Recommended July 6, 2002 by Jo:
The Clay Pigeons of St. Lo
by Glover S. Johns, intro by Joseph Balkoski

Originally published in 1958 and now available for the first time in paperback, this classic of modern military history tells the exciting true story of the fall of St. Lo, the first major objective of the invading American armies in Normandy in June of 1944. Although St. Lo was intended to be taken within days of the landing, stubborn German resistance postponed the town's fall until July 18. The author describes the bloody action that took place in the thirty days in between as he led his battalion dubbed "The Indestructible Clay Pigeons" through the daunting combat.

About the Author of Clay Pigeons of St. Lo

Col. Glover S. Johns, Jr., was a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Class of 1931. In 1943, while serving as Military Attache‚ in Costa Rica, he applied for an assignment in the European theater, where he served with the 29th Infantry Division. Johns was awarded a Silver Star and Bronze Star, each with Oak Leaf Cluster, as well as the Purple Heart.

Joseph Balkoski is a historian specializing in the history of D-Day and the Normandy campaign during World War II. He is the author of Beyond the Beachhead: The 29th Infantry Division in Normandy

Paperback: 272 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.80 x 9.01 x 6.06
Publisher: Stackpole Books; ISBN: 0811726045; (March 1, 2002)