The Boys of Pointe du Hoc

The 100-foot promontory known as Pointe du Hoc -- where six big German guns were ensconced -- was the number one target of the heavy U.S. and British warships poised in the English Channel on D-Day morning. Facing arguably the toughest task to befall U.S. forces during the war, the brave men of the Army 2nd Ranger Battalion boldly took control of the fortified cliff and set in motion the liberation of Europe.

Based upon recently released documents, here is the first in-depth, anecdotal remembrance of these fearless Army Rangers. Acclaimed author and historian Douglas Brinkley deftly moves between events four decades apart to tell two riveting stories: the making of Ronald Reagan's historic 1984 speeches about the storming of the Normandy coast and the actual heroic event that inspired them and helped to end the Second World War.

Douglas Brinkley is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University, presidential historian for the New-York Historical Society, trustee of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. The Chicago Tribune dubbed him “America’s New Past Master.” He is the recipient of such distinguished environmental leadership prizes as the Frances K. Hutchison Medal (Garden Club of America), the Robin W. Winks Award for Enhancing Public Understanding of National Parks (National Parks Conservation Association), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Lifetime Heritage Award. His book The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast received the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. He was awarded a Grammy for Presidential Suite and is the recipient of seven honorary doctorates in American studies. His two-volume, annotated Nixon Tapes won the Arthur S. Link–Warren F. Kuehl Prize. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three children.

“Brinkley knows there is sometimes a theater to war and always to its remembrance.” — Publishers Weekly

“Compelling reading.” — New Orleans Times-Picayune

“Riveting.” — Chicago Tribune

“The Boys of Pointe du Hoc are needed today.... An important and entertaining book.” — Bill O'Reilly, host of The O'Reilly Factor

“Brinkley knows there is sometimes a theater to war and always to its remembrance.” — Chris Matthews, host of Hardball and author of Kennedy and Nixon

“In this jewel of a book, Douglas Brinkley proves his skills as a master storyteller.” — Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of No Ordinary Time

“A gripping account of the Rangers who scaled Pointe du Hoc; and a bold, even brilliant treatment of Reaganesque stagecraft.” — Richard Norton Smith, Executive Director, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library

“In this fascinating new study, Douglas Brinkley... sheds fresh light on the making of a crucial presidential moment.” — Jon Meacham, author of Franklin and Winston

“A powerful tale that celebrates, and explores, the patriotism and pride inspired by America’s brave soldiers.” — Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin

“Both the novice and D-Day historian will want to read The Boys of Pointe du Hoc.” — JoAnna McDonald, author of The Liberation of Pointe du Hoc

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