The Steel Wave: A Novel of World War II

Jeff Shaara is the best author I have read on the World Wars l and ll. They are historically accurate and the way he writes one learns history without having to read a dull history book. I did not want to put the book down. He writes in a way that you get completely immersed in the situations and action. I highly recommend this book as well as his others.

"The Steel Wave" by Jeff Shaara is the second novel (following "The Rising Tide") in Shaara's planned Second World War historical fiction trilogy. The theme of this novel is the planning and execution of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Northern France. In this piece Shaara uses his now-familiar technique of examining the time period in question from the perspective of historical figures -- some eminent indeed, such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, others less exhalted, i.e. a sergeant of paratroopers. In this novel the approach works superbly, because this novel passes the first critical test--it is one extremely engaging read. The novel moves along at a brisk pace, never loses the reader's interest, and has the ring of realism about it.

The other notable trait of this novel is that once again, Mr. Shaara appears to have done his homework. Shaara's insights into the problems faced by General Eisenhower, the various political leaders, and the men in the field, go well beyond the superficial. Here, the reader truly appreciates the risks and uncertainties that faced the planners and fighters of Operation Overlord. Shaara takes us into the infighting, indecisions, and ultimate risks with which the Allied generals had to contend. My sense is that here, Shaara is fairly evenhanded, although *very minor spoiler* partisans of British General Montgomery will probably not be pleased. And of course, Shaara does a creditable job showing us the invasion from the perspective of the incredibly brave men who actually undertook Operation Overlord and made it a success.

Overall, this is excellent historical fiction about a great subject, that is very well told. Highly recommended.

If you love historical fiction this is it. Shaara creates another colorful novel that makes the characters come alive, but this time on the most important day of WWII. He employs historical fact with a historical interpretation of his own that paints a picture well worth reading. His biographies of the soldiers even helps novice readers understand the real life characters even better. The novel is great for adult readers even if they are not familiar with the historical subject, because they soon will be after reading the unforgettable and fun novel.

Jeff Shaara has done it again with an excellent account of the World War II D-Day invasion. If you are a history lover this is the book for you. Jeff has a great way of using historical characters in such a realistic manner you will feel you are right there with them as they make their decisions and execute one of the greatest invasions in modern warfare. These are accounts of real men...Eisenhower, Bradley, Montgomery, Rommel, Patton and those soldiers who actually made the landings and parachute drops on that historic day. I was eleven years old at the time of this event, yet I remember so many things about the war and this book brought back many of those memories to life. Jeff has done his home work well and this second book in his World War II Trilogy will not disappoint you. I can hardly wait for number three!

This is another great Shaara novel, I thoroughly enjoyed this one, couldn't put it down and am ready for the next one.
Clearly these books are novels, and not just history, but they are a fun way to learn.