This is a brilliantly told story of a campaign that was undertaken reluctantly by Eisenhower, who wanted to
concentrate on the forthcoming invasion of France, at the insistence of Churchill, who wanted to attack "the
underbelly of Europe" in the hopes of reducing the German war machine.
It is an analysis of the second stage of the grassroots development of the U S Army into the most formidable
fighting force in World War II.
We are shown the errors and misjudgments of senior officers Field Marshal Alexander, General Mark Clark, and
their subordinates. The price for these was paid by the blood of the men: British, French, Indian and American.
There is some new material, for example, the death of Allied servicemen from mustard gas at Basl.
Atkinson shows sympathy and understanding for the troops who faced harsh winter conditions, and rugged and
unfamiliar terrain, and for the civilians caught along the way. The sounds and smells and violence of war are
graphically portrayed. There is an astonishing amount of detail with brilliant character studies and in-depth
work on the battles and campaigns.
This volume is highly readable, making the reader feel he knows this action personally. This is especially
true for me, since my brother was killed in this action. The book added new meaning for me.