After a difficult minority, the young Duke managed to make Normandy one of the greatest provinces in the kingdom of France. The power he acquired enabled him to fit out a fleet and land it in England, and then to defeat and kill King Harold. Crowned King of England at Christmas 1066, he would go down in history as William the Conqueror. This glorious epic is reflected in so many military and religious buildings in Normandy. The authors of this work aimed simply to walk in the tracks of William the Conqueror, his ancestors, family and contemporaries (whether friends of foes). Making use of recent research, they have tried to make his troubled life and times accessible and to arouse in the more curious a desire to wander the four corners of the province to discover its past. And so they offer 22 walks following in William's footsteps.

In French and english. Sword was the easternmost British beach of the landings on June 6th 1944. "Sword", symbol of justice, was also the emblem of Second British Army. The main landings by 3rd Infantry Division and First Commando Brigade took place on Queen sector at Hermanville, once known for its good swimming areas. Commandant Kieffer's Free French Commandos' prestigious raid at Colleville played a part in the legendary capture of the Ouistreham-Riva-Bella Casino. The storm of fire on D-Day would forever alter the pre-war swimming haven. Old postcard images became unrecognizable. But the combination of these two eras is at the heart of what is now a colorfully illustrated new book on this sector of the landing beaches.

Since 1944, the word Omaha has been synonymous with the heavy price paid by the American Armed Forces to break through the wall of the Nazis Fortress Europe instorming 7km of beach. Omaha is a large city in the state of Nebraska that is certainly less visited than its Norman namesake. But despite the beauty of this long stretch of sandy beach on the Pearl Coast, even the most ardent fan of sun and surf cannot help but feel moved on seeing the cliffs of Omaha-Beach. There now stands the Normandy American Cemetery, the resting and remembrance place of almost 11000 Americans who gave their lives in the Liberation of North-West Europe which started here, on Omaha-Beach, one very special 6 June in 1944.

On June 6, 1944, the village of Sainte-Mère-Église was placed in the forefront of the greatest military operation ever seen either before or since. From that date on, a date synonymous with hope, the renown of this village went far beyond its borders. What are the reasons for this continuing renown? Hollywood has undoubtedly helped in popularizing this iconic site, but what really happened on the square of the village and elsewhere on the night of D-Day? How many days did the battle last? How fierce was it? Would the story suddenly stop in the days after the combats? Based on over 400 photos, often unpublished, this book shines a light on the different phases of the battle of Sainte-Mère-Église. From the first drops of American parachutists of the 82nd Airborne Division to the violent German counter-attacks of the following days, not to mention the plight of the civilians, this rigorous and engaging inquest will transport the reader into the heart of the combats, those experienced at the level of human beings.New fact: this work revisits a chapter which is little known yet fundamental to this great story: handling the dead during and after the battle followed by the creation of great temporary military cemeteries around Sainte-Mère-Église. The presence of 13,000 Americans fallen in this tiny area would have a profound impact on the views and the lives of the natives. For Sainte-Mère-Église and its inhabitants, the unthinkable had become unforgettable.

The Bayeux Tapestry, a truly unique masterpiece, is in fact a woollen embroidery on a linen canvas. Over a length of 70 metres, it tells the story of the Norman Conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy, in 1066. It also proves to be an excellent documentary source on 11th century life. As its superb reproductions unfold, the author strives to depict the events that spurred the conquest and to re-enact the famous Battle of Hastings, during which Harold II of England was killed. Freezes on several frames enable the spectator to grasp the details of day-to-day life and to appreciate some rather comical figures.

I William ..

There, at about forty meters high and on a tray of some hundred meters wide, extends a fortress even more formidable than those of Pevensey and Hastings. It is the army of king Harold of England, wall of thousands of shields arranged in several rows. Raised on his horse, our Duke Guillaume raises his stick of command. " Diex ouch! " He exclaims." To us, the Normans, to you, young person Arnoul, to face the fate! "With Arnoul, young 15-year-old Norman, lover of his beautiful Mahaut, cross the sea together with thousands of men and with horses, towards England.

This book presents an impressive inventory of the gigantic efforts employed by the workshops of the Allies to defeat the Oppressor. Each GI was backed by 12 tons of equipment ; for every infantryman, sailor or airman in action in the Battle of Normandy and later in the Battle for France, 10 soldiers were in support behind, to ensure they obtained their objectives with minimum risk speed and maximum ease. These were the troops of American, British and Canadian War Effort, (behind-the-lines), whose logistic support, made possible the Allied Victory of 1945. Not forgotten are the civilians on war-work, 65 million men and women, united in the vast industrial enterprise who together forged the tools of victory.

That they were unique or on the contrary produced in millions of copies, hundred objects presented within the framework of this work have this in common that they form the weft of one Major episode of the Second World War, the Battle of Normandy. If all the objects selected in these pages turn out "unknown persons", none is nevertheless harmless.

With about 100 panoramic photos, Christophe Daguet offers us a timeless postcard of Normandy of the D-DAY and invites you in a real journey in the landscapes of the Landing. The book is completed by an internet version which will allow you to reach sequences videos realized by the author, the comments in foreign languages, virtual visits 360°of the main sites and museums, and practical information.

Steve who had to be the first one to cross(exceed) the door of C-47 felt(smelt) his(her) heart pounding. This time, it was not any more necessary question to put off(move back).- Go! Made the largueur by typing him(her) the shoulder.- Geronimo! Barrow exclaimed by diving into the dark night space.Very fast, the sky of Normandy dotted of hundreds of corollas …Relive the tremendous epic of the paragraphs of the 82nd American airborne division which jumped on Sainte-Mère-Église at night from 5 till 6 June 1944 …

Azeville is a town populated township of Montebourg hundred and fifteen people at the beginning of the Second World War. His face is that of an unchanging town, built in the eighteenth century, backed by its church and bell gable. The population lives from agriculture and livestock. Between Azeville suddenly in history begins in March 1942 when the construction of a battery in the perfect site, according to the German military authorities to defend the east coast of the Cotentin. This irruption of world history in the heart of the Bocage shows in Normandy and France that of the Organisation Todt in charge of the building the Atlantic Wall. For over two years, the same garrison of one hundred and seventy soldiers, coexists with Azevillais to serve this fortified place archetype of modern war, the concrete, built to an industrial model by three hundred prisoners of the German Reich. Starting from unpublished archives, this book helps to explain this monumental construction of coastal defense, a little-known fortified heritage which has structured landscapes, and governs the relationship between the military and civilians, foreign and local.

Julie was not able to refrain from shivering fi xant the horizon there. Spectres, which she had thought of exorcising by coming here, were back.More present than never …Of the construction of the artifi port(bearing) sky of Arromanches in the treason of a network of local resistance, find the ghosts who haunt today still Port(Bearing)Winston.

Slapton Sands! An English beach of sinister memory for all those who, as the captain Schroeder, in April, 1944, had participated in the operation Tiger, the tragic rehearsal of the landing in Normandy.Two months later, to Utah Beach, Schroeder and his(her) men(people) were decided well to avenge the death of their companions …Through Leonard Schroeder's history, follow the epic of the American soldiers who, on June 6th, 1944, covered the darkness of five years of occupation under a rain of stars. Stars of Freedom …

This book is to honour all the brave and wonderful people who risked or gave their lives to free Europe from the nazis and the claws of fascism. Let us never forget the innocent victims, both young and old from all sides, who endured the losses and the suffering imposed upon them by those democratically elected evil criminals. We must never let this happen again.

With the Diary of the Battle of Normandy, relive, day after day, the fights of the summer, 1944, with their highlights, their great moments but also through little known facts, even for some widely ignored. Every Episode is accompanied with partially new photos, with documents, posters, "some" of the press, and with a map allowing to follow daily the evolution of the front.