Pegasus Bridge
The glider assault that opened D-Day — six minutes past midnight, the first house in France liberated.
The Verdict
Sometimes the smallest action makes the best book. Stephen Ambrose tells the story of the very first minutes of D-Day, when British glider troops landed almost on top of a bridge over the Caen canal and seized it in a coup de main of stunning precision — the first house in France liberated, sixteen minutes past midnight. Confining himself to one company, one objective, and one night, Ambrose can give every man and every minute its due, and the result is a near-perfect miniature of the larger invasion's daring.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- The opening minutes of D-Day
- A precise, small-unit coup de main
- One company, one bridge, one night
- A tight, gripping miniature
Look elsewhere if you want
- The full scope of the invasion
- Strategy or the wider campaign
- The German defence in depth
Why We Rated It 4.3
Historical Context
Pegasus Bridge (1985) recounts the glider-borne assault by British airborne troops, led by Major John Howard, that captured the bridge over the Caen canal in the first minutes of 6 June 1944 — among the opening actions of D-Day.
Events Covered
Editions & Reading Notes
Read It Alongside
Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0671671563
Read This Against
The same events seen from a different vantage point. The fullest understanding often lives in the space between accounts that don't agree.
Other Books About the Same Events
More by Stephen Ambrose
Frequently Asked Questions
- What was the significance of Pegasus Bridge?
- Capturing it intact in the opening minutes of D-Day protected the eastern flank of the landings from German counterattack.
- Who led the assault?
- Major John Howard's company of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, landed by glider almost on top of the objective.