Eighty years ago this summer – on 6 June 1944, known as D-Day – some 150,000 Allied troops were launched against a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coastline, as they embarked on the first stage of the liberation of France and north-west Europe from the tyranny of Nazi Germany.

The greatest amphibious invasion in history, the Normandy landings involved mainly British, American, and Canadian servicemen, but also those from many other countries around the world – an extraordinary feat of international collaboration, as well as of planning and logistics.

In the second of two special features to mark the anniversary of this epic event, David Porter reveals how the invasion plan came together, while Patrick Mercer reads the diaries and personal accounts of British troops to understand the reality of D-Day for those at the sharp end.

Elsewhere, we mark another iconic anniversary – the 150th birthday of Winston Churchill. In the first part of a new series, Taylor Downing considers Churchill’s role in some of the incredible technological advances made during World War I.

Also in this issue, Stephen Roberts traces the life of Robert the Bruce, and analyses his great victory over the English at Bannockburn; while Graham Goodlad continues his fascinating series on the rise of British sea power by examining the 18th-century career of Admiral Edward Vernon.

Finally, Edmund West travels further afield to highlight South America’s bloodiest 20th-century conflict – the Chaco War, fought between Paraguay and Bolivia over a vast area of untamed wilderness in 1932-1935.

We hope you enjoy the issue!

LAURENCE EARLE