Focusing on the invasion of Normandy and Operation Market Garden, the Past & Present series uses dozens of archival and contemporary photographs to reveal the scope and effects of these pivotal World War II battles. Short texts clarify the important events, while clear, easy to understand maps make it possible to follow the progress of Allied forces as they advanced.

Operation Tonga began at 22:56 on the night of June 5, 1944, when the 6th Airborne set out to capture the bridges over the Caen Canal and the River Orne, and destroy the heavily fortified Merville coastal artillery battery, to ensure that it could not shell the forces landing on Sword Beach. The photographs here give a vivid sense of the men who undertook this perilous mission, which helped support the D-Day landings.