Steel Wave: The D-Day Invasion
A Historical Novel of World War II Illuminates Allied European Plans
Historical Accuracy
Jeff Shaara has become the leading American historical fiction writer. He has done this by telling us the story of our nation’s great wars. While one hungrily turns the pages of his latest book they will find, to paraphrase Dr. Bill Cosby, that they will learn a great history lesson if they are not careful. Shaara writes with the conscience of a historian as he weaves the tale of the build up to D-Day and the invasion of France in 1944. It is quite common, with historical fiction, to see the writer exercise literary license in a way that drives a true historian mad but Shaara is a breath of fresh, even while at the same time historical, air!
Leadership Challenges
Shaara does a remarkable job giving us insight into the struggles that Dwight Eisenhower faces when he becomes the Commander of Operation Overlord, which included what we now call the D-Day invasion. He outlines Eisenhower’s struggles with British Generals who want his job. We see the conflict with Winston Churchill who believes in Eisenhower but has had reservations from the beginning about the planned invasion through France. There is the unavoidable poignant humor of the military successes as well as the diplomatic disasters that seem to follow General George Patton wherever he goes. He even does a great job giving us insight into the struggles between the British Hero of Africa, the outspoken General Bernard Montgomery, and the once second in command to Patton, and his opposite in demeanor, General Omar Bradley who euphemistically calls the enemy “that other fellow”.
Unsung Heroes
Another treasure in this work is the pleasure of being re-introduced to some real live heroes who we may have met before but have forgotten, as well as being presented with a few whom most Americans have never met. One name that may not pop immediately into our heads when we remember World War II is the British General Frederick Morgan. Shaara makes sure to rectify that situation and show us the man who was behind most of the strategic planning of Operation Overlord. We also get to see a few guys that Shaara actually talked to about their experiences during his research. Most notably we meet Sergeant Jesse Adams who gives up a cushy job as a staff officer at headquarters to exercise his leadership skills with the 82nd Airborne dropping behind enemy lines on D-Day. We also get to meet Private Wallace Unger, who lies to join the army at 15 years of age and finds himself in the 82nd Airborne when he volunteered for the “Pair of Troops” duty because he thought it would be great to have a partner during the war. There are many other true life soldiers that Shaara uses to insure the credibility of his narrative.
The Enemy
Shaara reveals Omar Bradley’s “other fellow” through the eyes of German General Erwin Rommel. Rommel’s star is in decline after his defeat by the Allies in Northern Africa but gets back into the thick of things when Hitler assigns him as an inspector of Army Group West and the Commander of Army Group B in France. His job is to make sure Hitler’s Atlantic Wall is impregnable. He jumps into his duties with gusto only to find that no one agrees with his assessment that the Allied invasion will come through France. He fights red tape, supercilious superiors and sycophantic Hitler supporters to try to secure the defense. With all of the hardships, Rommel does the best he can with what he has to work with to build an unassailable defensive scheme. The politics of his job and the personal struggle he has between the love of his country and a soldier’s duty to follow orders is masterfully portrayed.
The Writer
As with all of this man’s work so far, it is to be recommended to anyone who wants to take a dip in the historical waters of any part of the American story he has chronicled. This is for two important reasons. The first is that it will be a thoroughly enjoyable ride. Secondly, and more important from a historians perspective, once one has read Shaara’s work they will undoubtedly have their appetite primed to learn more about the history of this great nation, which is essential for its long term survival!
Source
The Steel Wave, A Novel of World War II by Jeff Shaara, 2008, Ballantine Books
The Steel Wave by Jeff Shaara
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