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Amazon.com Review
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

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Atkinson surpasses his Pulitzer-winning An Army at Dawn in this empathetic, perceptive analysis of the second stage in the U.S. Army's grassroots development from well-intentioned amateurs to the most formidable fighting force of World War II. The battles in Sicily and Italy developed the combat effectiveness and the emotional hardness of a U.S. Army increasingly constrained to bear the brunt of the Western allies' war effort, he argues. Demanding terrain, harsh climate and a formidable opponent confirmed the lesson of North Africa: the only way home was through the Germans: kill or be killed. Atkinson is pitilessly accurate demonstrating the errors and misjudgments of senior officers, Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander, Gen. Mark Clark and their subordinates commanding corps and divisions. The price was paid in blood by the men at the sharp end: British and French, Indians and North Africans—above all, Americans. All that remained of the crew of one burned-out tank were the fillings of their teeth, for one example. The Mediterranean campaign is frequently dismissed by soldiers and scholars as a distraction from the essential objective of invading northern Europe. Atkinson makes a convincing case that it played a decisive role in breaking German power, forcing the Wehrmacht onto a defensive it could never abandon. (Oct. 2)
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From Bookmarks Magazine
The Day of Battle continues the story Rick Atkinson told in An Army at Dawn; a future volume, about the Normandy invasion, will complete Atkinson’s Liberation Trilogy. Day of Battle, like Army at Dawn, excels at presenting the complexities of war to a popular audience. Notably, Atkinson puts a human face on the carnage with three-dimensional depictions of Churchill, FDR, and General Pattonâ€"as well as lesser-known leaders and common soldiers. Exceptionally well researched and compellingly written, the book offers gripping accounts of high-level strategizing and on-the-ground fighting. A few critics cited thin analyses of command decisions, a bias toward the Americans’ experience, and some florid writing. Overall, however, Day of Battle is "a fitting testament to the GIs of the Fifth Army and the Italian campaign" (Washington Post).

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

Customer Reviews

We can learn from the past
Mr. Atkinson produced a wonderful product. In the second of his trilogy of World War II, he has written an accurate historical document while giving the reader a real feel for the human beings involved. Further, he allowed historical quotes from those involved to draw conclusions about the campaign that still trouble many some 65 years later. I eagerly await Part Three!

Best ever, accurate WWII as it happened
Bought Vol. 1 and gave it to my Father, who served in North Africa during this time, and he loved it, it brought him to tears that someone finally told the way it was. Got on the waiting list for Vol. 2, and got it when it came out, it was like giving food to a starving child , he grabbed it and was totally engulfed for weeks. What is so amazing, is that, he finally found out what was happening while he was there, no 24 hour newscasts in those days, so he has waited for 70 years to find out what was happening over the next hill or to the other companies of men that he knew. Thanks to Rick Atkinson, finally a book of World War II that details what those guys went through, can't wait for the third one, please hurry, he wants to read it before he leaves this world and he is 89. My uncle is still alive too, and was with Patton, and he is anxious for the new book about the Battle of the Bulge. He is the only one left out of his battalion. Hurry!!!

The Day of Battle
This is a wonderful story of the War in Sicily and Italy. Having a father that actually served in these wars make them extra special and we have ordered for other members of our family.