| The Day of Battle - The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944
(2007)
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| Front Cover |
Book Details |
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| Genre |
Non-Fiction |
| Subject |
Italy - History, Military - 1914-1945; World War, 1939-1945 - Campaigns - Italy |
| Publication Date |
10/2/2007 |
| Format |
Hardcover (7.1
x
6.5
mm)
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| Publisher |
Henry Holt & Co |
| Language |
English |
| Extras |
Dust Jacket; Dust Jacket Cover |
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| Description |
| In the second volume of his epic trilogy about the liberation of Europe in World War II, Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Atkinson tells the harrowing story of the campaigns in Sicily and Italy In An Army at Dawn—winner of the Pulitzer Prize—Rick Atkinson provided a dramatic and authoritative history of the Allied triumph in North Africa. Now, in The Day of Battle, he follows the strengthening American and British armies as they invade Sicily in July 1943 and then, mile by bloody mile, fight their way north toward Rome.The Italian campaign’s outcome was never certain; in fact, Roosevelt, Churchill, and their military advisers engaged in heated debate about whether an invasion of the so-called soft underbelly of Europe was even a good idea. But once under way, the commitment to liberate Italy from the Nazis never wavered, despite the agonizingly high price. The battles at Salerno, Anzio, and Monte Cassino were particularly difficult and lethal, yet as the months passed, the Allied forces continued to drive the Germans up the Italian peninsula. Led by Lieutenant General Mark Clark, one of the war’s most complex and controversial commanders, American officers and soldiers became increasingly determined and proficient. And with the liberation of Rome in June 1944, ultimate victory at last began to seem inevitable.Drawing on a wide array of primary source material, written with great drama and flair, this is narrative history of the first rank. With The Day of Battle, Atkinson has once again given us the definitive account of one of history’s most compelling military campaigns. |
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| Product Details |
| LoC Classification |
D763.I8 .A85 2007 |
| Dewey |
940.54215 |
| ISBN |
9780805062892 |
| Edition |
[1st ed.] |
| Cover Price |
$35.00 |
| No. of Pages |
791 |
| First Edition |
Yes |
| Rare |
No |
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| Notes/Review |
The second book of Atkinson's trilogy, this one covers the fighting in Sicily and Italy. Again, it's centered on US Army operations. Activities of Brits and other allies is included but really nothing of Navy or air operations. Like the first book this one has nice maps for each significant battle adjacent to the appropriate text. Sources, bibliography, and index are included.
According to the book covers, they appear to be divided by location (Africa, Italy, and Western Europe for the third volume). This one ends pretty much with the liberation of Rome the day before the Normandy invasion. This leads me to believe the third volume may include whatever significant engagements occurred in Northern Italy after June 6.
The scale of combat has increased since the first volume. It's still possible to craft a narrative of the operations when concentrating on the stories of the leadership, but when he tries to give details of the common soldier, it comes off more like a quick recitation of various sensational aspects rather than any sort of story. Still, quite well executed. |
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