Len Lomell: D-Day Hero

The exciting, fascinating story of Len Lomell, an Army Ranger who on D-Day climbed the steep cliffs at Pointe du Hoc and almost single-handedly knocked out the big German guns before they could start firing on the American invasion force, and whose later exploits spanned the most dramatic battles of World War II.

Len Lomell was drafted to the United States Army in 1942, became an Army Ranger, and was soon sent to England to prepare for the D-Day invasion. At Point du Hoc, Lomell and his men were given a mission-to scale the steep cliffs and disable the big German guns at the top, guns that could otherwise destroy the rest of the D-Day landing fleet. Despite incredible odds, it was a mission that Lomell completed almost single-handedly.

In this stirring, fascinating, action-packed book, Steve Gillon details the incredibly heroic actions on D-Day-and throughout World War II-that ultimately won Lomell the Distinguished Service Cross, a Silver Star, and a Bronze Star. Lomell, who lived in New Jersey for the rest of his life and died in 2011, was later praised by Stephen Ambrose as the single most important person in the success of D-Day after General Eisenhower.

Gillon’s action-packed writing, nuanced research, and multiple personal interviews with Lomell come together to create a book that will fascinate readers of World War II stories while bringing a brave, heroic, and truly inspirational story to life.