Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy
Historian of the American Experience on D-Day
and
Chronicler of the 29th Infantry Division in World War II
Described by USA Today as "The top living D-Day historian,"
and by bestselling author Carlo D'Este as "The foremost historian of the D-Day experience."
Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the legendary comic strip Peanuts, observed that Balkoski's book Beyond the Beachhead "is quite amazing... If you want to know what D-Day and Normandy were like, from private to general, from rifle to tank, from beginning to end, this is the book for you."
Joseph Balkoski is Command Historian of the Maryland National Guard and the author of several classic history books detailing the American involvement in D-Day and the Normandy campaign, among them Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy, and From Beachhead to Brittany: The 29th Infantry Division at Brest.
For excerpts and reviewers' comments on those books, see below.
NOW AVAILABLE!
From Beachhead to Brittany: The 29th Infantry Division at Brest
August - September, 1944
From Beachhead to Brittany: The 29th Infantry Division at Brest is the long-awaited sequel to Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy. After a brutal hedgerow campaign, the Allies broke out of Normandy and raced east toward Paris. But the top brass had other plans for the battle-hardened 29th Division, which had landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day and fought fiercely for every foot of ground in Normandy. The 29th must now turn west and seize the vital port of Brest, at the far western corner of Brittany. The troops expected the effort to take a week. It would instead last almost four.
CLICK HERE to read selected excerpts from From Beachhead to Brittany.
CLICK HERE if you would like to order a copy of From Beachhead to Brittany, Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Beyond the Beachhead, or The Clay Pigeons of St. Lo signed by Joseph Balkoski.
CLICK HERE for historical information on the 29th Infantry Division, including a list of all commanders down to company level on D-Day, as well as a list of all 29th Division armories upon its call-up on Feb. 3, 1941.
CLICK HERE to view copies of the 29th Division's renowned wartime newsletter, 29, Let's Go!
CLICK HERE to examine a highly detailed Top Secret World War II map of the western sector of Omah Beach, carried by 29th Division soldiers on D-Day, 6 June 1944.
CLICK HERE to view modern-day photos of 29th Infantry Division landing sites on Omaha Beach as described in Omaha Beach and Beyond the Beachhead.
CLICK HERE to view modern-day photos of 29th Infantry Division battle sites in Normandy in the post-D-Day period as described in Beyond the Beachhead.
CLICK HERE to view modern-day photos of 29th Infantry Division battle sites in the St. Lo area as described in Beyond the Beachhead.
We now have a "Guestbook!" Scroll to the bottom of this page and sign in. Give us your thoughts on the 29th Infantry Division, D-Day, or any related subject. Comments from 29ers or their descendants are especially welcome. And . . . THANKS!
Comments on Joseph Balkoski's works:
Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy (2005 edition with new chapter on liberation of Vire)
"A glorious retelling of a brave invasion. . . . A riveting tale." -The Baltimore Sun
"A vital contribution to World War II literature." -Harold P. Leinbaugh, author of The Men of Company K
"Beyond the Beachhead is one of the best accounts I have read on the preparation and execution of the D-Day invasion. It has been an enormous resource for me in preparing speeches relating to the Normandy invasion." -John O. Marsh, Jr., former Secretary of the Army
"Surely one of the best works in the field I have ever read. The research is obviously exhaustive and I am most envious of the brilliant writing style and ability to tie the various elements together with superb effect." -Colonel John English, author of A Failure in Command: The Canadian Army in Normandy
"I could not put this book down . . . If you have a tatse for Normandy books, read this last, all the rest will not measure up after." -Captain Mitch Reed, Amazon.com Book Reviewer
CLICK HERE to read selected excerpts from the new 2005 edition of Beyond the Beachhead.
CLICK HERE to order a copy of Beyond the Beachhead, signed by Joseph Balkoski.
Omaha Beach: D-Day, June 6, 1944
"The best D-Day related book I have read ... A must for any World War II book collection."
-Tom Birdsong, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Riveting ... A delight to read and beautifully written." -Fred Barnes, editor of The Weekly Standard
"An amazing book." -Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC's Scarborough Country
"Balkoski has fingertip command of his sources and a sense of the dramatic that never loses touch with the brutal realities of combat." -Dennis Showalter, author of Patton and Rommel
CLICK HERE to read selected excerpts from Omaha Beach.
CLICK HERE to order a copy of Omaha Beach, signed by Joseph Balkoski.
Utah Beach: The Amphibious and Airborne Operations on D-Day, June 6, 1944
"First-class history, impeccably researched and skillfully written by the foremost historian of the D-Day experience."
-Carlo D'Este, author of the bestseller Decision in Normandy
"Balkoski has produced a superb book ... His previous works and unaparelled research give him a depth of knowledge and an understanding of the invasion that is rarely found. These credentials make Balkoski uniquely qualified to author this highly acclaimed work."
-Colonel James Oman, US Army War College Parameters magazine
"Joe Balkoski has done it again ... His method of using unit histories and after-action-reports provides an unvarnished look at the action."
-Kevin Hymel, Army magazine
CLICK HERE to read selected excerpts from Utah Beach.
CLICK HERE to order a copy of Utah Beach, signed by Joseph Balkoski.
