The invasion of Normandy is undoubtedly one of the most written about military events of the 20th Century. However, many of the smaller units that played important roles have been forgotten or ignored. Many unconfirmed or erroneous myths about the American landings have been repeated in popular books. Noted military historian Jonathan Gawne examines the landings at Utah and Omaha with an eye to what other writers have ignored. Utilizing the original military records and extensive veteran interviews, this book covers such diverse topics as how the invasion tactics were developed, the organization of the units involved, as well as uniforms and equipment of the assault troops.

For the first time, both Navy officers directly involved with the first waves at Utah Beach speak out on what actually caused the misdirection of the Utah landings. Heavily illustrated, the emphasis of Spearheading D-Day has been placed on little known photos, including a selection of rarely seen color stills taken from Coast Guard movies of the Normandy invasion.