WOLFEBORO — Authors Alex Kershaw and Patrick K. O’Donnell will be featured speakers at a symposium on D-Day, sponsored by the Wright Museum of World War II on Tuesday, July 23, between 1 and 5 p.m. in the Great Hall at the Wolfeboro Town Hall.
The event, honoring the 75th anniversary of the largest seaborne invasion in history, will examine the events that began on June 6, 1944, with the launch of Operation Overlord.
“Both Patrick and I bring a great deal of passion and detail to our work,” Kershaw said. “I think people will see this as we talk about the events we wrote about [in our books].”
Kershaw will discuss his best-seller, “The Bedford Boys,” which tells the story of 34 men who made up the first wave at Omaha Beach on D-Day.
“Nineteen out of those 34 men died in that one day,” Kershaw said. “The book is really a story of the tremendous sacrifice this small community made during World War II.”
Wright Museum Executive Director Mike Culver said Kershaw’s book reads like a novel, taking the reader through the minds of those involved.
“If you want to read something that isn’t necessarily about battle, but about people, this book is incredible,” he said.
O’Donnell, author of “Dog Company” and “The Immortals,” said his books are often described as “nonfiction that reads like fiction.”
“Each book captures the story of a small group of individuals who had a crucial impact on the inflection points of a larger event,” he said. “The individual actions of the veterans I chronicle often shaped history and tell a larger story.”
Both authors expressed enthusiasm that the symposium is timed to honor the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
“The World War II generation is an important part of our DNA and who we are as Americans,” said O’Donnell. “Understanding and recognizing the past and the stories of those individuals who bent or shaped history is important for the future.”
The event, sponsored by Two International Group, has an admission fee of $15 for non-members and $10 for members of the Wright Museum.
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