The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily
and Italy, 1943-1944 (Liberation
Trilogy) by Rick Atkinson
Great Book
Amazon Best of the Month, November 2007: Topping a Pulitzer Prize-
winning effort is tough; finding originality in a World War II narrative is even
tougher. Yet Rick Atkinson accomplishes both with The Day of Battle: The
War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944. His previous work, An Army at Dawn,
won the 2003 Pulitzer in history, but Atkinson has managed to set the bar
even higher with his second installment in The Liberation Trilogy. He
descends upon each battlefield with rich historical perspective, tactical
analysis, and chilling frontline observations. Cocksure Hollywood bravado
is sparse, as Atkinson depicts soldiers fighting for honor, not glory. We did
it because we could not bear the shame of being less than the man beside
us, explains one soldiers diary. We fought because he fought; we died
because he died. The result is an incredible portrayal of the courage,

sorrow, and determination that came to define our greatest generation.
--Dave Callanan
Personal Review: The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy,
1943-1944 (Liberation Trilogy) by Rick Atkinson
I have read 25-30 WWII history books and this ranks among the best.
There is too little written about the Italian campaign and this book helps to
fill a gap. I love the way Atkinson tells the tale in this book and his book
the first book in the trilogy, An Army at Dawn. He does a fine job of
covering the sequence of events and helping readers to see the
significance of these events. One thing that makes his books very
readable, for me is the way we weaves the stories, conversations and
information about significant people who are involved in the particular
place and time that he is writing about. For example; he gives very
interesting glimses into the thoughts and actions of General Mark Clark.
This includes conversations, letters to his wife, entries in his dairy and
comments from other officers. I'm sure that everyone will not agree with
his protrait but it is an interesting portrait and no less valid that ones that
may paint Clark with a kinder brush.
Atkinson's research is stunning. I have no idea where he gets the
comments and conversations from GIs, Tommies, officers, civilians, etc. It
adds to the story, for me. I am not a hardcore history, by the numbers guy
so Atkinson's ability to give me a well-researched book that has enough of
a human touch to keep me turning the pages like a novel, is appreciated.
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