An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa (1942-1943)

Rating:
Summary: Very good book
Review: This was a great book for those who are looking for not only a general history of the North African theater...but also for those generaly interested in U.S. military history. An excelent read!

Rating:
Summary: One of the finest WWII books out there
Review: Atkinson has written a fabulous story with this book: the story of the U.S. Army before it was The U.S. Army, with of the skill and power and prestige that we've come to associate with it. Most people at least recognition of D-Day and the fighting in Europe, but this is a generally untold (or at least underappreciated) chapter of the war that is highly revealing and entertaining.

The book seemed vaguely like one of Stephen Ambrose's larger books: grand in scale and amazingly researched. But Atkinson is not only a better writer (or at least more eloquent), but he tells a story that seems to flow much better and trim the fat where Ambrose might not have. The narrative bogs down every once in a long while, but for the most part, Atkinson manages to tell the good stories and anecdotes without spiraling off into minute details about every grunt. Only the top commanders and some officers are followed at any length, with fascinating results. The personal detail about generals on both sides is illuminating; at last we get to see just how fractious and akward things were within and between armies in the first stages of the war, and how that explains much of the battlefield action.

This is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in WWII history. I have the feeling that by the time this trilogy is done, it will be the standard text of popular history on the war. Can't wait for Volume 2.