Americans are justly proud of the role their country played in liberating Europe from Nazi tyranny. For many years, we have celebrated the courage of Allied soldiers, sailors, and aircrews who defeated Hitler’s regime and restored freedom to the continent. But in recounting the heroism of the “greatest generation,” Americans often overlook the wartime experiences of European people themselves — the very people for whom the war was fought. In this brilliant new book, historian William I. Hitchcock surveys the European continent from D-Day to the final battles of the war and the first few months of the peace.