Rating: 
Summary: Splendid but torpedoed by sloppy historical research
Review: In his enthusiastic comments about this book, Gen. Wesley Clark - perhaps the next American president, who knows ? - proclaims that Mr. Atkinson's work will become a classic in military history. Unfortunately, it might also set a new record for yet an other display of the abyssal ignorance of elementary European history plaguing some American writers. I was appalled that this otherwise very pleasant book should be disgraced by an incredibly sloppy passage at pages 100 - 101. Mr. Atkinson writes the following: "At Sidi Ferruch, where in 1830 a French army had claimed Algeria for Napoleon II, the garrison capitulated in minutes" (emphasis supplied).
Of course, even the most indolent pupils of European schools know that Napoleon II (also known as the Duke of Reichstadt because, disgraced son of Bonaparte that he was, he died in effect an Austrian hostage in 1832), besides being nineteen years old at the time, never set foot on Algerian soil. Algeria was conquered under king Charles X. The job was finished under king Louis Philippe I. Twenty years later, Napoleon the third, (after 1849), turned Algeria into a "French" territory, which it remained until independence in 1962. How would Mr. Atkinson review a European history book describing Abraham Lincoln as the commander of the Confederate army ? Or Harry Truman as a Republican opponent of Teddy Roosevelt ? This is exactly what he did. What a pity and what a shame.
Rating: 
Summary: US Army Growing Pains
Review: Having previously enjoyed Atkinson's "Crusade", I was expecting this book to be just as good. I wasn't disappointed. His detailed look at the North African campaign looks at both politics and combat in a pleasingly fluent manner. It describes the view from both the grunt and the general. The maps and photos were helpful to further envision the events. The only negative thing I can say is that it was a bit too US-centric. I would have liked to read more of the perspective of the Axis soldiers and of the native Africans. That said, I'm now anxiously awaiting the publication of the next work in this trilogy.
Rating: 
Summary: Gripping
Review: This book was oft discussed at the www.battlefront.com discussion boards (BFC just released a game on North Africa), and I can now see why. This is not just a dry recitation of the facts surrounding the campaign in North Africa, this is a full blown Cornelius-Ryan-esque portrayal of the US Army's trials and travails, from TORCH to final victory. Few authors tend to look beyond the stories of their own nationality; Atkinson has very masterfully worked in the British, French and German sides of the story as well. Historical figures are treated as characters in a drama rather than as simple names to be recited; dozens of commanders - many only briefly touched on elsewhere in the historical record - are fleshed out and brought to life with vivid descriptions. Atkinson has a command of the English language that most writers only dream of, and summons the correct words from a very rich vocabulary eminently suited to getting his points across. This is a detailed, and yet very, very entertaining, treatment of a topic that has not seen a lot of study in recent years, or perhaps even at all, beyond the official histories and the biographies of the notables involved (such as Farago's book on Patton, which did mention in detail Patton's North African experiences). Only shortcoming might be the lack of detailed footnotes, but I personally don't think this detracts at all from the presentation. This is certainly not a textbook, though one might be forgiven for turning to it as a valuable reference in addition to being an excellent and engrossing read. A page turner and in a class of its own.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful volume...
Review: Rick Atkinson's meticulously researched account of World War II in North Africa is a comprehensive account of the campaign that turned the U.S. Army from inexperienced soldiers to battle-hardened veterans. From Morocco to Tunisia and all points in between, the soldiers and leaders who drove the Axis out of Africa are discussed in detail. From the initial disasters of operation RESERVIST and the confusion that characterized the TORCH landings to the final drive on Tunis, the campaign is dissected in minute detail. The reasons for action and the mentality of the troops are recounted through both battle descriptions and individual correspondence. Atkinson does a fine job of giving credit and placing blame with the leaders responsible for the results of battles, holding those people accountable for their actions while not villifying or glorifying them excessively. There were other forces at work aside from these men, and Atkinson gives these their due. We also get to meet men like Terry Allen and Robert Moore, about whom you don't see much in the normal history books. The political side of the battle is also recounted in detail. Eisenhower's struggles with Anglo-French-American relations, as well as his strategic decision-making, make for some of the best reading in the book, highlighted by his personal correspondence. I had no idea that distrust and disdain between the British and the Americans ran so deep early in the war, and while Montgomery's distaste for Americans (and anyone who wasn't named Montgomery, for that matter) is well-documented, I was somewhat surprised at the Anglophobia of many American genterals, including Bradley. Also somewhat surprising were the bizarre antics of the French leadership once Allied forces were headed East. Ultimately, the value of the North African Campaign is discussed. Atkinson contends that the timing of the campaign was ideal, both for the subsequent invasions of Sicily and Italy, and for the eventual invasion of northern Europe. He makes several good points along this line, that the war in North Africa was good for the Americans to get their feet wet and understand was modern war was about, while also getting the kinks in their logistical system, which was as important as any part of the war, straightened out. This is a comprehensive account of the American drive across North Africa, and its evolution from peacetime army to wartime army. Lessons learned and not learned are discussed in detail, and the reader really gets to understand the campaign through both official accounts and personal correspondence. Atkinson did his homework on this book, and it shows. It's a masterpiece of military history.
Rating: 
Summary: Not so great
Review: My fault with this book is not the over indulgence in detail, but the lack of serious criticism of US. Some reviewers think Atkinson went too far, I don't think he went far enough. Clark killed more Americans than did the Germans yet Atkinson doesn't discuss his disastrous role in the Italian fiasco and relate that back to Africa. He doesn't discus how the British demanded Ike fire him ( as did the Texas Nat'l Guard) and Ike refused. He doesn't discuss how Ike's only combat command , ever, prior to or in WW2 was when he attacked defenseless US veterans in the Bonus Army. Ike was a horrible choice. Clark and Adm King were disasters. Roosevelt knew nothing of war and was a terrible war time President. This book doesn't explain any of that.If it wasn't for the Russians we would all be speaking German.
Rating:
Summary: An exhaustively detailed account of the action
Review: Rick Atkinson does a great job at giving a detailed and well researched view of the campaign. The reading is easy with all of the various personal anecdotes thrown in there. Atkinson has plenty of blame to share for some of the major problems with the campaign. But overall, I believe he demonstrates the real intent of his book as indicated by the title -- that the American army was coming into it's own at this time. This book is not for you if you want a sugar coated view, if the details cause your eyes to glaze over, or if you aren't able to handle the authors opinion of the various commanders. If those elements don't bother you, then you will be able to appreciate this book.
Rating:
Summary: Brings storytelling back to History.
Review: Having only read Atkinson's "Crusade" before, I must say that this book holds the same vividness as his past work. The key to this books greatness is that it acknowledges that soldiers are people, and that people-make mistakes, feel fear, crack wise, spread gossip etc. For some, his details may hedge on minutiae, but I find this far more appealing than "On November umpteenth, the second armored battallion was forced back after fierce fighting." Yeah, so, who cares. Atkinson's use of detail (pardon the trite expression) "makes the reader feel as if he's there." A great book whose following two volumes I'm eagerly awaiting.
Rating:
Summary: Not for everyone
Review: This massively researched book provides a lot more battle detail that some readers will want. I was hoping for more on big picture strategy. Instead there are pages after pages of details on specific battles on this hill or this pass or that valley. As a battle narrative, it is outstanding, but as a history book, I found it frustrating.
Rating:
Summary: What is the best book on the North African campaign?
Review: Actually the review I liked best on this site was the critical one by Jimmy Price. While reading this book I definitely got the impression that America's generals were stupid and incompetent. I have no way of knowing if that is in fact true. I also had the impression that Germany's generals were excellent. I didn't walk away from the book believing that Germans are simply superior militarily to Americans. I walked away thinking that Germans at this point in history had a number of invasions to use as experience. They invaded Czechoslovakia, Poland, the low countries, France, Greece and Russia. Naturally they would be superior to the rookie Americans in their first campaign. My biggest problem with this book is that I didn't feel the changes of momentum. One minute the Germans were awesome, and the next I'm told they are out of ammunition and oil and they are surrendering in the thousands. I didn't feel it. One minute I'm told that General Patton is an incompetent blowhard who is peripheral to the action, a nonentity, and the next minute I'm told that he's already a celebrated hero in the press, and I just didn't see cause and effect, and I hesitate to chalk it up to his big mouth and his press clippings. The English generals fare no better. They seem to just want to send Yankees to their death in hopeless situations, and then blame the Yanks for not being more aggressive. Despite the author's best efforts, and maybe he did all that can be done, I really didn't feel this war in this book. It's wrapped up a little too neatly, in a way. This happened, this happened, this happened, and here's my take on it, and this guy is an idiot, and here's your war.
Rating:
Summary: The beginning of the end...
Review: By early 1942, an Axis victory in World War II seemed almost inevitable. Germany had conquered most of the continent of Europe, was on the verge of finishing of Russia and its submarines were starving Britian into submission. In the Far East, Japan had destroyed a good portion of the U.S. Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor and had carved themselves a huge empire among the islands of the Pacific. However, the tides of war were shifting. Japan's surprise victory at Pearl Harbor may have been the most pryrric of the war as it awakened the "sleeping" American giant and thrust them into the war. Hitler compounded Japan's error by declaring war on the U.S. when he didn't have to. But the U.S. took most of 1942 preparing itself and its for total war and reacting to moves made by the Axis, at places like Midway. Rick Atkinson's book, "An Amry at Dawn," begins as the Allies start their first offensive in North Africa. Atkinson details how the site of the attack was chosen because of the British reluctance to attack mainland Europe and the Amercan objections to attacking only on the periphery. Atkinson deals with the logistics nightmare of ferrying thousands of infantrymen to Africa and keeping them supplied there. Every aspect of the campaign from the landings during Operation Torch to the final Allied victory in Tunisia several months later are covered in the course of the book. Atkinson has written an excellent book about the Allied operations in North Africa. His writing style is easy to read and keeps the book moving forward; the reader never looses interest in the subject matter. Atkinson's research is in depth and is very well done. Atkinson's argument is that the operations in North Africa helped to serve as a giant, violent training ground for the green Allied, especially the American, forces before they met their real challenge in Italy and later France. So while the attacks in North Africa were only on the periphery of Hitler's "empire" without this necessary "training" Allied forces never would have been able to go on and beat Hitler. Atkinson shows again and again how green Allied troops learned to hate their Axis opponents and learned the lessons of war necessary for victory. Atkinson's book is not a first-hand account of men involved in the fighting. If you are looking for something like Stephen Ambrose's "D-Day" or "Citizen Soldiers" this is not the book. Atkinson does use the quote of soldiers but only to illustrate the broader actions that were taking place. To Atkinson war is not an individual action, but rather one that dehumanizes men and makes them part of a larger military machine; this process is essential to build armies that win battles. This is one of the finest military history books, about this or any other subject, that I have read. If I could give this book more then five stars I would. I started reading this book and did not want to put it down; every night I had to pry myself away in order to get some sleep so I would be able to go to work the next day. Atkinson has written an extremely readable, factual, well researched account of North Africa during World War Two. I can't wait for the next two books in this trilogy.
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