French Language book. Easy Company is the best-known parachute airborne company among military history enthusiasts. It has become so famous that some people consider it to be the unit that made the landing a success. Until now, no one has tried to place its exploits in their historical context. This book aims to take a step back from the myth by placing the actions of these men in the tactical universe of their exploits to put their real combat value into perspective. Easy Company is in fact just one company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) among others. This regiment is made up of three battalions, each with four companies similar to this famous Easy Company. This book does not just follow in detail the unfolding of the first twenty-four hours of the 506th PIR during Overlord. It goes much further than this simple evocation. Many other aspects of the history of this famous regiment are examined in detail: its creation, its preparation for combat, its missions, the night jump into the unknown, the assembly towards the objective, the accomplishment of the planned missions.

The desire to gain perspective on the myth requires a broad view embracing the whole of Operation Neptune during D-Day. The doctrine of employment, the combat methods, the strategic objectives, the missions at the different levels are examined in detail throughout the pages. It reminds us that the airborne assault of June 6, 1944 had a specific goal, so it is important to analyse to what extent the mission was accomplished while keeping in mind that the 506th PIR was also only one element in a much larger whole. It also demonstrates that the only heroes are not those that Hollywood has praised. There were many others, of unequalled bravery and self-sacrifice. To write this, the author returned many times to the terrain of the exploits of the 506th PIR, explored new documentary sources that had remained unpublished until now. He does not just present the American point of view, he goes further by analysing the German reactions in order to draw the most accurate picture possible of the night of the paratroopers.