The First Wave

The D-Day Warriors Who Led the Way to Victory in World War II

De: Alex Kershaw

Narrado por: Paul Michael

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of Against All Odds, returns with an utterly immersive, adrenaline-driven account of D-Day combat.

“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.”—Adam Makos, New York Times bestselling author of Spearhead and A Higher Call

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 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.

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.

Praise for The First Wave:

“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. The First Wave is an absolute triumph.”—James M. Scott, bestselling author of Target Tokyo

“These pages ooze with the unforgettable human drama of history's most consequential invasion.”—John C. McManus, author of The Dead and Those About to Die

The First Wave - D-Day

I enjoyed this recount of that important day as it tells multiple personal stories of key players

Great shorter version of D-Day landings

Kershaw has done it again. Brilliant historical narrative wonderfully narrated. If you are looking for a longer version, check out Antony Beevor's D-Day book, but if you want a solid, well researched, fast paced version of the start of the invasion, this is a great book. Kershaw is fast becoming my favorite WWII author.

Great book!

loved every moment of it. wish it was longer but totally worth it! well done.

Best ww2 I ever read

extremely moving. Had me emotional sometimes. The storytelling was phenomenal. Would read from this author and narrator again.

Great story

There’s nothing really disliked about it. It followed the characters all the way through the conflict some it was heartbreaking. Some it was funny bars been fasting by World War II and this is a very good addition to my library.