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.