The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (The Liberation Trilogy) | 
| Author: Rick Atkinson
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Category: Book
List Price: $35.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  82 reviews
Sales Rank: 2055
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 816
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 77 more reviews...
 Great Job June 7, 2008
Another wow from Rick Atkinson. Loved this book as much as an Army at Dawn. Can hardly wait for #3 in the liberation trilogy.
 The Day of Battle June 2, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Makes every Allied Commander a complete DUNDERHEAD. Atkinson has evidently joined the "Blame America First" crowd! I would think he could find some positive snippet in the data he reviewed (173 pages of notes & selected sources). In his exaustive research,
it seems he fails to realize that we did infact win the war.
Another Winner May 25, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Rick has followed the first volume of his WWII trilogy with another winner. The first book "An Army at Dawn" captures the amatuer performance of a great Army learning to fight. This book captures the beginning of the Army's maturity as a fighting force and the growth of it's leadership.The tragic Airborne operation is painful to read. The unending battle of egos between Patton and Mongomery is tragic. Rick captures the story of the Sicily and Italian campaign with the great skill.
Well worth any WWII History Buffs time.
 Focus on Sicily and Italian Campaign in WWII May 19, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book focus' on Sicily and the Italian campaign in World War II. However, in my opinion, it is not as good as the first book, Army at Dawn. Some examples of why are the following. (1) The author must have used the phrase "Marcus Aurelius Clarkus" six times at least to describe General Mark Clark. This sort of repetitiveness gets annoying. (2) In the first book, the focus was on the US Army. This time that isn't the focus of the book. The book shares what the New Zealanders did, what the Poles did, what the French did, what the English did and what the Canadians did. Now, to some level that makes sense, since all of these forces fought at Monte Cassino. But when the book moved to the other side of the peninsula to focus on a Canadian action. Consequently, I found myself unclear on what the focus was. (3) There was less of the soldiers experiences this time and more of the general's experiences. I was hoping for a book that shared the perspective of the GI, but didn't get it as much this time. In spite of these comments, this is a good book, on a theater that hasn't been written about adequately.
Best d**** war history ever May 17, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The depth of anecdotes, the overview of strategy, the on the scene feelings of battle make this book one of, if not the, best books I have read of WW11.
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