TY  - BOOK
AU  - Kershaw,Alex
TI  - The first wave: the D-Day warriors who led the way to victory in World War II 
SN  - 9781984882868
AV  - D756.5.N6 K4694 2019b
U1  - 940.54/21421 23
PY  - 2019///]
CY  - New York
PB  - Random House Large Print
KW  - Allied Powers (1919- )
KW  - Armed Forces
KW  - Biography
KW  - World War, 1939-1945
KW  - Campaigns
KW  - France
KW  - Normandy
KW  - Commando operations
KW  - Soldiers
KW  - Commando troops
KW  - Large type books
KW  - Biographies
KW  - lcgft
N1  - Includes bibliographical references and index
N2  - "Beginning in the predawn darkness of June 6, 1944, The First Wave follows the remarkable men who carried out D-Day's most perilous missions. The charismatic, unforgettable cast includes the first American paratrooper to touch down on Normandy soil; the British glider pilot who braved antiaircraft fire to crash-land mere yards from the vital Pegasus Bridge; the Canadian brothers who led their troops onto Juno Beach under withering fire; as well as a French commando, returning to his native land, who fought to destroy German strongholds on Sword Beach and beyond. Readers will experience the sheer grit of the Rangers who scaled Pointe du Hoc and the astonishing courage of the British airborne soldiers who captured the Merville Gun Battery in the face of devastating enemy counterattacks. The first to fight when the stakes were highest and the odds longest, these men would determine the fate of the invasion of Hitler's Fortress Europe--and the very history of the twentieth century. The result is an epic of close combat and extraordinary heroism. It is the capstone Alex Kershaw's remarkable career, built on his close friendships with D-Day survivors and his intimate understanding of the Normandy battlefield. For the seventy-fifth anniversary, here is a fresh take on World War II's longest day"--
ER  -