First Wave

The New York Times bestselling author of The Liberator and Avenue of Spies returns with a thrilling, action-heavy account of D-Day combat.

Beginning in the predawn darkness of June 6, 1944, The First Wave follows ten men attempting to carry out D-Day''s most critical missions. Their actions would determine the fate of the invasion of Hitler''s Fortress Europe.

The ten make a charismatic, unforgettable cast. They include the first American paratrooper to touch down on Normandy soil; the only British soldier that day to earn a Victoria Cross; the Canadian brothers who led their decimated troops onto Juno Beach under withering fire; the colonel who faced the powerful 150-mm guns of the Merville Battery; as well as a French commando who helped destroy German strongholds on Sword Beach. This book will give authentic voice to the invaders'' enemies—the German-enlisted men and officers tasked with destroying the Allies as they hit the beaches.

The result is an utterly immersive, adrenaline-driven drama, 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.