The Dead and Those About to Die by John C. McManus

Yet on D-Day, these jaded combat veterans melded with fresh-faced replacements to accomplish one of the most challenging and deadly missions ever. Nicknamed the Big Red One, 1st Division had fought from North Africa to Sicily, earning a reputation as stalwart warriors on the front lines and rabble-rousers in the rear. McManus has written a gripping history that will stand as the last word on this titanic World War II battle. Army’s recommended professional reading list.From the author of Fire and Fortitude and Island Infernos, a white-knuckle account of the 1st Infantry Division’s harrowing D-Day assault on the eastern sector of Omaha Beach-acclaimed historian John C. McManus is the author of 11 books, including 'The Deadly Brotherhood: The American Combat Soldier in World War II' and 'Deadly Sky: The American Combat Airman in World War II.' His 2010 book 'Grunts: The American Infantry Combat Experience, World War II through Iraq' was named to the U.S. He also serves as the official historian for the United States Army’s Seventh Infantry Regiment. military history at Missouri University of Science and Technology, where he teaches courses on topics such as World War II and the modern American combat experience.

McManus is one of the nation’s leading military historians. The book centers largely on the exploits of the 1st Infantry Division and includes detailed, personal accounts of some of the soldiers who were part of World War II’s “longest day.” By highlighting their stories, McManus’s book sheds a timely light on the heroism and courage that defined what today is widely described as “The Greatest Generation.”

McManus, offers an insider’s look at just one of the five beaches taken by Allied troops in his book, 'The Dead and Those About to Die - D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach.' Jmarks the 71st anniversary of D-Day, the invasion on the beaches of Normandy that turned the tide of fighting in World War II Europe and led to an Allied victory. This is an encore interview and was first broadcast in June, 2014.

The Dead and Those About to Die by John C. McManus