Rating: 
Summary: Thorough, concise and highly readable.
Review: Rick Atkinson has done an excellent job of shedding light on one of the most overlooked campaigns of WWII. As the grandson of a veteran of the North African campaign, I was interested in learning more about this part of the war that I had heard of mostly in stories and not in History books and certainly not in movies or television. Even the History Channel rarely mentions North Africa. This book was thoroughly researched and the information is presented in a fairly easy manner for anybody to read. As with most campaign history books I found myself constantly referring to the excellent maps provided with each section. This body of work does an excellent job of showing how the American Army stumbled through the learning curve of warfare. Many history books will gloss over many of the Americans low points and mistakes. Atkinson however, holds nothing back as he takes the reader through the Army's disasters, victories and ultimate triumph. You will gain an appeciation of what it took for the Allies to get the point of being the might military machine than rolled into Germany in 1945. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in military history. I look forward to the next two installments of The Liberation Trilogy.
Rating: 
Summary: "Only imagination can bring back the dead"
Review: The son of a veteran of the 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion who survived the battles at the Kasserine Pass and El Guettar, I read "An Army at Dawn" in an attempt to supplement the war stories my father and several of his comrades in arms told when I was a small child. I have often dreamed of visiting those battlefields and the military graveyards which hold thousands of heroes that fell in the North African campaign, heroes who never lived to have sons like myself. While I have not yet fulfilled those dreams, Rick Atkinson right away set me off on my journey in his magnificent prologue, as if he knew me personally and knew exactly what I sought from his book. He writes, "Even when the choreography of the armies is understood ... we crave intimate detail of individual men in individual foxholes ... The dead resist such intimacy ... but history can take us there, almost ... For among mortal powers, only imagination can bring back the dead." While I read "An Army at Dawn" my father lived again as a 24 year old on the great adventure which shaped both his life and mine.
Rating:
Summary: An army's painful birth
Review: The 1970 film PATTON opens with U.S. Army brass touring the Kasserine Pass battlefield in Tunisia shortly after the Yanks' stinging defeat at the hands of Rommel's Afrika Korps. In the next scene, General George Patton (George C. Scott) dramatically arrives at the headquarters of the II Corps to take command and turn things around for the Allies at the Battle of El Guettar. For those Americans whose only knowledge of the Western theater of WWII encompasses D-Day and its aftermath, and perhaps the battle for Italy, these cinematic images represent perhaps the total sum of acquaintance with the North African campaign. Yet, it's not until page 401 of AN ARMY AT DAWN that Patton takes over II Corps. There's so much more. This book by Rick Atkinson is an extensively researched (29 pages of closely spaced sources) and engagingly written popular history of America's North African campaign in 1942-43. It begins, naturally, with the American and British amphibious landings of Operation Torch to capture Casablanca, Oran and Algiers, followed by the defeat of the Vichy French in Morocco and Algeria, and the bloody and stumbling but ultimately victorious confrontation with the Germans and Italians in Tunisia. AN ARMY AT DAWN is often not a pretty picture of Eisenhower's first outing as Supreme Commander or the U.S. Army's proficiency at large-scale land warfare, the latter not exercised since WWI. Indeed, as Rick Atkinson puts it, after defeating the fumbling French: "... as (the Americans) wheeled around to the east and pulled out their Michelin maps of Tunisia, they believed they had actually been to war." What a rude awakening the next few months were to be! But the Tunisian anvil forged the mettle of the WWII commanders that U.S. mythology now holds in high esteem: Eisenhower, Patton, Clark, and Bradley. AN ARMY AT DAWN has thirty-two pages of photos, plus well-drawn and extremely helpful maps of the various major battles, generally described from the perspective of battalion, regiment and brigade. Atkinson's book is inclusive of so much more than combat narrative. For example, the reader follows with interest the genesis of the Special Relationship now enjoyed by America and Britain, which luckily survived at its infancy the scorn between Anglophobes Bradley, Patton and Clark and contemptuous Brits such as Montgomery and Alexander. And squabbling occurred even further up the command ladder. After a lengthy description of the Casablanca Conference attended by Roosevelt and Churchill and the top war councils of each, the author describes the concluding press conference held in the lush garden of a borrowed villa at which Roosevelt smoothly announced: "The chiefs of staff have been in intimate touch. They have lived in the same hotel. Each man has become a definite personal friend of his opposite number on the other side." To which statement the author appends the tongue-in-cheek comment: "The chiefs stared impassively from their foliage redoubts." AN ARMY AT DAWN is a must read for any casual student of WWII. This is billed as "volume one of the liberation trilogy", and I look forward to the following two. Oh, and as for Patton's depiction in the 1970 film, Atkinson's account confirms that George really did rush from his II Corps command post to fire his pearl-handled revolvers at strafing German aircraft.
Rating:
Summary: What history was meant to be
Review: A page turner of the highest order, filled with amazing (and true) stories of American soldiers in combat. The many vignettes are placed in perfect context, both as part of the African campaign and the war as a whole, with the stories of their enemies and allies both added to the mix. An excellent introduction to the US Army in North Africa; probably not written at the level of the average American high school student, this is a scholarly work so approach with caution.
Rating:
Summary: A bloody introduction to war for the American army
Review: An Army at Dawn is a comprehensive look at the North African campaign in World War II. Atkinson presents a rich and detailed account of every battle that took place. This book had me fascinated from page one, and it didn't let up until I had finished it. I have not read such a complete account of the battle before, and the combination of Atkinson's writing and newness of the material made me race through this book faster than I have ever read such a lengthy tome. The only thing that slowed me down is the weight of the book, as it prevented me from taking it to work on the bus. A hardcover, at 541 pages of text plus 140 pages of notes and indices, it's pretty hefty. However, it was well worth the effort. Atkinson is an ex-journalist, and the level of detail in this book speaks to that. The book covers everything from the initial planning and preparation of the invasion, to the boring (for the soldiers) time stuck in Morocco after the front lines had moved on to Tunisia, to the meeting between Churchill and Roosevelt at Casablanca, to the final endgame as the German defences collapsed. Atkinson tells the story in both a broad overview, discussing the planning among the upper echelon of generals, as well as from the foot soldier's point of view. He uses numerous letters and other sources of quotes talking about how individual soldiers felt about what was going on around them. Some of these quotes really get to the heart of what the soldiers were going through, and are quite graphic about what they have seen and heard. The fear that some of them felt is almost palpable, and Atkinson really succeeds in setting the mood. While this book is a comprehensive history of the North African campaign, one of the major themes of the book (hence the title) is the transformation of the American army from a green force to a tough fighting machine. There are numerous passages in the book where Atkinson talks about the British feelings about this new upstart army, and how it would never amount to anything. British Field Marshal Montgomery was very disdainful of it, saying that they didn't know how to fight and never would. He would be proved wrong. Atkinson's writing really draws the reader into the action. He wastes no words, but he provides vivid descriptions of the action. At times, he is quite graphic, talking about how a tank shell decapitated somebody or how a soldier is lying on the ground trying to keep his insides from falling out. He sometimes falls into the trap of melodrama, though, such as on page 76 when he says: "Far above, at the shrine of Notre Dame de Santa Cruz, a weathered stone madonna extended her hand toward the harbor, as if to offer absolution for all that she had witnessed." Lines like these are sprinkled throughout the text, and got a little annoying after awhile. However, they don't detract from how successful Atkinson is in getting across to the reader what is happening. He makes the book hard to put down. The book is wonderfully researched. There are 28 pages of sources listed, as well as 82 pages of notes. It's obvious that Atkinson spent a lot of time and effort to make sure everything was correct, and I could find no fault in his research. The one annoying thing is a personal feeling. I hate the form of notation in this book. The notes are confined to a section in the back of the book, and they have no numerical notation at all. Instead, four or five words of the quote, or whatever it is that Atkinson is noting, are presented and then the source is given. It makes it hard to go back and forth, though at least the page numbers are given so it is a bit easier to find them. I hate flipping to the back of the book anyway, so consider me a fan of the footnote at the bottom of the page. Again, that is a personal preference and doesn't detract from the quality of the book.
One other minor problem is the emphasis on the negative when Atkinson is talking about the more quiet times. I consider it a plus that Atkinson pulls no punches and tells the reader about the bad things that happened during this time. He's honest about the fact that the American fighting man, for the most part, was not ready for this war. Many ran, or died due to the incompetence of their leaders. He also talks about some valorous actions taken by the troops. However, when Atkinson talks about things taking place behind the lines, he tends to concentrate on the negative things. He talks about the treatment of the Arabs, how some of the women were raped or brutalized in other ways. That story does need to be told, but he never talks about any good things that the troops may have done. I'm sure there must have been some good things that he could have talked about, such as an American soldier protecting a family or giving them some food, or something. I'm not quite sure why he avoids this, but I did find that detracted from my enjoyment. Overall, I have to heartily recommend this book to any serious history buff. The North African campaign is one that has not been widely remembered as more than a footnote, where the American army faced its first trial by combat. It's nice to see such a comprehensive work about it. It is quite heavy (both literally and in the text), so be prepared. But don't worry. The text is rich enough that if you have any interest in the subject at all, it will be well worth your time.
Rating: 
Summary: I question the accuracy . . .
Review: The reviewer of March 26, 2004 specifically stated that this book verifies that General Patton did run into the street with his "Pearl Handled" pistol shooting at strafing German planes. This is depicted in a scene in the 1970 film "Patton" starring George C. Scott. I am sorry to tell you that if Atkinson claimed this scene as accurate, then I am seriously suspicious of his accuracy! That scene was grossly overdramatized for the movie. It did not happen that way at all. And by the way, General Patton's dress uniform pistol was ivory handled, not pearl. If this book says it was pearl handled, then that is strike two on accuracy. Strike three is that he would not have been wearing a dress uniform pistol in a war zone. (Incidentally, he fired an automatic pistol in the movie). I wonder what else is incorrect? Is this history or a really good story? I am going to read this to see if it is truthful and accurate; I really hope the above mentioned reviewer is wrong.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and thorough account of the North African Campaign
Review: This is the first of three volumes by Rick Atkinson on WWII. It is excellent. The author has obviously done extensive research, evidenced by thorough accounting of action, details of events during quieter times and pages of supporting notes. More importantly, Mr Atkinson put these facts together into a very readable account of the war. He includes details not normally found in the typical accounts and for this reason alone the book is worth time. In addition he provides a perspective on various American commanders, wiping away some popular mythology. While this book is not an easy read, for those interested in history, especially military history, it is a page turner. I am very much looking forward to the next two volumes to be published in the coming years.
Rating:
Summary: A bit like the army it examines...
Review: Rick Atkinson's book resembles the U.S. Army he describes in a number of ways: it's big, it has all of the resources it needs and then some, and could stand a bit of tightening and focus. Also like that Army, for all that it meanders a bit, it's a winner. Atkinson sets out to examine the evolution of the American Army in the ETO from green amateurs to deadly war machine. This is both the attraction of the book for me, and the source of my major criticism. He supplies a wealth of lovingly researched detail, particularly concerning the personalities and politics of the various operational commanders, but he doesn't do what he might to analyze the significance of some of that detail. Atkinson is excellent when describing the relationships of the various commanders to one another, and drawing on their personal papers to flesh out their open and private opinions of one another. He is less even in trying to convey the course of military events. On the one hand, he wants to convey the details of the fighting, letting the reader see that the fighting in North Africa was not all chivalry and grand tanks sweeps; on the other hand, he tries to place each action in the context of a surprisingly complex strategic situation. He is very successful in the former - details such as soldiers with dysentery defecating in their pants bring home the degradation of combat - but less so in the latter. He could have used better and more frequent use of maps to convey the ebb and flow of the operational situation; as it is, keeping track of which djebel has been fought over how many times by which unit becomes something of a chore. More serious is Atkinson's failure to use the detail he is lavishing on his descriptions to conduct analysis; he seems to have settled on description. For example, he does a wonderful job of highlighting an aspect of the war often brushed under the carpet: the mistreatment of the Arabs in the theater of operations. He also describes several incidents, and provides an excellent summary of, mistreatment of Axis prisoners; but he doesn't take the opportunity as he does so to examine what such incidents imply about discipline, training, and the level of control exerted by the commanders whose actions are otherwise so painstakingly described. I had hoped for a more probing assessment and a less journalistic approach. For all of that, Atkinson paints uncomfortably effective pictures with words, and if he is only above average in conveying the why and the how, he is unparalleled at dishing out the what. jxm
Rating:
Summary: better get a dictionary -- and make it a good dictionary
Review: ok -- it is a great book. but atkinson has a vocabulary that beats william f. buckley's (or has a great thesaurus handy). Heck, he uses words that aren't even listed in the dictionary. maybe i'm a doofus but i figured a slaughterhouse was a slaughterhouse not an abattoir.
maybe i should've paid more attention in 6th grade.
Rating:
Summary: The Best
Review: This is quite simply the best book ever written about the US Army's North Africa campaign. It really has no equal. Atkinson his a very talented writer, and obviously did a great deal of research. He fixes grand strategy, battle tactics, and the efforts of our hometown heroes into a fine story. My only critique is that the book lingers too much on the efforts of the British Army. Yes, they were the major player in North Africa on the Allied side, but this book is focused on the American Army, and the prose drags when we are away from it too long.
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