The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944

Starred review from July 30, 2007
Atkinson surpasses his Pulitzer-winning An Army at Dawn
in this empathetic, perceptive analysis of the second stage in the U.S. Army's grassroots development from well-intentioned amateurs to the most formidable fighting force of World War II. The battles in Sicily and Italy developed the combat effectiveness and the emotional hardness of a U.S. Army increasingly constrained to bear the brunt of the Western allies' war effort, he argues. Demanding terrain, harsh climate and a formidable opponent confirmed the lesson of North Africa: the only way home was through the Germans: kill or be killed. Atkinson is pitilessly accurate demonstrating the errors and misjudgments of senior officers, Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander, Gen. Mark Clark and their subordinates commanding corps and divisions. The price was paid in blood by the men at the sharp end: British and French, Indians and North Africans—above all, Americans. All that remained of the crew of one burned-out tank were the fillings of their teeth, for one example. The Mediterranean campaign is frequently dismissed by soldiers and scholars as a distraction from the essential objective of invading northern Europe. Atkinson makes a convincing case that it played a decisive role in breaking German power, forcing the Wehrmacht onto a defensive it could never abandon.

Starred review from July 1, 2007
The second volume of this former "Washington Post" editor's "Liberation" trilogy, which began with the Pulitzer Prize-winning "An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 19421943", this is probably the most eagerly awaited World War II book of the year. Atkinson's clear prose, perceptive analysis, and grasp of the personalities and nuances of the campaigns make his book an essential purchase. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 6/1/07.]

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2007
Flushed with the defeat of Rommels Afrika Corps in North Africa, Winston Churchill looked ahead to attacking the soft underbelly of Europe. He believed that the conquest of Sicily, followed by a rapid advance up the Italian peninsula, could reduce the necessity for a massive invasion across the English Chanel. Atkinson, a Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist, has written a comprehensive account of the campaign, which is the second volume of a planned trilogy covering the Allied liberation of Europe. (The first volume, An Army at Dawn, 2007, examined the North African campaign.) As he illustrates with masterful use of primary sources, British and American war planners were deeply divided over the necessity of the campaign. Once launched, Allied attacks were frequently improvised and poorly coordinated. Still, progress was made, ending with the liberation of Rome in June 1944. Atkinson conveys the confusion and grinding difficulty of the Allied advance as experienced by ordinary soldiers while also providing interesting insights into the character of some of the top commanders. Left unanswered is whether the high cost in men and materials justified the ground gained.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)