From the bestselling author of Band of Brothers, a detailed and captivating account of the critical fight for Pegasus Bridge that shaped the outcome of the Normandy landings.

In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, a small detachment of British airborne troops stormed the German defense forces and paved the way for the Allied invasion of Europe. Pegasus Bridge was the first engagement of D-Day, the turning point of World War II.

This gripping account of that day brings to life a daring mission so crucial that, had it been unsuccessful, the entire Normandy invasion might have failed. Acclaimed author Stephen Ambrose traces each step of the preparations over many months to the minute-by-minute excitement of the hand-to-hand confrontations on the bridge. This is a story of heroism and cowardice, kindness and brutality—the stuff of all great adventures.