Book cover of The Dead and Those about to Die: D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach

Book description

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 battle.

Nicknamed the Big Red One, 1st Division had fought from North Africa…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Dead and Those about to Die as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

John C. McManus acknowledged the contribution of the film Saving Private Ryan in bringing the Normandy beaches into everyone’s consciousness. I read much of the book and especially the chapter on H-Hour as if I were on the beach crouching beside Joe Zukowski, Frank DeBellis, Howard Pearre, and so many others, crawling, walking laden with far too much equipment, bleeding from machine-gun fire that pierced knees and arms and chests, and ultimately falling.

I found, as McManus wrote: “The soldiers ... were willing to sacrifice themselves and risk death, not just for their cause, not just for the pride of…

If you love The Dead and Those about to Die...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like The Dead and Those about to Die?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Dead and Those about to Die.

Browse books like The Dead and Those about to Die

Book cover of A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II
Book cover of Beneath a Scarlet Sky
Book cover of The Deserters: A Hidden History of World War II

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,340

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Dead and Those about to Die, you might also like...

Foxfire in the Snow by J.S. Fields,

Book cover of Foxfire in the Snow

It's a time of change, between magic and alchemy.

Born the heir of a master woodcutter in a queendom defined by guilds and matrilineal inheritance, nonbinary Sorin can’t quite seem to find their place. At seventeen, an opportunity to attend an alchemical guild fair and secure an apprenticeship with the…

The Main Gate by Yvonne Kjorlien,

Book cover of The Main Gate

Dr. Elise Marquette has spent years burying the past—until the past refuses to stay buried.

Hired to join Earth’s first interstellar contact team, she hopes the vastness of space will finally offer distance from the ghosts of war and the wounds left by a mother who never let her be…

5 book lists we think you will like!