"Magnificent! I could not put this book down. John McManus has expanded our knowledge of D-Day history by a considerable factor. It is a great read and will appeal to both devoted students of World War II as well as those with a more casual interest. Don't miss it!" --Joseph Balkoski, author of "Omaha Beach" and "Utah Beach" ""The Dead and Those About to Die "is a gripping, first-hand account of the desperate battle for Omaha Beach on D-Day by the legendary 1st Infantry Division, the Big Red One. On the 70th anniversary of that momentous event, John C. McManus's tale of courage under fire is a vivid reminder that freedom isn't free and that when the chips are down stalwart American soldiers will always answer the call of duty." --Carlo D'Este, author of "Patton: A Genius For War "and "Warlord: A Life of Churchill at War, 1874-1945" "At first I thought I would draw the reader's attention to the simply magnificent narrative of one of the most famous and gripping events of modern military history, the nineteen hours epic of the First Division's landing, purgatory, and then near-exhausted triumph at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. Then I thought I would draw the attention of my professional fellow-historians to the "outstanding" set of notes and oral histories, so neatly tucked away at the end, superb scholarship but worn so lightly. But finally I had to choose its ending, the chapter called 'Meaning, ' on the thoughts, emotions, and later lives of this remarkable group of warriors. I closed this book with the deepest respect. " --Paul Kennedy, "New York Times" bestselling author of "Engineers of Victory "and" The Rise and Fall of Great Powers" "With painstaking research, military historian John C. McManus delves behind the broader canvas of Omaha Beach to capture the courage, grit, and sacrifice of the 1st Division's D-Day landing. This is as real as it gets without having been there." --Walter R. Borneman, national bestselling author of "The Ad

John C. McManus, author of "September Hope: The American Side of A Bridge Too Far," earned a PhD in American and Military History from the University of Tennessee, where he served as Assistant Director of the Center for the Study of War and Society and was a Normandy Scholar. As a leading authority on the Normandy invasion, he holds a Cantigny First Division Museum Fellowship. He is currently a full professor of U.S. Military History at Missouri University of Science and Technology, where he teaches a variety of courses, including one on World War II and another on the Modern American Combat Experience. He also serves as the official historian for the United States Army's Seventh Infantry Regiment.