THE FIGHTING FIRST: The Untold Story of the Big Red One on D-Day
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| THE FIGHTING FIRST: The Untold Story of the Big Red One on D-Day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Chronicles the untold story of the Big Red One, the legendary 1st Infantry Division, in its assault on Nazi forces at Omaha Beach during the Normandy invasion.
The Fighting First tells the untold story of the 1st Infantry Division's part in the D-Day invasion of France at Normandy. Using a variety of primary sources, official records, interviews, and unpublished memoirs by the veterans themselves, author Flint Whitlock has crafted a riveting, gut-wrenching, personal story of courage under fire. Operation Overlord - the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944--was arguably the most important battle of World War II, and Omaha Beach was the hottest spot in the entire operation. Leading the amphibious assault on the "Easy Red" and"Fox Green" sectors of Omaha Beach was the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division--"The Big Red One"--a tough, swaggering outfit with a fine battle record. The saga of the Big Red One, however, did not end with the storming of the beachhead. The author concludes with an account of the 1st in their fight across France, Belgium, and into Germany itself, playing pivotal roles in the bloody battles for Aachen, the Huertgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. The Fighting First is an inspiring, graphic, and often heartbreaking story of young American soldiers performing their D-Day missions with spirit, humor, and determination.
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| Reader Reviews Below Sorted by Newest First | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10-13-08 | 4 | (NA) |
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If you like narratives on historical wars, this is written very well. It shares several in depth stories concerning these heros
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-10-19 08:09:57 EST)
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| 05-19-07 | 5 | 1\1 |
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My Dad, Donald Gurdison, a 5th Engineering Special Brigade soldier, landed with the 1st Divison on D-Day in the 5th wave. There are special monmuments for these two units on Omaha Beach just outside the side gate of the American Cemetery fence. This book filled in the gaps of the story after my visit. And I recognized many of the names from the exhibits. If you're heading to Normandie and you can, read this first. It's a wonderful account of some very brave people who saw the atrocities of war and served our country proudly
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-10-17 09:55:17 EST)
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| 02-17-07 | 4 | 1\1 |
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In the past, the 1st Division's role on D-Day has not been written about in as much detail as their fellow D-Day Omaha Beach invasion comrades the 29th. This book is therefore long overdue, however as another reviewer said the title of the book is misleading, D-Day is indeed the central basis of the book, but it also covers North Africa, Sicily and the campaign after D-Day in NW Europe. For me this book certainly explains the battles of the Big Red One in decent detail, but it lacks the "little bit extra" that some other D-Day books have. Indeed Balkoski's classic Beyond the Beachhead about the 29th is an absolute classic. Of course Flint Whitlock's book was written nearly 15 years later, a period of time that has taken a huge toll on the members of the Greatest Generation - there simply are not that many veterans left to interview!!
So I think Mr Whitlock has done a good job with the material available, sure it falls short of being a major classic, but I've spoken to a number of Big Red One veterans and they like the book - so if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-05-26 12:59:26 EST)
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| 02-16-07 | 4 | (NA) |
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In the past, the 1st Division's role on D-Day has not been written about in as much detail as their fellow D-Day Omaha Beach invasion comrades the 29th. This book is therefore long overdue, however as another reviewer said the title of the book is misleading, D-Day is indeed the central basis of the book, but it also covers North Africa, Sicily and the campaign after D-Day in NW Europe. For me this book certainly explains the battles of the Big Red One in decent detail, but it lacks the "little bit extra" that some other D-Day books have. Indeed Balkoski's classic Beyond the Beachhead about the 29th is an absolute classic. Of course Flint Whitlock's book was written nearly 15 years later, a period of time that has taken a huge toll on the members of the Greatest Generation - there simply are not that many veterans left to interview!!
So I think Mr Whitlock has done a good job with the material available, sure it falls short of being a major classic, but I've spoken to a number of Big Red One veterans and they like the book - so if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-03-09 07:43:17 EST)
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| 03-21-06 | 5 | 1\2 |
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Wow! This is a fantastic story about one of the most important days in the history of the world. The amphibious assult on the beaches of Normandy, truly inspriational and abolutely worth reading. If you see a WWII Vet, shake their hand and thank them!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-03-09 07:43:17 EST)
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