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| Nonfiction Reviews |
| An Army At Dawn The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 by Rick Atkinson |
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| An Army At Dawn is the first installment in The Liberation Trilogy, a collection about the European Theater of World War II. Based on this first offering, I cannot wait for the next book (due out sometime in 2005)! It is a well researched and very well written account of the "Operation Torch" landings and the subsuquent Allied campaign in north Africa. Atkinson presents a detailed, yet compelling narrative of a portion of the war that is often overlooked by many, but proved to be of vital importance to the Allied cause in Europe. He develops the story from both a technical and a personal point-of-view, engrossing the reader in what became the "baptism by fire" of the nascent U.S. Army. From every perspective, from the top brass down to the common private, the reader gets a very real sense of the pride, frustration, and even animosity within the newly forged Anglo-American alliance. Also introduced are many of the commanders who's names would become legends in later struggles: Eisenhower, Patton, Montgomery, Bradley, and Rommel; each presented with a realism that showed not only their growing military prowess, but thier all-too-human shortcomings as well. Despite being a tome of formidable size, this book is well worth the effort for any devote' of 20th century history, and a must-read for lovers of military history. It's rousing story-telling makes it read like a novel, and the readability of the work is surpassed only by the sheer volume of fascinating and factual information contained therein. If you want to begin to understand the characters, the strategies, and the cost of the War in Europe; this book is an excellent place to start. |
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| 4 of 5 stars |
| Nolanbuc's rating: |