D-day
How the myth of Paris liberating itself was born
When De Gaulle persuaded Eisenhower to allow the French 2nd armoured division to lead a diversion into the city on 25 August 1944, it was his own political future he was thinking of
Eighty years on, the planning of Operation Neptune remains awesome
The seaborne invasion went so smoothly, it might have been thought plain-sailing. But that was far from the truth. Nick Hewitt describes the meticulous forethought that preceded it
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
The vast majority of the British public, and even military historians, have never heard of them. COPPists — a combination…
A soldier’s legacy: how a baby’s cry saved a family
It was early evening on Sunday 6 August 1944. The Allies’ bloody struggle to liberate Normandy from the Nazis had…
In an era of illusion and fantasy, let the wine do the talking
We had all said everything there was to say about Brexit a hundred times over. So the conversation took different…
Helen Parr’s intimate portrait of the Parachute Regiment – Our Boys – captures the essence of modern Britain
On the night of 13 June 1982, Dave Parr was hit by shellfire on Wireless Ridge. He was 19, a…
A gripping new play with a Michael Fish-y narrative: Pressure reviewed
David Haig’s play Pressure looks at the Scottish meteorologist, James Stagg, who advised Eisenhower about the weather in the week…
Diary
Could there be a more timely advert for the Better Together campaign than on the field of sport? What the…
Portrait of the week
Home After an Ofsted inspection of 21 schools in Birmingham (none of them faith schools), against the background of allegations…
D-Day Notebook
The phrase ‘ring of steel’ hardly begins to describe the operation here in Calvados country as we await the 70th…
Keeper of the secrets
Memories of Mary Soames, Churchill’s remarkable daughter
