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Title: An Army at Dawn: The War in Africa, 1942-1943, Volume One of the Liberation Trilogy by Rick Atkinson ISBN: 0-8050-6288-2 Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc. Pub. Date: 02 October, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.47 (79 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Good History and a Great Read
Comment: In too many histories, the campaign in Africa is quickly passed over as a prelude to the main act...the assault on Europe in 1944. But in fact there was seven months of hard fighting across Northern Africa that proved critical in turning the untried American Army into a hardened fighting force.
Rick Atkinson has written a fascinating account that captures it all, from the point of view of privates as well as generals. Familiar characters stride these across these pages: Ike, Mony, Patton, Bradley. But he also introduces us to the lesser known soldiers who fought across Algeria and Tunisa. I have read many WWII histories and biographies but I came across incident after incident and character after character I knew nothing about.His characterizations are vivid and his battle descriptions riveting...especially his account of commando operations gone wrong on the day of the invasion, and the famous fiasco as Kasserine Pass.
Atkinson is not a romantic. His account makes it clear that there were cowards and callous criminals fighting alongside heroes and good guys in North Africa. He does not shy away from relating the egocentric foibles of generals or the matter of fact atrocities committed by American soldiers.
But most of all he tells the engaging story of how an American army and it's soldiers found itself in the sands of North Africa, and readied itself for the onslaught to come.
An Army at Dawn is the first of a 3-part trilogy on the European campaigns of World War II, and I eagerly await the next two books.
Rating: 5
Summary: A bloody introduction to war for the American army
Comment: An Army at Dawn is a comprehensive look at the North African campaign in World War II. Atkinson presents a rich and detailed account of every battle that took place. This book had me fascinated from page one, and it didn't let up until I had finished it. I have not read such a complete account of the battle before, and the combination of Atkinson's writing and newness of the material made me race through this book faster than I have ever read such a lengthy tome. The only thing that slowed me down is the weight of the book, as it prevented me from taking it to work on the bus. A hardcover, at 541 pages of text plus 140 pages of notes and indices, it's pretty hefty. However, it was well worth the effort.
Atkinson is an ex-journalist, and the level of detail in this book speaks to that. The book covers everything from the initial planning and preparation of the invasion, to the boring (for the soldiers) time stuck in Morocco after the front lines had moved on to Tunisia, to the meeting between Churchill and Roosevelt at Casablanca, to the final endgame as the German defences collapsed. Atkinson tells the story in both a broad overview, discussing the planning among the upper echelon of generals, as well as from the foot soldier's point of view. He uses numerous letters and other sources of quotes talking about how individual soldiers felt about what was going on around them. Some of these quotes really get to the heart of what the soldiers were going through, and are quite graphic about what they have seen and heard. The fear that some of them felt is almost palpable, and Atkinson really succeeds in setting the mood.
While this book is a comprehensive history of the North African campaign, one of the major themes of the book (hence the title) is the transformation of the American army from a green force to a tough fighting machine. There are numerous passages in the book where Atkinson talks about the British feelings about this new upstart army, and how it would never amount to anything. British Field Marshal Montgomery was very disdainful of it, saying that they didn't know how to fight and never would. He would be proved wrong.
Atkinson's writing really draws the reader into the action. He wastes no words, but he provides vivid descriptions of the action. At times, he is quite graphic, talking about how a tank shell decapitated somebody or how a soldier is lying on the ground trying to keep his insides from falling out. He sometimes falls into the trap of melodrama, though, such as on page 76 when he says: "Far above, at the shrine of Notre Dame de Santa Cruz, a weathered stone madonna extended her hand toward the harbor, as if to offer absolution for all that she had witnessed." Lines like these are sprinkled throughout the text, and got a little annoying after awhile. However, they don't detract from how successful Atkinson is in getting across to the reader what is happening. He makes the book hard to put down.
The book is wonderfully researched. There are 28 pages of sources listed, as well as 82 pages of notes. It's obvious that Atkinson spent a lot of time and effort to make sure everything was correct, and I could find no fault in his research. The one annoying thing is a personal feeling. I hate the form of notation in this book. The notes are confined to a section in the back of the book, and they have no numerical notation at all. Instead, four or five words of the quote, or whatever it is that Atkinson is noting, are presented and then the source is given. It makes it hard to go back and forth, though at least the page numbers are given so it is a bit easier to find them. I hate flipping to the back of the book anyway, so consider me a fan of the footnote at the bottom of the page. Again, that is a personal preference and doesn't detract from the quality of the book.
One other minor problem is the emphasis on the negative when Atkinson is talking about the more quiet times. I consider it a plus that Atkinson pulls no punches and tells the reader about the bad things that happened during this time. He's honest about the fact that the American fighting man, for the most part, was not ready for this war. Many ran, or died due to the incompetence of their leaders. He also talks about some valorous actions taken by the troops. However, when Atkinson talks about things taking place behind the lines, he tends to concentrate on the negative things. He talks about the treatment of the Arabs, how some of the women were raped or brutalized in other ways. That story does need to be told, but he never talks about any good things that the troops may have done. I'm sure there must have been some good things that he could have talked about, such as an American soldier protecting a family or giving them some food, or something. I'm not quite sure why he avoids this, but I did find that detracted from my enjoyment.
Overall, I have to heartily recommend this book to any serious history buff. The North African campaign is one that has not been widely remembered as more than a footnote, where the American army faced its first trial by combat. It's nice to see such a comprehensive work about it. It is quite heavy (both literally and in the text), so be prepared. But don't worry. The text is rich enough that if you have any interest in the subject at all, it will be well worth your time.
Rating: 1
Summary: I question the accuracy . . .
Comment: The reviewer of March 26, 2004 specifically stated that this book verifies that General Patton did run into the street with his "Pearl Handled" pistol shooting at strafing German planes. This is depicted in a scene in the 1970 film "Patton" starring George C. Scott. I am sorry to tell you that if Atkinson claimed this scene as accurate, then I am seriously suspicious of his accuracy! That scene was grossly overdramatized for the movie. It did not happen that way at all. And by the way, General Patton's dress uniform pistol was ivory handled, not pearl. If this book says it was pearl handled, then that is strike two on accuracy. Strike three is that he would not have been wearing a dress uniform pistol in a war zone. (Incidentally, he fired an automatic pistol in the movie). I wonder what else is incorrect? Is this history or a really good story? I am going to read this to see if it is truthful and accurate; I really hope the above mentioned reviewer is wrong.
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Title: The Long Gray Line : The American Journey of West Point's Class of 1966 by Rick Atkinson ISBN: 0805062912 Publisher: Owl Books Pub. Date: 15 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: In the Company of Soldiers : A Chronicle of Combat by Rick Atkinson ISBN: 0805075615 Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc. Pub. Date: 15 March, 2004 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: Crusade : The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War by Rick Atkinson ISBN: 0395710839 Publisher: Mariner Books Pub. Date: 19 October, 1994 List Price(USD): $17.00 |
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Title: Paris 1919 : Six Months That Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan ISBN: 0375760520 Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks Pub. Date: 09 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945 by Michael Beschloss ISBN: B0000CAR62 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $26.95 |
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