THE 101ST AIRBORNE IN FRANCE 1944–1945 – The Twilight of the Eagles

The 101st Airborne in France. 1944–1

Created in August 1942, the 101st Airborne Division received its baptism of fire in Normandy on the night of 6 June 1944. It contributed to the success of the Landings by playing a major role in linking the beachheads of Omaha Beach and Utah Beach. Its story then continued in the Netherlands, at Bastogne, in Alsace, and finally up to Hitler's Eagle's Nest in May 1945.

But this book also sheds light on a lesser-known aspect: the periods of rest, reorganisation and training of the 101st Airborne in France, particularly in Champagne and Burgundy. These stays, often poorly documented or confused in terms of dates and locations, help to better understand the evolution of the division after its major engagements.

The work also revisits the end of the road for this emblematic unit. After victory in Europe and the Pacific, the US Army began the repatriation and demobilisation of its soldiers. On 30 November 1945, the 101st Airborne was dissolved at Auxerre, in France, in the very country where its fighting history had begun.

With its 144 pages, its large 25 x 34 cm format and its hardbound binding, this book is a fine piece for collectors, readers passionate about the American army, and Second World War enthusiasts.