The Rising Tide begins a staggering work of fiction bound to be a new generation's most poignant chronicle of World War II. With you-are-there immediacy, painstaking historical detail, and all-inclusive points of view, Shaara portrays the momentous and increasingly dramatic events that pulled America into the vortex of this monumental conflict.

As Hitler conquers Poland, Norway, France, and most of Western Europe, England struggles to hold the line as the only formidable obstacle in Nazi Germany's path. When Japan launches its stunning attack on Pearl Harbor, America is drawn into the war, fighting to hold back the Japanese conquest of the Pacific. But in Europe, the Americans must stand side-by-side with their British ally, the last hope for turning the tide of the war against Hitler.

Through unforgettable battle scenes in the unforgiving deserts of North Africa, to the rugged countryside in Sicily, Shaara tells the story through the voices of history's most heroic figures, some familiar, some unknown. The gallery of characters includes Eisenhower, Patton, Rommel, Churchill, and Mussolini. From tank driver to paratrooper, to the men who gave the commands, Shaara's stirring portrayals bring the valiant and the tragic to life in vivid detail.