Great depiction of the Italy campaign, the battles, the tragic results and the generals. It is an objective account that pulls no punches in pointing out so many flaws in the allied strategy that one has to wonder how many lives were lost needlessly vs. actually lost in meeting objectives. An interesting read. ( )

Rick Atkinson's incredibly-researched second book in the Liberation Trilogy covers the Allied battle for the Axis 'soft underbelly' of Sicily and Italy. Told greatly from a US Army perspective, the concerns and considerations of Generals are comingled with the grim, gutter reality of life of Privates and Captains. From the initial movement of the Sicily invasion force (which started the trip in the recently conquered Tunisia and other spots in North Africa) through the triumphant entry into Rome, Atkinson proves yet again he is a master at his craft.

I felt this second entry in the Trilogy trumped the Pulitzer Prize-winning first book, An Army At Dawn. The landscapes of Sicily and Italy make the background more dense, more colorful, and unfortunately, more deadly to those doing the fighting. Soldiers fought and died in famous locations, such as Monte Cassino, and not so famous ones, such as the Rapido River. Gen. Mark Clark's conundrums are carefully and masterfully interwoven with various first-hand battle recollections of screams, sheets of mortar and machine gun fire, smells of burning flesh and cordite, visions of smoke and death, and the harrowing isolation of life on the front.

An amazing amount of research poured into this work, just like its predecessor, and Atkinson's gift of highly-readable narrative turns hundreds of sources into a breathtaking 588 pages. Starting with the invasion of Sicily, the reader follows the participants, high and low, to the invasion of Salerno and then Anzio, bloody battles for the various heavily defended German lines, numerous attempts to take key high ground, such as Monte Cassino, and the tactical decision-making that led to each success or failure. This is simply one of the most complete popular military history books I've ever read, one that will certainly inspire and haunt me for quite some time. I cannot wait for the third and final book in this Trilogy. Five stars. ( )

Long, tedious narrative of N. African campaign. Good for details but not too readable. Took me quite a while to get through it. ( )

The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943 - 1944 by Rick Atkinson is the second volume in the Liberation Trilogy. The first volume, An Army at Dawn dealt with the North Africa campaign. This volume covers the invasions of Sicily and Italy, through the capture of Rome.

The book starts with the strategic discussions of what to do with all these troops that just finished conquering North Africa. The Americans were all for invading France across the channel, while the British were wanting to keep the war in the Mediterranean. The Americans suspected that the British placed higher priority on protecting their worldwide empire than on defeating Hitler. And American leaders were not interested in expending American lives to protect the empire.

Rick Atkinson paints a picture of an unnecessary and costly campaign in Sicily and Italy. I think it would be easy to argue that the capture of Sicily relieved pressure on Allied shipping through the Mediterranean, perhaps helping the war effort. And perhaps the Allies learned enough from three more amphibious assaults in Sicily, Salerno, and Anzio to contribute to the success of the Normandy invasion. But it is hard to see any true justification for the cost in lives and material of the campaign to capture Rome.

My complete review is on my blog, Nate's Library, specifically at: http://nates-library.blogspot.com/200... ( )

Like the first book in the Trilogy (An Army at Dawn) this is a very thorough examination of the role of the US Army in Sicily and Italy. From the politics behind the campaign, to supply issues and leadership issues, it is very thorough. It is particularly good at examining the US Army leadership, particularly at the top. Very engaging and interesting, about as compelling as a history can be. ( )