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 THE
FIGHTING FIRST:
The Untold Story of the Big Red One
on D-Day
Westview
Press/Perseus Books, 2004
(378 pages, 50 photos, 25 maps)
SYNOPSIS:
In The Fighting First, Flint Whitlock
goes behind the scenes of the biggest military operation of
all time to tell the previously untold story of the famous
1st Infantry role in the D-Day invasion of France at Normandy
on June 6, 1944. Using a variety of primary sources, official
records, first-person interviews, and unpublished memoirs
by the veterans themselves, Whitlock has crafted a riveting,
gut-wrenching, personal story of courage under fire.
Operation
Overlord, the invasion of France, was arguably the most important
battle of World War II; Omaha Beach––where the
1st Division landed––was the hottest spot in the
entire operation. Spearheading the amphibious assault on the
“Easy Red” and “Fox Green” sectors
of Omaha Beach, the battle-hardened 1st (the division had
already seen plenty of action in North Africa and on Sicily)
took heavy casualties in an operation where nearly everything
went wrong. Only through acts of individual courage did the
officers and men of “The Big Red One” the division
from annihilation on the beach and the accomplish the unit's
mission.
The
saga of the 1st Infantry Division did not end with Omaha Beach,
however. Eleven months of bloody fighting still lay ahead
as the division battled its way across France, into Belgium,
and against a determined foe at Aachen, the Huertgen Forest,
the Battle of the Bulge, and a hundred other “actions.”
The Fighting First is an inspiring, graphic, and often heart-breaking
story of young American heroes sacrificing everything for
their country.
READ AN
EXCERPT:
From
ports and harbors all along England's southern coast, an armada
of
warships and troopships was heading out to do battle, to end
the Nazi
domination of Europe, to finish the war Hitler had started.
Unlike the
graceful, tall-masted, full-sailed warships of Sir Francis
Drake's and Lord
Horatio Nelson's day, these ships were squat and ugly and
steel and gray.
Instead of stout masts and billowing canvas sails, radio antennas
pointed
thinly skyward and radar disks spun silently. Instead of the
sounds of
ropes stretching and timbers creaking, these modern ships
thrummed
mechanically along, leaving clouds of oily exhaust in their
wakes. And
instead of being manned by sailors and soldiers in colorful
uniforms
bedecked with regimental trim, these ships bulged with nervous,
heavily
laden, helmeted men in foul-smelling, mustard-colored wool
battle garments.
Despite the many differences, these modern warriors had one
thing in
common with Drake's and Nelson's intrepid men: They were going
in harm's way and they knew it. Many of them had but a few
hours left to live, and those remaining hours would be filled
with intense misery.
(from
The Fighting First, ©copyright
1994 by Flint Whitlock)
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WHAT THEY SAID:
“Take
a front-row seat at Omaha Beach in this knuckle-gripping drama
written with an expert's knowledge and a veteran's insight.
Flint Whitlock has done the work that has to be done to tell
a story that must be told.”
—Craig
Nelson, author of The First Heroes: The Extraordinary
Story
of the Doolittle Raid.
“Exploiting
his extensive research into the uniquely rich primary sources
of the U.S. Army Military History Institute, Flint Whitlock
has created a fresh and insightful account of the D-Day chaos
on Omaha Beach and the
determined courage that propelled the First Infantry Division
into the hedgerows and across Europe. MHI's motto is 'We tell
the Army's story, one soldier at a time,' and Flint Whitlock
has done the same for the Big Red One.”
—Dr.
Conrad C. Crane, Director, U.S. Army Military History Institute
“In
giving the men of the 1st Infantry Division their long overdue
D-Day
accolade, Flint Whitlock has captured the heroism and horror
of combat in equal measure. A writer of superb and proven
ability, he supplies new insights concerning the role of the
Big Red One on June 6, 1944. Crisp and captivating, The
Fighting First stands as a signal contribution to
the written history of World War II and a fitting tribute
to those who made that history.”
—Michael
E. Haskew, Editor, WWII History magazine
“From
the book's opening words, Flint Whitlock sweeps the reader
into his
compelling narrative of a group of men who braved incredible
dangers to
help bring down the Nazi regime. His descriptions of the Normandy
invasion match the visual images recalled from Saving Private
Ryan, and they leave the reader anxious to learn more about
the Big Red One. Whitlock does not disappoint, as he continues
the story through to war's end.”
—John
F. Wukovits, author of Pacific Alamo: The Battle for Wake
Island
“A
riveting and well-researched history.... Drawing upon official
records, interviews, and unpublished memoirs, Whitlock has
created a chronicle of courage and sacrifice under fire that
is human and powerful.... A literate and rewarding tribute
to a tough, swaggering legend.”
—Michael
D. Hull, Army magazine
"This
is one helluva book. Don't miss it!"
—KilroyWasHere.org
"Whitlock
tells a story within the story by focusing on the 1st Infantry
Division...Touches on many of the mistakes and obstacles of
the battle
plan...Compelling reading."
—USA Today
"You
come away from this book amazed and thankful that any survived
to tell it...One of the best non-fiction books of 2004."
—Rocky Mountain News
"Whitlock
writes well; one is able to sense the utter fear of men knowing
they may be facing almost instant death—even when the
men are
battle-hardened veterans of the earlier Italian campaign."
—Library Journal
ORDERING
INFORMATION:
Westview
Press/ Perseus Books, 2004
5500 Central Avenue
Boulder, CO 80301-2877
(303) 444-3541
ISBN 0-8133-33997 Price: $27.50 (hardcover)
Amazon.com
Barnes
and Noble
Indiebound.org
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