The book deals primarily with the speech that Ronald Reagan delivered at Normandy on the fortieth anniversary of the allied invasion of Europe. It talks of Reagan not as a politician, but as an emotional patriot urging Americans to recapture their national pride and how his every word was carefully examined and measured by his staff and his speechwriters.

Peggy Noonan, a rookie speechwriter with liberal ties, was given the job of drafting Reagan's D-Day address under the very close scrutiny of veteran staff members. She constructed a masterpiece.

The author reveals the complicated process of building a speech that makes a strong statement while taking into account sensitive and precarious international relations. The White House wasn't afraid of stepping on toes as long as they were the right toes.

On D-Day, the US Army 2nd Ranger Battalion was given the task of securing Pointe Du Hoc and neutralizing the Germans' big cannons that could provide enough firepower to possibly repel the invasion. The artillery sat atop Pointe Du Hoc, a jut of land that rose above the sea on sheer cliffs. The only way to the top was to climb ropes and rope ladders that were shot above the cliffs and anchored with grappling hooks-a seemingly impossible task in the face of direct enemy fire. The boys of Pointe Du Hoc prevailed at an extremely high cost. Two hundred and twenty-five 18-20 year old boys began the assault and by the end of the second day one hundred and thirty-five of them had fallen, a casualty rate of sixty percent. Sixty-six of these survivors sat in the front rows as Reagan delivered what was possibly the most memorable speech of his presidency.

The book is not a political statement, but more of an historical analysis of an event that presented the United States and its people to the world in a very positive light.

If you're looking for a war story, this isn't it, but it's a well-researched, accurate documentary of an event that helped define the United States in the eyes of the world. It's definitely not dry or boring. It's good reading that will leave you with a feeling of pride.