The book
June 3, 2024 | 12.22pm
The story of the men, the events and the background to the Allied operation that led to the defeat of the Third Reich:
From the intelligence actions to the battle of Normandy, the story of the men, the events and the background of the operation
ally that led to the defeat of the Third Reich: these are the central themes of book byDomenico Vecchioni“The landing in Normandy. D-day, the longest night”.
In 1944 the opening of the long-awaited “Western Front” was considered essential to ease Nazi pressure in the East and to start the liberation of Europe. It was the great Operation Overlord, which began with the Normandy landings, the largest and most complex air-naval initiative of all time. Nothing, however, was taken for granted. The Allies had to overcome the Atlantic Wall, the German fortification on the northwestern coast considered impassable. The success of the operation depended above all on three main factors: the perfect geo-strategic-military understanding between the participating countries, the astonishing contribution offered by the British secret services and the accurate, meticulous military preparation, also characterized by real-scale exercises. If the landing had not succeeded, the war would have lasted much longer, and Hitler would have had more time to create weapons of mass destruction, with truly unpredictable consequences. June 6, 1944 therefore rightly figures among the dates that changed the course of events. It was on the Norman beaches that, on the “longest day”, history decided to follow democracy and freedom, turning its back on oppression and dictatorship.
Domenico Vecchioni, diplomat, has held important positions at the Farnesina and abroad. His last mission was that of Italian ambassador to Cuba. After leaving active service, he dedicated himself to historical dissemination, with a particular predilection for political biographies and the world of espionage. He collaborates with various history magazines, in particular «Bbc History Italia» and scienzarelastoria.it. He is the author of about thirty books. For Diarkos he published The Fraud Lords. Deceptions and scams that made history (2021), Pablo Escobar. Life, loves and death of the “cocaine king” (2021) and Foreign Legion. Story, rules and characters (2022).
