A gripping narrative history reminiscent of Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day,McManus takes readers into the minds of American strategists,into the hearts of the infantry,and into hell on earth I n the first of two volumes on the American contribution to the Allied victory at Normandy, John C. McManus examines, with great intensity and thoroughness, the American experience in the weeks leading up to D-Day and on the great day itself. From the build-up in England to the night drops of airborne forces behind German lines and the landings on the beaches at dawn, from the famed figures of Eisenhower, Bradley, and Lightnin' Joe Collins to the courageous but little-known privates who fought so bravely, and under terrifying conditions, this is the story of the American experience at D-Day. What were the battles really like for the Americans at Utahand Omaha? What drove them to fight despite all adversity? How and why did they triumph? Thanks to extensive archival research and the use of hundredsof first-hand accounts, McManus answers these questions and many more.MARKETING PLANS - Print advertising in