On6June1944British,American,CanadianandFrenchtroopslandedinNormandybyairandsea.ThiswasoneofthekeymomentsoftheSecondWorldWar,along-anticipatedinvasionwhichwould,ultimately,leadtothedefeatofNaziGermany.Bytheday'sendalodgmenthadbeeneffectedandOperationOVERLORDwasbeinghailedasasuccess.

InrealitytheassaulthadproducedmixedresultsandatcertainpointsalongtheFrenchcoastlinethepositionwasstillfarfromcertain.ThekeyAlliedobjectiveshadalsonotbeencapturedduringthefirstdayofthefightingandthisfailurewouldhavelong-termconsequences.Oftheprioritytargets,thecityofCaenwasavitallogisticalhubwithitsroadandrailnetworksplusitwouldalsoactasacriticalaxisforlaunchingtheanticipatedfollow-onattacksagainsttheGermandefenders.AsaresultanentirebrigadeofBritishtroopswastaskedwithattemptingitscapturebuttheiradvanceculminatedafewmilesshort.

ThisnewbookexaminesthissignificantelementofthewiderD-Dayoperationandprovidesanarrativeaccountoftheoperationsconductedby3BritishInfantryDivision.Itexaminesinsomedetailtheplanning,preparationandthelandingsthatweremadeonthebeachesofSwordsector.Todothisitconsidersthepreviouslypublishedmaterialandalsodrawsuponarchivalsourcesmanyofwhichhavebeenpreviouslyoverlookedtoidentifykeyfactorsbehindthefailuretocapturethecity.Itspublicationcoincideswiththe70thanniversaryoftheAlliedliberationofFrance.