From the author of Fire and Fortitude and Island Infernos , a white-knuckle account of the 1st Infantry Division’s harrowing D-Day assault on the eastern sector of Omaha Beach—acclaimed historian John C. McManus has written a gripping history that will stand as the last word on this titanic World War II battle. Nicknamed the Big Red One, 1st Division had fought from North Africa to Sicily, earning a reputation as stalwart warriors on the front lines and rabble-rousers in the rear. Yet on D-Day, these jaded combat veterans melded with fresh-faced replacements to accomplish one of the most challenging and deadly missions ever. As the men hit the beach, their equipment destroyed or washed away, soldiers cut down by the dozens, courageous heroes emerged: men such as Sergeant Raymond Strojny, who grabbed a bazooka and engaged in a death duel with a fortified German antitank gun; T/5 Joe Pinder, a former minor-league pitcher who braved enemy fire to save a vital radio; Lieutenant John Spalding, a former sportswriter, and Sergeant Phil Streczyk, a truck driver, who together demolished a German strong point overlooking Easy Red, where hundreds of Americans had landed. Along the way, McManus explores the Gap Assault Team engineers who dealt with the extensive mines and obstacles, suffering nearly a fifty percent casualty rate; highlights officers such as Brigadier General Willard Wyman and Colonel George Taylor, who led the way to victory; and punctures scores of myths surrounding this long-misunderstood battle. The Dead and Those About to Die draws on a rich array of new or recently unearthed sources, including interviews with veterans. The result is history at its finest, the unforgettable story of the Big Red One’s nineteen hours of hell—and their ultimate triumph—on June 6, 1944. Praise for The Dead and Those About to Die “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   “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   “This is as real as it gets without having been there.” —Walter R. Borneman, national bestselling author of  The Admirals,  Winner of the Samuel Eliot Morison Award   “John C. McManus has created a portrait with words as Spielberg did with images in  Saving Private Ryan.  Of course, creating such a vivid picture with words is, for my money, far more difficult.” —Paul Reid, co–author of   The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965 “A skilled and highly talented author, John McManus has delivered another first-rate piece of scholarship.  The Dead and Those About to Die  is a tour de force of historical writing.” —Robert von Maier, Editor-in-Chief of  Global War Studies   “McManus’s masterful work deserves a place alongside those of Cornelius Ryan, Stephen Ambrose and Rick Atkinson.” —David L. Roll, author of  The Hopkins Touch “John McManus’s brilliant chronicle of the Big Red One’s experience on Bloody Omaha captures the grit, pathos, and valor of the battle like no other book that I have read. This is gripping history—beautifully and masterfully told by one of America’s premier historians.” —Patrick K. O’Donnell, national bestselling author of  Dog Company “[A] powerful book.” —St. Louis Post–Dispatch John C. McManus is the author of Fire and Fortitude , Grunts , Alamo in the Ardennes , and September Hope: The American Side of a Bridge Too Far . He 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. Chapter 1 Background Seven months earlier, almost to the day, a gloomy autumn