When Rick Atkinson completed his The Liberation Trilogy on the war in Europe, I knew I had to read them all in order to piece together the European aspect of World War II. It appeared to be a rather neglected aspect of World War II, or at least it seemed so to me. However, nothing I had previously seen, listened to, or read adequately covered the Italian theater. I also watched a number of documentaries which included 'The War,' 'Band of Brothers,' 'The World at War,' and 'The Pacific' as well as all of the Extras found on the DVD sets. After retiring for good five years ago, I decided to focus heavily on this major 20th century event through biographies, histories, and well-researched historical fiction.

None of the history classes I took in high school or college ever discussed World War II I’ve had to learn everything about it on my own over the years.

With the liberation of Rome in June 1944, ultimate victory in Europe at last began to seem inevitable.ĭrawing on extensive new material from a wide array of primary sources, and written with great drama and flair, The Day of Battle is narrative history of the first rank.

Clark, among the war's most complex and controversial commanders, American troops became increasingly determined and proficient. The battles at Salerno, Anzio, the Rapido River, and Cassino were particularly ferocious and lethal, yet as the months passed, the Allied forces continued to drive the Germans up the Italian peninsula. But once underway, the commitment to liberate Italy from the Nazis never wavered, despite the agonizing price. The Italian campaign's outcome was never certain in fact, President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and their military advisors bitterly debated whether an invasion of the so-called soft underbelly of Europe was even wise. Now, in The Day of Battle, he follows the American and British armies as they invade Sicily in July 1943, attack Italy two months later, and then fight their way, mile by bloody mile, north toward Rome.

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.

The day of battle by rick atkinson