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.

Two months after D-Day, the U.S. First Army and British Second Army linked up with Polish and Canadian forces, creating a pincer movement to encircle the German army. As could be expected, the Germans fought furiously in this final phase of the Normandy campaign. The damage to civilian areas was considerable, the photos here reveal, but when the dust finally settled, more than 50,000 Germans had been taken prisoner.