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The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: Ronald Reagan, D-Day, and the U.S. Army 2nd Ranger Battalion
"These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. Theseare the men who took the cliffs. These are thechampions who helped free a continent. Theseare the heroes who helped end a war."—Ronald Reagan, June 6, 1984,Normandy, France Acclaimed historian and author of the "New York Times" bestselling Tour of Duty Douglas Brinkley tells the riveting account of the brave U.S. Army Rangers who stormed the coast of Normandy on D-Day and the President, forty years later, who paid them homage. The importance of Pointe du Hoc to Allied planners like General Dwight Eisenhower cannot be overstated. The heavy U.S. and British warships poised in the English Channel had eighteen targets on their bombardment list for D-Day morning. The 100-foot promontory known as Pointe du Hoc -- where six big German guns were ensconced -- was number one. General Omar Bradley, in fact, called knocking out the Nazi defenses at the Pointe the toughest of any task assigned on June 6, 1944. Under the bulldoggish command of Colonel James E. Rudder of Texas, who is profiled here, these elite forces "Rudder's Rangers" -- took control of the fortified cliff. The liberation of Europe was under way. Based upon recently released documents from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, the Eisenhower Center, Texas A & M University, and the U.S. Army Military History Institute, The Boys of Pointe du Hoc is the first in-depth, anecdotal remembrance of these fearless Army Rangers. With brilliant deftness, Brinkley moves between two events four decades apart to tell the dual story of the making of Reagan's two uplifting 1984 speeches, considered by many to be among the best orations the Great Communicator ever gave, and the actual heroic event, which was indelibly captured as well in the opening scenes of Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan".Just as compellingly, Brinkley tells the story of how Lisa Zanatta Henn, the daughter of a D-Day veteran, forged a special friendship with President Reagan that changed public perceptions of World War II veterans forever. Two White House speechwriters -- Peggy Noonan and Tony Dolan -- emerge in the narrative as the master scribes whose ethereal prose helped Reagan become the spokesperson for the entire World War II generation.
Hardcover
First published May 31, 2005
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About the author
Douglas Brinkley
112 books402 followersDouglas Brinkley is a professor of history at Rice University and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. The Chicago Tribune has dubbed him “America’s new past master.” His most recent books are The Quiet World, The Wilderness Warrior, and The Great Deluge. Six of his books have been selected as New York Times Notable Books of the Year. He lives in Texas with his wife and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
January 18, 2025
super good read to learn more about the D-Day Normandy invasion!! I’m reading for my SLU trip this summer for some historical context! very easy to read and understand so I’d definitely recommend for beginners or just someone who wants an easy intro!
September 17, 2009
I liked the Point du hoc parts of the book. And, although I really admire the late President Reagan, I thought Brinkley devoted too much of the book to the Reagan/Point du hoc connection.
September 27, 2017
I think I'm echoing some other reviewers here, but I liked the first two-thirds of this book about the Rangers who took Pointe Du Hoc in WWII. After about a hundred pages though, the book became all about Ronald Reagan and his speech writers. It seemed that the scope of the book changed at that point and I started to lose interest. So high marks for the first part, but that last third could (should) have been summarized.
February 19, 2025
Audiobook. In preparation for a trip to Normandy. Well presented and I learned so much!
July 30, 2023
This book is a good mini-history of WWII while presenting the backdrop to President Reagan’s speeches, specifically the Pointe du Hoc speech. The amount of research that goes into a speech is impressive. The more personal it can be, the more relatable and effective it is likely to be. A powerful speech about a powerful day is well captured in this book.
October 21, 2016
Good book but some minor historical errors that somewhat spoiled it for me.
July 13, 2024
I listened to the audiobook. I do not recommend it nor do I recommend this book if you’re wanting a book focused on the Rangers or D-Day.
The author narrated this book. Nornally I enjoy authors reading their own work, this was not one of those times. The author definitely should’ve hired a narrator and a better production team. He needed to research how to pronounce names of cities/places and people. He butchered so many names it was painful. Also painful was the foreign, especially the French names. If you are going to narrate something with proper names and foreign names, do your research and learn how to say those names. There was no effort made in learning pronunciation or practicing reading prior to recording. Most were butchered so badly it just sounded stupid. He also mispronounced many simple words as if he just read the book without practicing first. His pronunciations of words was just terrible. There were so many flubbers, mispronunciations, extra letters in words, stutters, and over emphasized/enunciated words/letters it was very distracting.
A few examples:
Point duh hawk or point doo hawk
Reegan vs Reagan
Arm-rillo vs Amarillo (am-uh-rill-oh, am-a-rilla if you’re from certain parts of texas)
Fabuloust instead of fabulous
Stefon-ville vs stephenville (Stephen-ville)
Tarlatin vs Tarleton (taarl-tuhn)
Hi-arcacole vs hierarchical
Trentches vs trenches
The French names, forget it. It sounded like a high school student reading a textbook trying to learn French.
The author couldn’t get his reading speed down. He would be really fast then very slow then really fast again then reading so slow it was like there was a period was after each word. He also read the majority as if he was reading a book report in front of a class rather than narrating a story. It was extremely boring and monotone for the majority that several times I found myself zoning out or falling asleep. I kept having to rewind and start over. For a 6.5 hr book, it took me nearly 12.5 hrs to finish because I kept having to start sections over. I was 6.5 hrs in for reading time at 64% of the book. Sometimes he would yell or over enunciate, sometimes he would mumble.
The recording quality was also poor. Lots of static clicks throughout while chapters 34-37 had such loud static you couldn’t hear him reading and several parts it was screeching static where nothing was audible and the volume had to be suddenly turned down or passage skipped. There are some overly high volume sections while some sections sounded like he was reading from another room or underwater. The music between some chapters but not all was also very weird. Sometimes it would continue for several seconds into his reading which was very distracting.
This was like a long high school book report that didn’t really have a solid direction or theme. It was like 4 reports smooshed together to make a book. The epilogue was 2 whole chapters while the final two chapters were Regan’s D-Day speech just broken into what seemed like two separate speeches. Chapters would run on with no clear break or pause in thought or they’d be split mid thought into two chapters. The flow was not done well at all. It was incredibly boring and mostly uninteresting. It made me want to find more books on the Rangers and D-Day, but it really didn’t further my knowledge of either at all. It was just painfully boring and painful listening to the blunders and mispronounced words. The writing was subpar and choppy. It truly felt like listening to a kid’s book report.
The title is misleading. There’s only a couple chapters for the Rangers and actual D-Day sandwiched between Reagan praise. This was more a Reagan obsession write up combined with a somewhat factual account of his staff writers and his most popular speeches. It also made it seem Reagan was the only one to honor and celebrate WWII veterans. There’s some historical inaccuracies as well. Another blunder by the author. Adequate, factual research goes a long way.
Overall, do not recommend this book. Definitely not the audiobook. There are much better, factually correct books out there about the Rangers and D-Day, even about Reagan history. This was a flop all the way around. Don’t waist the 6.5 hrs. I’m giving two stars simply because the couple of chapters involving the Rangers and D-Day were a little interesting even if short and full of mispronunciations and incorrect facts. This book needed more effort, more guided-streamlined direction, an editor, a production editor, and a lot more research. No interest in reading this author again and certainly not listening to him.
The author narrated this book. Nornally I enjoy authors reading their own work, this was not one of those times. The author definitely should’ve hired a narrator and a better production team. He needed to research how to pronounce names of cities/places and people. He butchered so many names it was painful. Also painful was the foreign, especially the French names. If you are going to narrate something with proper names and foreign names, do your research and learn how to say those names. There was no effort made in learning pronunciation or practicing reading prior to recording. Most were butchered so badly it just sounded stupid. He also mispronounced many simple words as if he just read the book without practicing first. His pronunciations of words was just terrible. There were so many flubbers, mispronunciations, extra letters in words, stutters, and over emphasized/enunciated words/letters it was very distracting.
A few examples:
Point duh hawk or point doo hawk
Reegan vs Reagan
Arm-rillo vs Amarillo (am-uh-rill-oh, am-a-rilla if you’re from certain parts of texas)
Fabuloust instead of fabulous
Stefon-ville vs stephenville (Stephen-ville)
Tarlatin vs Tarleton (taarl-tuhn)
Hi-arcacole vs hierarchical
Trentches vs trenches
The French names, forget it. It sounded like a high school student reading a textbook trying to learn French.
The author couldn’t get his reading speed down. He would be really fast then very slow then really fast again then reading so slow it was like there was a period was after each word. He also read the majority as if he was reading a book report in front of a class rather than narrating a story. It was extremely boring and monotone for the majority that several times I found myself zoning out or falling asleep. I kept having to rewind and start over. For a 6.5 hr book, it took me nearly 12.5 hrs to finish because I kept having to start sections over. I was 6.5 hrs in for reading time at 64% of the book. Sometimes he would yell or over enunciate, sometimes he would mumble.
The recording quality was also poor. Lots of static clicks throughout while chapters 34-37 had such loud static you couldn’t hear him reading and several parts it was screeching static where nothing was audible and the volume had to be suddenly turned down or passage skipped. There are some overly high volume sections while some sections sounded like he was reading from another room or underwater. The music between some chapters but not all was also very weird. Sometimes it would continue for several seconds into his reading which was very distracting.
This was like a long high school book report that didn’t really have a solid direction or theme. It was like 4 reports smooshed together to make a book. The epilogue was 2 whole chapters while the final two chapters were Regan’s D-Day speech just broken into what seemed like two separate speeches. Chapters would run on with no clear break or pause in thought or they’d be split mid thought into two chapters. The flow was not done well at all. It was incredibly boring and mostly uninteresting. It made me want to find more books on the Rangers and D-Day, but it really didn’t further my knowledge of either at all. It was just painfully boring and painful listening to the blunders and mispronounced words. The writing was subpar and choppy. It truly felt like listening to a kid’s book report.
The title is misleading. There’s only a couple chapters for the Rangers and actual D-Day sandwiched between Reagan praise. This was more a Reagan obsession write up combined with a somewhat factual account of his staff writers and his most popular speeches. It also made it seem Reagan was the only one to honor and celebrate WWII veterans. There’s some historical inaccuracies as well. Another blunder by the author. Adequate, factual research goes a long way.
Overall, do not recommend this book. Definitely not the audiobook. There are much better, factually correct books out there about the Rangers and D-Day, even about Reagan history. This was a flop all the way around. Don’t waist the 6.5 hrs. I’m giving two stars simply because the couple of chapters involving the Rangers and D-Day were a little interesting even if short and full of mispronunciations and incorrect facts. This book needed more effort, more guided-streamlined direction, an editor, a production editor, and a lot more research. No interest in reading this author again and certainly not listening to him.
October 16, 2024
The boys of pointe du hoc : Ronald Reagan, D Day, and the US Army 2nd Ranger Battalion by Douglas Brinkley
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A masterfully woven tale detailing the daring deeds of the US Army rangers on D Day June 6th, 1944. Fighting bravely to destroy nazi heavy artillery weapons that were strategically placed on the high ground on pointe du hoc, the rangers faced insurmountable odds as they scaled rugged cliffs over 100 ft high with ropes as they faced enemy machine gun and artillery fire. These brave souls completed their mission and secured and destroyed the enemy weapons ensuring the ability to land craft of the beaches of Normandy. In parallel with this story is the flash forward to the 40th anniversary of D Day in 1984 while Ronald Reagan was president. Reagan would go on to make one of his most famous speeches called “the boys of pointe du hoc” where he would invoke these heroic deeds of our greatest generation to give Americans a renewed sense of patriotic pride in their homeland. The speech was a smashing success that refocused the American publics mindset of what it means to be an American after many years of declining patriotism due to the Vietnam war, Nixon resigning, civil rights strife, Iran hostage crisis, etc. Reagan masterfully shifted the focus to the veterans of WWII, “the good war”, when the United States liberated Europe and freed the world of fascism. This book also delves into the world of presidential speechwriting and just how complicated it is to craft a memorable speech. Would definitely recommend!
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#thegreatestgeneration #usa #ronaldreagan #president #bookreview #pointeduhoc #ww2 #usarmy #rangers
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A masterfully woven tale detailing the daring deeds of the US Army rangers on D Day June 6th, 1944. Fighting bravely to destroy nazi heavy artillery weapons that were strategically placed on the high ground on pointe du hoc, the rangers faced insurmountable odds as they scaled rugged cliffs over 100 ft high with ropes as they faced enemy machine gun and artillery fire. These brave souls completed their mission and secured and destroyed the enemy weapons ensuring the ability to land craft of the beaches of Normandy. In parallel with this story is the flash forward to the 40th anniversary of D Day in 1984 while Ronald Reagan was president. Reagan would go on to make one of his most famous speeches called “the boys of pointe du hoc” where he would invoke these heroic deeds of our greatest generation to give Americans a renewed sense of patriotic pride in their homeland. The speech was a smashing success that refocused the American publics mindset of what it means to be an American after many years of declining patriotism due to the Vietnam war, Nixon resigning, civil rights strife, Iran hostage crisis, etc. Reagan masterfully shifted the focus to the veterans of WWII, “the good war”, when the United States liberated Europe and freed the world of fascism. This book also delves into the world of presidential speechwriting and just how complicated it is to craft a memorable speech. Would definitely recommend!
.
.
#thegreatestgeneration #usa #ronaldreagan #president #bookreview #pointeduhoc #ww2 #usarmy #rangers
September 7, 2019
As other readers have noted, this is two books in one and neither is the best of its kind. Having been to those Normandy sites, it was easy to visualize the scenes of the action in both decades. I found the first part of the book an interesting story of the creation of the Rangers and their preparation for the attack. The last half, however, is a less-coherent sketch of several different speech writers, interspersed with personal stories of the Reagan years.
In some ways, it’s interesting to look back at those years again through a dramatically different lens; our current political framework changes a lot of my view of history. I do remember that Ronald Reagan - the one of inspiring political rhetoric and heartfelt storytelling. This book made that version of him come alive again. But we have to remember the policy outcomes of that world view, as well. After all, this also is Ronnie Ray-gun, same man who, as governor of California, told us that the beef crisis was an act of God and, therefore nothing could be done about it.
Still, people change and the political commentary of the 1960s isn’t what a man necessarily chooses to mold his whole life around. I prefer to think of him idolizing the buoyant optimism of FDR, just like Papa did. That is the forward-looking positivity I remember of my own father at the dinner table, telling his WWII stories, and that’s not a bad way to remember Ronald Reagan.
On the whole it’s a fast read and a fairly interesting one, but not a serious source of historical information for a real student.
In some ways, it’s interesting to look back at those years again through a dramatically different lens; our current political framework changes a lot of my view of history. I do remember that Ronald Reagan - the one of inspiring political rhetoric and heartfelt storytelling. This book made that version of him come alive again. But we have to remember the policy outcomes of that world view, as well. After all, this also is Ronnie Ray-gun, same man who, as governor of California, told us that the beef crisis was an act of God and, therefore nothing could be done about it.
Still, people change and the political commentary of the 1960s isn’t what a man necessarily chooses to mold his whole life around. I prefer to think of him idolizing the buoyant optimism of FDR, just like Papa did. That is the forward-looking positivity I remember of my own father at the dinner table, telling his WWII stories, and that’s not a bad way to remember Ronald Reagan.
On the whole it’s a fast read and a fairly interesting one, but not a serious source of historical information for a real student.
September 13, 2025
Well written--but is mostly about Ronald Reagan's use of WWII Army Rangers' story--in order for Reagan to win the Presidency for 1981. There is very little about the 2nd Battalion Rangers, which seems to be how all the books are. The Rangers were heroes and my father was one of them (he was one of Rudder's Rangers, 2nd Battalion, HQ Co.) and he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal plus two Purple Hearts (for different battles). It is shameful that the Ranger's (who were created for D-Day's special mission) were treated disrespectfully during the war because no one knew what they were, and then barely spoken about in following years. Apparently Americans prefer to forget about their brave soldiers and not discuss wars until at least 50-80 years have passed, most of the surviving soldiers are deceased, and much of the military records are lost, burned, hidden, buried. True war stories and truths are always lost on a gargantuan scale. This book should be marked as a book about Republican Ronald Reagan and his use of WWII Ranger history to win his election. Last word: Reagan did serve in U.S. military during WWII, but he served in California as an actor making WWII films (which was necessary)--not in any European, Pacific, or other, battles (against Nazi and Japanese soldiers). If you want to learn about Ronald Reagan, this book will help. If you are interested in WWII and/or in Rudder's Rangers, then brace yourself for disappointment.
May 12, 2017
Wow, this read like a history report that you do in school. You know the one where the teacher says it has to be X long and when you don't have enough pages you start quoting everyone else's work hoping the teacher doesn't notice and start talking about other things? Then thinking you are going to get extra credit you add something totally off subject.
So the book I thought was supposed to be about the Boys on Pointe du Hoc (2nd Ranger battalion) that came to liberate the French and the rest of Europe. It was light on that.
He talked about Reagan and how and why he mentioned the boys. Then he talked about Reagan and his Hollywood time (no reason for it).
But he also talked about Reagan and the Challenger's speech (OK sort of get it because it was the same person how wrote this one) and then it talked about his continued presidency.
He basically made it seem like only reason Reagan wanted to do the speech was because he wanted to get reelected. There were also a few other things in the book that I thought was totally off base, but not worth writing about.
In all skip this 236 page book and another 24 pages of notes and resources. There were a handful of interesting facts but that was it.
So the book I thought was supposed to be about the Boys on Pointe du Hoc (2nd Ranger battalion) that came to liberate the French and the rest of Europe. It was light on that.
He talked about Reagan and how and why he mentioned the boys. Then he talked about Reagan and his Hollywood time (no reason for it).
But he also talked about Reagan and the Challenger's speech (OK sort of get it because it was the same person how wrote this one) and then it talked about his continued presidency.
He basically made it seem like only reason Reagan wanted to do the speech was because he wanted to get reelected. There were also a few other things in the book that I thought was totally off base, but not worth writing about.
In all skip this 236 page book and another 24 pages of notes and resources. There were a handful of interesting facts but that was it.
September 4, 2019
Didn’t care much for Reagan back in the day, but I did know about the Pointe du Hoc Rangers on D- Day. So I picked up the book because of the historian Brinkley, and the D-Day aspect of it. AND I knew that Reagan would be kinda a huge part of the story. Therefore I’m a bit mystified when I read from some reviewers suggesting that ‘Reagan is in the book too much’, indicating some surprise. After all, his name is on the subtitle; so I’m not sure why there was any surprise.
Anyway, I found the build up to the assault compelling, the way the speech was built around it almost as much so, and of course the overall way it was all tied together fascinating.
I was not surprised by the second half of the book that went into details on Ronald Reagan's background and build up to his speech at Pointe du Hoc on the 40th anniversary. I found it just as interesting as the rest of the book. Years have softened my generation's attitude towards Reagan, with his overall aspect of humanity and relative humility counting towards that. And what I wouldn’t give to have Reagan today instead of the current clown in the WH (in fact, I would happily take Pierce even).
Overall a good read.
Anyway, I found the build up to the assault compelling, the way the speech was built around it almost as much so, and of course the overall way it was all tied together fascinating.
I was not surprised by the second half of the book that went into details on Ronald Reagan's background and build up to his speech at Pointe du Hoc on the 40th anniversary. I found it just as interesting as the rest of the book. Years have softened my generation's attitude towards Reagan, with his overall aspect of humanity and relative humility counting towards that. And what I wouldn’t give to have Reagan today instead of the current clown in the WH (in fact, I would happily take Pierce even).
Overall a good read.
May 4, 2019
I read this after reading "Band of Brothers". This book deals with the U.S. Army 2nd Ranger Battalion and specific mission of capturing this strategic point.
La Pointe du Hoc , is a promontory with a 100 ft cliff overlooking the English Channel on the north-western coast of Normandy in the Calvados department, France. During World War II it was the highest point between the American sector landings at Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east. The German army fortified the area with concrete casemates and gun pits. On D-Day, the United States Army Ranger Assault Group attacked and captured Pointe du Hoc after scaling the cliffs.
It is an exciting read. Half way through the book, Brinkley switches gears and take us to the preparations and advance work to Ronald Reagan's memorable visit to the site on the 40th anniversary of D-Day. His speechwriter, Peggy Noonan research in developing Reagan's speech there is detailed.
This book is thus a combination of part war history and part political posing.
La Pointe du Hoc , is a promontory with a 100 ft cliff overlooking the English Channel on the north-western coast of Normandy in the Calvados department, France. During World War II it was the highest point between the American sector landings at Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east. The German army fortified the area with concrete casemates and gun pits. On D-Day, the United States Army Ranger Assault Group attacked and captured Pointe du Hoc after scaling the cliffs.
It is an exciting read. Half way through the book, Brinkley switches gears and take us to the preparations and advance work to Ronald Reagan's memorable visit to the site on the 40th anniversary of D-Day. His speechwriter, Peggy Noonan research in developing Reagan's speech there is detailed.
This book is thus a combination of part war history and part political posing.
December 13, 2018
The title is a bit misleading since the book is really about the speech Reagan made at Pointe du Hoc on the 40th anniversary of D-Day and how it propelled a renewed, deep appreciation of the veterans who fought for democracy. Reagan's speech was a call for strong democracy as protection against those who would limit liberty and freedom. It would inspire a "New Patriotism" which defined his presidency.
Nonetheless, it is an interesting book detailing the Rangers' harrowing ascent of the cliff including many individual experiences on D-Day. The crux of the book is how Reagan's handlers and speechwriters, understanding his fantastic ability to connect with people and as an orator, used the Pointe du Hoc stories of individual grit, courage and sacrifice to perfectly deliver his galvanizing message.
Nonetheless, it is an interesting book detailing the Rangers' harrowing ascent of the cliff including many individual experiences on D-Day. The crux of the book is how Reagan's handlers and speechwriters, understanding his fantastic ability to connect with people and as an orator, used the Pointe du Hoc stories of individual grit, courage and sacrifice to perfectly deliver his galvanizing message.
February 22, 2020
Like everyone else says in their reviews this book is divided into two parts, woven together into supposedly one story: the story of the Rangers in WWII and the story of Reagan's speech on the 40th anniversary of DDay. I was more interested in the Rangers stories than Reagan's speech, but I do see why it was important to connect the two - it was one of the best speeches of his Presidency, and we we remember the Ranger's stories so vividly because of the attention at the time of the speech. So I get it. I did find the Reagan part a bit ramblely and would often go off on a related tangent for a couple paragraphs before re-centering on the main narrative. I did enjoy this book, perhaps more than my rating makes it seem - it's more like a 3.9 - I can't quite inch it over to a 4 but I wish I could.
May 13, 2019
This slender, informally written book really has three topics: the D-Day storming of Pointe du Hoc, the process of crafting a speech given by Ronald Reagan on the battle’s fortieth anniversary, and an exposition of Reagan’s ability to communicate ideas through pitch-perfect storytelling and genuine enjoyment of people. I’m skeptical that Reagan’s Pointe du Hoc speech “played a seminal role in launching the great reappreciation of World War II veterans that swept over America in the 1980s”(7), but I enjoyed the book anyway, even when I thought the author could have profitably made a short book even shorter. After finishing the book, I felt I understood Ronald Reagan.
July 26, 2017
I love how this book made me think about memory and how it took Reagan speech writer Peggy Noonan choosing to focus on the Rangers at Pointe Du
Hoc for most people to learn the story of their sacrifice. I also enjoyed learning their story. Toward the end of the book, especially, I was a little put off by the way Brinkley glorified Reagan. I appreciated his analysis of how the speech impacted Americans in 1984, but the way he went on for a whole chapter about how great Reagan was made me a little uneasy, hence the 4 stars.
Hoc for most people to learn the story of their sacrifice. I also enjoyed learning their story. Toward the end of the book, especially, I was a little put off by the way Brinkley glorified Reagan. I appreciated his analysis of how the speech impacted Americans in 1984, but the way he went on for a whole chapter about how great Reagan was made me a little uneasy, hence the 4 stars.
June 20, 2021
An interesting account interweaving the narrative of the Rangers who took Pointe du Hoc in Normandy on D-Day with Reagan’s resonant speech on its 40th anniversary. Much of the insight comes from the lens of how we regard history, yet the book still maintains a personal impact by looking at the individuals who contributed to both events. Perhaps a bit rambling, and more focused on Reagan and his speech than the Omaha Beach landing, but it inspires both a deep appreciation for the Boys of Pointe du Hoc and the president who brought them into the popular consciousness of new generations.
December 31, 2022
I love this topic (the D-Day landing). I received this used book from a friend and agree with another reviewer who said the first 40% of the book is great -dealing with the preparations of the special forces Army Ranger battalions that climbed the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc between Omaha and Utah beach. It deals with the buildup to June 6, 1944, and great detail of the attack itself. Once the book moved on to its secondary topic of Ronald Reagan’s involvement with the 50th anniversary celebration of the event, I lost interest.
I thought the author was fine, I had no trouble reading it.
I thought the author was fine, I had no trouble reading it.
April 21, 2025
“Sensing the Zeitgeist— and in large part for political purposes—President Reagan became the Greatest Generation’s self-appointed spokesperson on June 6, 1984. Although he never fought in World War II, Reagan had served in the Army Air Corps, eventually becoming a captain. All of the propaganda movies he made then were, in essence, a dress rehearsal for June 6, 1984. His dramatic words that day triggered the so-called Greatest Generation phenomenon, which swept across the United States largely unabated until the tragedy of September 11, 2001…”
—Douglas Brinkley, The Boys of Pointe Du Hoc
—Douglas Brinkley, The Boys of Pointe Du Hoc
November 8, 2018
I loved the descriptions and details about storming the point. And then I was totally surprised by the second half of the book that went into details on Ronald Reagan's background and build up to his speech at Pointe du Hoc on the 40th anniversary. Loved the behind-the-scenes type look at that. After finishing the book, I watched the actual Reagan speech on YouTube. Fantastic!
July 16, 2019
I typically struggle with battle books (I rely on biographies to figure things out), but this made sense to me. Brinkley does a brilliant job explaining the Pointe du Hoc aspect of the Normandy invasion as well as weaving Reagan's 1984 speech on site. It tells a bit about the battle, the survivors, family etc and Reagan's deep love for World War II veterans.
July 7, 2021
Great book! I enjoyed seeing a side of President Regan that I never knew of. I enjoyed reading his speeches and learning the impact it had on so many, especially one family. This book discusses how the American rangers came to be, what they accomplished on D-Day, and paints a portrait of a President who cared for those men and how his speeches came to be so memorable. Loved it!
June 14, 2025
I sure hate rating this low because the part about Pont du Hoc was great! However, that was only 20% or so of the book and, as much as I love Reagan, the author went on and on about Reagan and his speech on the 50th Dday remembrance. Truly I didn’t believe the reviews but they were right. I wanted to learn more about the Rangers who climbed the cliffs.
January 3, 2017
There was a lot more about president Reagan, his speeches, and speech writers than there was about 2nd batt during the war. It was well written, and very informative, but I was hoping for more Ranger history than presidential politics.
Not a bad read, just not what I expected.
Not a bad read, just not what I expected.
July 26, 2019
A fascinating study of the intersection between politics and history, recounting first the heroic exploits of the US Army Rangers during the D-Day campaign, then how Reagan and his staff made the honoring of the World War II generation a central tenet of his rhetoric.
September 17, 2019
A poignant tribute to both the fighting Rangers of D Day and Reagan. My father was in the Utah Beach landing and this book commemorates all of those who fought that day as well as the President who honored their memorable contributions.
November 18, 2022
A fascinating view in the skill of Ronald Reagan to move the American people through words. It's amazing that Reagan was able turn the American public back to patriotism through a speech emphasizing WWII heroics. I learned to appreciate the skills of Peggy Noonan.
September 29, 2017
first half good, second half bad
March 30, 2018
Did audio book - had Reagan's actual speeches at the end. Dry in places
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews