{"product_id":"the-first-wave-the-first-wave-the-d-day-warriors-who-led-the-way-to-victory-in-world-war-ii-9780451490070","title":"The First Wave: The First Wave: The D-Day Warriors Who Led the Way to Victory in World War II","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eNATIONAL BESTSELLER \u003cb\u003e- Alex Kershaw, \u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eAgainst All Odds, \u003c\/i\u003e returns with an utterly immersive, adrenaline-driven account of D-Day combat.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Meet the assaulters: pathfinders plunging from the black, coxswains plowing the whitecaps, bareknuckle Rangers scaling sheer rock . . . Fast-paced and up close, this is history's greatest story reinvigorated as only Alex Kershaw can.\"\u003cb\u003e--Adam Makos, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eSpearhead\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA Higher Call\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Beginning in the predawn darkness of June 6, 1944, \u003ci\u003eThe First Wave\u003c\/i\u003e 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 glider pilot who braved antiaircraft fire to crash-land mere yards from the vital Pegasus Bridge; the 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 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eThe First Wave\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Masterful... readers will feel the sting of the cold surf, smell the acrid cordite that hung in the air, and duck the zing of machine-gun bullets whizzing overhead. \u003ci\u003eThe First Wave\u003c\/i\u003e is an absolute triumph.\"\u003cb\u003e--James M. Scott, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eTarget Tokyo \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"These pages ooze with the unforgettable human drama of history's most consequential invasion.\"\u003cb\u003e--John C. McManus, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Dead and Those About to Die\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlex Kershaw\u003c\/b\u003e is a journalist and the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eAgainst All Odds\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as other books on World War II. Born in York, England, he is a graduate of Oxford University and now lives in Savannah, Georgia. His critically acclaimed books include \u003ci\u003eThe Bedford Boys\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Longest Winter\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eEscape from the Deep\u003c\/i\u003e. He is also the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Liberator\u003c\/i\u003e, which was made into a drama series for Netflix in 2020.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Penguin Adult Hc\/Tr","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51749283594514,"sku":"9780451490070","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_a03fa6e4-e525-4af8-8c18-51d4f317a93a.jpg?v=1764075318","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-first-wave-the-first-wave-the-d-day-warriors-who-led-the-way-to-victory-in-world-war-ii-9780451490070","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}