Read this 'live-tweeting' of D-Day, then read five years' worth of lead up

For five years, Alwyn Collinson has been tweeting the events of World War II in realtimeat @RealTimeWWII. Today, the account crescendos with a retelling of D-Day on its 72nd anniversary.

The name @RealTimeWWII is kind of a misnomer. While the account does chronicle events in realtime, it's nothing like a modern news ticker. The account is practically omniscient, benefiting from decades of historical research, thousands of photographs, and countless anecdotes. Rather than provide a top level recounting of military strategy, Collinson shifts between the macro and the micro.

One tweet will capture a broad, impersonal maneuver.

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WW2 Tweets from 1944 @RealTimeWWII

22nd Panzer regiment ordered to push invaders into sea, told "The fate of Germany depends on success of your attack"

6:59 PM - 6 Jun 2016 · Caen, France, France

 
•  135135 Retweets
 
•  137137 likes

The very next tweet will have a direct quote from a single military officer.

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WW2 Tweets from 1944 @RealTimeWWII

Lord Lovat leads UK Commandos to capture village, is offered champagne by French café owner: "Not now, I'm working."

7:05 PM - 6 Jun 2016 · Bénouville, France, France

 
•  332332 Retweets
 
•  294294 likes

The result is unlike anything else, narratively speaking. The account is operatic, both spectacular and personal. It's story is bigger and broader in scope than even the most densely cast cable drama. That fact holds true to the five years of tweets that built to this moment. Make time to follow D-Day in realtime, but bookmark @RealTimeWWII's landing page for the next lazy Sunday. Unlike most Twitter accounts, this one is worth reading from the beginning.