Book excerpt: From its very first page, the American infantryman is the hero of this magnificent account of men at war. Specifically, the heroes are a handful of National Guardsmen of the Carolinas' 30th Infantry Division who, for five days in August 1944, withstood the full fury of a massive Nazi counterattack that threatened to cut off and defeat the Allies' breakout from the Normandy beaches. 12 maps. 24 photos.