad’s War and No Roses on a Sailor’s Grave. When he’s not researching military history, Stephen undertakes archaeological surveys around the south of England, and lectures on small expedition vessels around the world.

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