The Steel Wave

A Novel of World War II

By: Jeff Shaara

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 20 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Jeff Shaara, America's premier author of military historical fiction, brings us the centerpiece of his epic trilogy of the Second World War.

General Dwight Eisenhower once again commands a diverse army that must find its single purpose in the destruction of Hitler's European fortress. His primary subordinates, Omar Bradley and Bernard Montgomery, must prove that this unique blend of Allied armies can successfully confront the might of Adolf Hitler's forces, who have already conquered Western Europe.

On the coast of France, German commander Erwin Rommel fortifies and prepares for the coming invasion, acutely aware that he must bring all his skills to bear on a fight his side must win. But Rommel's greatest challenge is to strike the Allies on his front, while struggling behind the lines with the growing insanity of Adolf Hitler, who thwarts the strategies Rommel knows will succeed.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Jesse Adams, a no-nonsense veteran of the 82nd Airborne, parachutes with his men behind German lines into a chaotic and desperate struggle. And as the invasion force surges toward the beaches of Normandy, Private Tom Thorne of the 29th Infantry Division faces the horrifying prospects of fighting his way ashore on a stretch of coast more heavily defended than the Allied commanders anticipate - Omaha Beach.

From G.I. to general, this story carries the reader through the war's most crucial juncture, the invasion that altered the flow of the war, and, ultimately, changed history.

©2008 Jeff Shaara (P)2008 Books on Tape

An Intriguing listening experience.

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it this will help you to avoid being doomed.

Very Entertaining

Loved it! So much fun from start to finish. I felt like I knew the characters and was going through the ups and downs with them! It's totally worth it.

The best kind of WWII history book

Any additional comments?

The Steel Wave is the second in a trilogy (which ended up being 4 books) Shaara wrote about WWII, the first three about the war in Europe and the fourth covering the latter end of the war in the pacific.
The Steel Wave picks up right where The Rising Tide left off - with the Normandy invasion and Patton's sweep across Europe. These books have been some of the best resources I have come across for learning WWII battles, major players, and timelines. The book effectively conveys the horror of these key battles through the eyes of several main characters.
And unlike many war novels, Shaara is fairly clean in his writing. He doesn't go over the top trying to mimic soldier-speak or the language any one of us might use if under fire. In other words, the books are a great way for teens or young adults to learn history. That's not to say the books are too polished or boring - they're exciting and well written. Highly recommended.

Great book

Narrator is very skilled and brings the story to life. A must read for anyone interested in ww2 history

Men of the eighties second

This audio was so interesting i couldn't put it down.i loved the way mr. Michael use different voices to put you right there

Great work, Jeff Shaara is by far my favorite author.

This is another great work by Jeff Shaara. This book keeps your attention!! I cannot wait to start the next book in the series.

Brilliant

An extremely well structured history lesson and novel wrapped into one. Hearing about the leaders, commanders, and the soldiers on both sides was fantastic!

Epic

As epic as the events & people it portrays. I listened to all 20 hours in 2 days.

Review

Very good read. Excellent perspective of WW II.

Great, what 'Saving Pvt. Ryan' couldn't include

'Saving Private Ryan' as mentioned in this book was a great visual conception of the D-Day Normandy Invasion, but like I said the movie as with most could not go into detail of all the different viewpoints that were involved into the planning & ultimate follow thru of all the 'moving parts' of the invasion of France... Everyone knows the paratroopers sent behind lines were completely scattered & basically were still able to pull together & achieve their ultimate objectives showing that 'commandos' or soldiers performing behind enemy lines can really be a pivotal technique

The book itself goes thru a lot of behind the scenes of power & which major characters (Eisenhower, Churchhill, Patton, etc...) thought about pre-invasion planning & strategy & the last parts of the book mainly focus on individual soldiers experiences overcoming the fear & odds stacked against them to be part of a war that the world will hopefully never have to see again, although considering how our enemies fight nowadays I doubt anything like WW1 or WW2 will go down as clear cut as the past with battle lines & world domination (but u never know?). I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys both the historical value & the action in a well written fiction. Shaara is great in combining both, I personally enjoy the visceral violence of battle, written of course! But there are always ways of writing it in a way that is both filled with historical knowledge & giving u the feeling of fear & what the troops had to go thru physically

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a book on a subject that has been written on frequently, put into movies, or just included on TV so commonly, this will not disappoint in giving another level in the guessed/written perspectives of those involved on both sides of the fight...