Alex Kershaw presents “The First Wave: The D-Day Warriors Who Led the Way to Victory in World War II.”

5:00 p.m. Reception | 6:00 p.m. Presentation | 7:00 p.m. Book Signing

The Institute for the Study of War and Democracy with generous support from the Strake Foundation is delighted to again host best-selling author Alex Kershaw.

Beginning in the predawn darkness of June 6, 1944, The First Wave follows the remarkable men who carried out D-Day’s most perilous missions. The charismatic, unforgettable cast includes the first American paratrooper to touch down on Normandy soil; the glider pilot who braved antiaircraft fire to crash-land mere yards from the vital Pegasus Bridge; the brothers who led their troops onto Juno Beach under withering fire; and the French commando, returning to his native land, who fought to destroy German strongholds on Sword Beach and beyond. Readers will experience the sheer grit of the Rangers who scaled Pointe du Hoc and the astonishing courage of the airborne soldiers who captured the Merville Gun Battery in the face of devastating enemy counterattacks. The first to fight when the stakes were highest and the odds longest, these men would determine the fate of the invasion of Hitler’s Fortress Europe—and the very history of the 20th century.



The reception and presentation, brought to you by the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy with generous support from the Strake Foundation, are free and open to the public but please register to attend.

For more information or to register, call 528-1944 x 412. Watch it via Livestream.com if you can’t join us at the Museum.

About the author: Alex Kershaw is a journalist and a New York Times best-selling author of books on World War II. Born in York, England, he is a graduate of Oxford University and lives in Savannah, Georgia. His critically acclaimed books include The Bedford Boys, The Longest Winter, and Escape from the Deep. He is also the author of The Liberator, which is being made into a drama series for Netflix, available in 2020. Kershaw has led countless Educational Travel tours to Europe with The National WWII Museum including our Soldiers and Spies and The Liberator tours.