The First Wave, by Alex Kershaw

Length: 368 pages, including index

I hadn't tried Kershaw until now. In this work, he follows several fighting men from both sides, including Americans, British, Free French and Germans. We start off with Eisenhower making the decision to go to Normandy on the day called D. We then go with the pathfinders for the 101st Airborne, like Frank Lilyman, and the pilots who took them across. There's also some familiar names, like John Howard and Lord Lovat, and Theodore Roosevelt Jr. The men who hit the respective beaches get their dues, from the American Rangers at Pointe du Hoc, Utah and Omaha, plus the British beaches, and two Canadian brothers leading platoons ashore at Juno.

The Germans are also talked to in this. We hear from two Germans on the receiving end, and how they dealt with the bombardment and tried to hold their ground. There is the fight for Pegasus Bridge, Bill Millin playing his bagpipes while up to his waist in cold water at Sword Beach, (BRRRR), and the Free French commandos at Ouisterham.

We go beyond the day of the landing, on to the end of the war in Europe, and the fate of these men.

Kershaw made a few screw ups in armament, like "22-millimeter" and "7.5 millimeter" guns.

Overall, I think it does well with the men's stories, and give it 4 stars.

 

Should be very good. I read his book, “The Liberator”, One soldier’s story of WWII, years ago and as I recall, it was excellent.