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The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (The Liberation Trilogy) | 
 enlarge | Author: Rick Atkinson
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Category: Book
List Price: $35.00
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Rating:  83 reviews
Sales Rank: 5431
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 816
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.9
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.8
ISBN: 0805062890
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.54215
EAN: 9780805062892
ASIN: 0805062890
Publication Date: October 2, 2007
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Amazon.com
Amazon Best of the Month, November 2007: Topping a Pulitzer Prize-winning effort is tough; finding originality in a World War II narrative is even tougher. Yet Rick Atkinson accomplishes both with The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944. His previous work, An Army at Dawn, won the 2003 Pulitzer in history, but Atkinson has managed to set the bar even higher with his second installment in "The Liberation Trilogy." He descends upon each battlefield with rich historical perspective, tactical analysis, and chilling frontline observations. Cocksure Hollywood bravado is sparse, as Atkinson depicts soldiers fighting for honor, not glory. "We did it because we could not bear the shame of being less than the man beside us," explains one soldier's diary. "We fought because he fought; we died because he died." The result is an incredible portrayal of the courage, sorrow, and determination that came to define our greatest generation. --Dave Callanan
Product 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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| Customer Reviews: Read 78 more reviews...
 This Is Military History At Its Best! October 2, 2007
Dr. Jonathan Dolhenty (Port Orford, OR United States)
150 out of 156 found this review helpful
When it comes to writing military history, Rick Atkinson's narratives, in my view, are as good as it gets. I have an entire bookcase devoted to books about World War II and I would argue that very few, if any of them, meet the standard set now by Atkinson as far as depth of research, a flair for the truly visual and personal, and where an easy and readable prose-style is of concern. So I would not hesitate to nominate Atkinson as the best living author of books about World War II, if not of history in general. This current effort is the second volume of a proposed three-volume set of works about that devastating war. The first book in the series was "An Army at Dawn" -- a winner of the Pulitzer Prize -- which dealt with the North African campaign. Now, in "The Day of Battle," Atkinson takes on the campaign in Sicily and Italy in 1943 and 1944. And does he ever!
I have a large collection of videos dealing with WWII and, of course, one can get "up front and close" to the action when watching them. The images, combined with the narration and the accompanying music in the background, provide the viewer with a true "you are there" experience. I felt almost the same experience while reading this book. Atkinson's ability to linguistically describe a situation so that the reader feels he or she is right there within the phenomenal frame of a battle is awesome. And I don't use the word "awesome" very often. But in this case it is genuinely applicable. I could actually visualize all the action as it was occurring; such is an excellent writer's ability to translate words into mental pictures.
There is one other thing I found absolutely compelling about this book. Over the past few years, I have been studying (revisiting again for the umpteenth time, but more in-depth) the history of ancient Greece and Rome. Sicily and Italy, of course, played a significant role in the history of that era. One of the things that Atkinson does in "The Day of Battle" is correlate the geography of the exploits during the Sicilian and Italian military campaigns to activities that occurred and places that were important during the period when the Greeks and the Romans were active there.
For instance, in the first chapter in a section titled "Calypso's Island," he relates the following information: "Over the millennia, a great deal had happened on the tiny island [Malta] the Allies now code-named FINANCE. St. Paul had been shipwrecked on the north coast of Malta in A.D. 60 while..."; in the second chapter we read: "Few Sicilian towns claimed greater antiquity than Gela, where the center of the American assault was to fall. Founded on a limestone hillock by Greek colonists from Rhodes and Crete in 688 B.C. ..."; and in the tenth chapter we read: "Not far from here, in 217 B.C., Hannibal had found himself hemmed in by the mountains and Roman troops."
And the above are just three of the numerous references that Atkinson gives us as a classical background to what is going on during the 20th-century conflict. I love it, of course, because it makes the narrative so much more meaningful. One can say, "Well, men were there a couple of thousands years ago, basically doing the same thing and in the same places where the action was occurring in 1943-44." This goes a long way toward placing the whole narrative within a sweeping historical context.
And who can resist being impressed when, on page 573, Atkinson relates to us, when describing the entry into Rome of the American commander, General Mark Clark, that "In classical Rome, a triumphant general returning from his latest conquest made for the Capitoline, ... His face painted with vermilion, his head crowned with laurel ..." and so on; unfortunately this paragraph is too long to be quoted here, but it should be noted that Clark was not the first military commander to enter Rome triumphantly, although in this case with less pizzazz than did the ancient Roman generals.
I really think what separates Atkinson from other military historians I have read is the way in which he puts a "human face" on the whole subject. He provides us with the thoughts and feelings of the individual soldiers on both sides in the heat of the battles. He quotes from letters sent home to loved ones from both the men on the front line as well as from the officers in charge. He informs us intimately of the sufferings endured, the human toll incurred, the grand strategies and tactics planned, the successes achieved and, of course, of the fatuity displayed and the foibles exposed. No battle plan is ever perfectly executed and Atkinson does not shrink from critically evaluating those that took place in Sicily and Italy during World War II.
Now, I do not want to give the impression that "The Day of Battle" ignores the "big" events and personalities of the Italian theater during this conflict and is nothing more than a somewhat "soap-opera" presentation or a "made-for-TV tear-jerker." Atkinson writes serious military history. The Allied and Axis commanders, the presidents and prime ministers, the major military conflicts, the politics involved, and so forth -- all the things that one would expect to be covered in any scholarly work in military history -- are discussed and analyzed. What I am saying is that the author goes beyond the usual, to include the "bricks and mortar" of the wartime experience as well as the grand issues and characters involved. It is truly comprehensive in its scope. It is military history at its best.
Furthermore, the book is more than generous with its aids and references. There are twenty maps, including a two-page spread of the entire Mediterranean and European theaters on the endpapers, two 16-page sections of relevant photographs, 140 pages of reference notes, a selected bibliography that runs to thirty pages, and an extensive topical index to top it all off. What more could a World War II history buff ask for? Well, to be honest, one thing right now. And that is the third volume of Atkinson's "Liberation Trilogy" which will cover the final struggle for Western Europe, from the dawn of the Normandy invasion to the final victory in Berlin. I definitely look forward to reading it.
Brilliant Work -- A Masterpiece October 9, 2007
A. Courie (Freedom's Fortress)
45 out of 46 found this review helpful
Rick Atkinson's "The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944" is a masterpiece of military history that should be read by anyone with any interest in World War II or American military history. Following on the heels of his Pulitzer Prize-winning "An Army at Dawn," this is the second work in Atkinson's "Liberation Trilogy" and deserving of yet another Pulitzer Prize. This book is awash in details about the difficult - and often forgotten - fighting in the Mediterranean Theater, but it also clearly and effectively describes the bigger picture of the war in Sicily and Italy.
Two things will immediately strike the reader about this book: the detail with which Atkinson describes the fighting, and the dazzling prose that he uses to tell this story. Atkinson describes the personalities and details of the main characters in the story - the leaders, from Eisenhower to Kesselring to Patton to Mark Clark to - and also gives telling glimpses of the personal lives of the "grunts" who did the fighting on the ground. His emphasis on detail knows no bounds, as he describes Churchill's meals, the furnishings in Mark Clark's office, and the "Anzio Ritz" - the underground cinema at the Anzio beachhead that showed movies to the soldier's at the world's largest self-sufficient POW camp.
For many authors, these details would detract from the story, but through Atkinson's incredible writing, these details instead add life, character, and flavor to this story. He captures the frustrations and difficulties of preparing and leading these forces, such as when he says that "for reasons known only at echelons above reason" a typical convoy required more than six thousand pages of names.
My only complaint or criticism is that, in his effort to weave a seamless narrative, some of the militarily-significant details - the exact unit's designation, the exact date and time, the number of casualties - are omitted. That prevents this book from being a definitive source on the fighting in Sicily and Italy and means that anyone trying to do research on these campaigns needs to look elsewhere.
But despite that extremely minor criticism, this book stands head and shoulders above most other military histories. I've waited for this book for over three years, since reading "An Army at Dawn," and it was well worth the wait. I am already anxiously awaiting Rick Atkinson's concluding work in the "Liberation Trilogy."
 Solid (if not new) look at the US Army in the Italian Campaign January 13, 2008
Mannie Liscum (Columbia, MO United States)
45 out of 47 found this review helpful
"The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944", Rick Atkinson's second volume in the Liberation Trilogy ("An Army At Dawn", 2002), is another tour de force of historical writing. Atkinson is certainly one of this generation's most gifted writers, and he has no problem putting words to page (Day of Battle clocks in at 588 pp., minus nearly 200 pp. of notes and bibliographic information). Most reviews of "The Day of Battle" are nearly glowing to the point of being not very useful. In fact this reviewer feels like many of the glowing reviews focus solely on Atkinson's prowess as a writer and less on his attributes (or lack thereof) as a historian. This is historiography after all, so shouldn't we expect the best? Of course, and in terms of writing an engaging story that the masses will read and having read recommend to friends and colleagues, Atkinson does a bang-up job. Few of today's historical writers are even in the same league. But as a piece of enlightening history "The Day of Battle" is less fulfilling. Most readers not familiar with this portion of the Second World War (Italian campaign in particular) will find loads of 'new' information, but those more versed will be left wanting at the end of the read. Atkinson certainly covers the ground well but he provides little that is new or novel. One could say that there is little 'new' to be learned, and while this rings somewhat true there is always more the historian can do to provide insight into events of history. Atkinson doesn't blaze any new trails in this regard either. So while his story is sound and historically accurate there isn't much for the more serious students of history to chew on - beyond an enjoyable read on well-trodden ground.
So in the end this reviewer feels the need to break ranks with other reviewers and give "The Day of Battle" a solid 3 star rating, 5 for sheer enjoyment of the writing and 2 for historical impact. Moreover, this reviewer feels that Vol. 1 of the Liberation Trilogy is a better book all the way around. Having said all "The Day of Battle" is highly recommended for those with a new or passing interest in the Second World War. For those savvy among you read it if you have a few evenings to spare and simply want a good read, want to refresher about the Italian Campaign, or want to see how engaging prose can make historiography exciting to read.
A great volume 2 to a major work on the US Army in the ETO October 2, 2007
Julian Wan (Ann Arbor, MI USA)
37 out of 41 found this review helpful
Quick summary: a major history of the US Army's campaign to capture Sicily and mainland Italy during WWII. It covers the years 1943 - 1944 and reveals the maturing development of the US Army from a raw green force in North Africa to a more confident professional army capable of actions involving large scale operations.
With the passage of time, the release of more documents (>50 years since the end of WWII) and the longer arc of history, it is now possible to write more objective and critical history of the US side of the ETO. The first work, Army at the Dawn, revealed how badly prepared the US Army was at the outbreak of WWII and how green they were when they landed in North Africa. In hindsight Operation Torch was necessary in order to help sort out what tactics and weapons worked, which generals and officers were up to the modern shooting war, and what was the character of the American Army. Though West Point supplied a professional officer cadre, every American Army has essentially been an amateur one - from the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Spanish American War, and WWI. Large numbers of keen volunteers which needed several years or campaigns to become a serious fighting army. The Second World War proved no different. Atkinson continues his narrative of the evolution of the American Army with a detailed discussion of the Sicilian and Italian campaigns - the flaws and successes, the personalities, and lesser known but important figures.
This work should interest all readers who have an interest in military history in general, and US military history in particular.
 Wordy and Worthless October 27, 2007
Alan Dale Daniel (St. George, UT, USA)
26 out of 75 found this review helpful
This book is awful, especially when compared with the earlier book An Army at Dawn. My first thing I look for in any history book is maps (See [...]). See the US Military Academie's maps on line and in their excellent books on World War I, and World War II, Pacific and Europe editions. I especially want maps in the book at the location where the action is being described. This book, as usual, does not have adequate maps.
Ok, so it is like most other history presentations when it comes to maps that should not rate a one star. True enough. My other complaints are more serious.
This tomb is so wordy it is ridiculous. In one spot the author is describing General Truscott, and he manages to use up over one quarter of the page with a physical description of the man. Things like "rustic jacket" or cigar stained teeth with a gap in them and such are so unnecessary to the history of these battles. A short history of the man's life I can understand, but these kinds of descriptions are for romance novels, not history. In another section he describes a destroyer running down the beach like a dog running along a fence.
Where descriptions are critical there is nothing. How long or deep were the beaches (nothing), what kind of troops in quality and numbers were defending the beaches (nothing), how were the defenses around the Ripido River arranged (nothing)? How effective was Allied air cover, how many bombs were dropped, how many sorties flown over the battlefield, what did the enemy say about the importance of the air power of the Allies - on all these matters he says NOTHING! And when it comes to Allied Air Power, it was very important.
He says many LST's had to return to port full of supplies because storms damaged the doors and they could not be opened once they reached the beaches. Ok, but HOW MANY? What was done, if anything, to fix the problems of jamming doors?
The reader gets no sense of how things were going overall. Individual actions are described in detail. Rangers running along roads or over rooftops are described in detail, but how was the area attacked? What plan was used to move up the roads, or seize certain towns and villages? There is nothing like this: "Deep penetrations by Allied tanks along route _____ disorganized the defenders and forced them to fall back more than 2 miles to _____ , a small village with narrow streets and hills overlooking the area about mile behind the town to the north, where the Germans began to dig in under heavy allied air bombardment. The Germans placed 88mm guns in the hills just beyond the town and placed barricades in the narrow confines of the village and prepared for the Allied armored advance." In my opinion that kind of writing tells me something. A destroyer running down the beach doesn't tell me very much. How many destroyers, what did they shoot at, what did they hit, what impact did they have on the battle, was this part of the Allied plan?
The author mentions that the Allies did not plan well for trapping the Axis troops on Sicily, but he doesn't say why. Over and over again Allied planning in Italy was poor, but he doesn't manage to say why in any detail. Were these guys just dumb? Why didn't Alexander control Clark? Why wasn't Clark relieved of command after not obeying orders concerning the move on Rome?
This is poor history, poorly written and almost incomprehensible. The author must have been paid by the word. More than 50 percent of his sentences are simply wasted fluff.
Not worth the price, not even close.
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