Nothing but Courage: The 82nd Airborne's Daring D-Day Mission--and Their Heroic Charge Across the La Fičre Bridge - Hardcover

Donovan, James

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593184874 ISBN 13: 9780593184875

Publisher: Dutton Caliber, 2025

Synopsis

From the bestselling author of Shoot for the Moon and A Terrible Glory comes the dramatic story of the courageous paratroopers and glidermen of the 82nd Airborne, who risked their lives to seize and secure a small, centuries-old bridge in France that played a pivotal role in the success of D-Day.

In June 1944, German and American forces converged on an insignificant bridge a few miles inland from the invasion beaches. If taken by the Nazis, the bridge might have gone down in history as the reason the Allies failed on D-Day.

The narrow road over it was each side’s conduit to victory. Continued Nazi control over the bridge near an old manoir known as La Fičre—one of only two bridges in the region capable of supporting tanks and other heavy armor—would allow the Germans to reinforce their defenses at Utah Beach, one of the five landing areas chosen for Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Nazi-held Europe. But because control of the bridge was also essential to moving U.S. troops inland and off the beach, it could not simply be destroyed: it had to be taken—and held—by the Allies.

This was part of the formidable mission of the 82nd Airborne, whose lightly armed but superbly trained troopers had dropped behind—and into—German lines five hours before the seaborne assault on Utah. While blocking enemy reinforcements, they had to seize and secure avenues of approach from the beaches to the interior of Normandy, including two bridges over the modest Merderet River and the key crossroads village of Sainte Mčre Église. Failure would give Hitler enough time, and the opportunity, to build up the resources necessary to defeat the invasion and turn the tide for the Nazis. The village was taken early on D-Day, and the 82nd endured repeated attacks by much larger German forces. But the bridge at La Fičre became a bloody three-day standoff against tanks and artillery that culminated in a near-suicidal charge across it and the narrow 500-yard causeway beyond—straight into the teeth of a fierce German defense ordered to hold it to the last man.​

About this title

About the Author

James Donovan is the author of Shoot for the Moon,  A Terrible Glory, The Blood of Heroes, and several other books. Nothing but Courage is his stirring saga of American heroism, sacrifice, and triumph during one of the greatest—and lesser known—stories of World War II. James has been a literary agent since 1993 and lives in Dallas.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dutton Caliber
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0593184874
• ISBN 13: 9780593184875
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 448