Devildoc
Verified Military
...and his Liberation Trilogy about WWII??
Anyone familiar with Rick Atkinson...
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Nope, is it a series you are thinking of reading? Or are you wondering if anyone has read it? I am looking for something new myself.
Devildoc
Verified Military
I am reading the first book of the series, An Army At Dawn, about the North Africa campaign/Operation Torch.
The Liberation Trilogy by Rick Atkinson
It's a great book, highly readable, and some great insight into all the personalities. Now I feel compelled to get the other two books, but curious if anyone else has read his stuff.
The Liberation Trilogy by Rick Atkinson
It's a great book, highly readable, and some great insight into all the personalities. Now I feel compelled to get the other two books, but curious if anyone else has read his stuff.
From what I can see. These looks to be something I would really enjoy and learn from. Think I'll see about getting started on these. I am currently reading Command of Honor, by H. Paul Jeffers. It's about General Lucian Truscott's life and, times during WWII.
I read all three of the books.
I corresponded with Atkinson because he was unaware that the cover photograph on the book jacket of the second volume, The Day of Battle, wasn't taken during an actual combat patrol--it was a staged photo. I pointed out to him that the soldiers pictured--while certainly in Sicily or Italy--had only helmets and rifles, no other gear. No web belts, no canteens, no ammo bandoliers, no bayonets, no frags, nothing that one would be certain to take on a combat patrol. Some of the men are even smiling at the camera. One has his shirt collar up, like Elvis. And they're all bunched up. One well-placed frag and half of them are dead.
There is also another staged photo, on page 243 in the photo section.
I don't think he was real happy to hear that the cover of his book was not an actual combat operations photo. He responded that at least the soldiers were in the right theater.
Other than that, great reads.
I corresponded with Atkinson because he was unaware that the cover photograph on the book jacket of the second volume, The Day of Battle, wasn't taken during an actual combat patrol--it was a staged photo. I pointed out to him that the soldiers pictured--while certainly in Sicily or Italy--had only helmets and rifles, no other gear. No web belts, no canteens, no ammo bandoliers, no bayonets, no frags, nothing that one would be certain to take on a combat patrol. Some of the men are even smiling at the camera. One has his shirt collar up, like Elvis. And they're all bunched up. One well-placed frag and half of them are dead.
There is also another staged photo, on page 243 in the photo section.
I don't think he was real happy to hear that the cover of his book was not an actual combat operations photo. He responded that at least the soldiers were in the right theater.
Other than that, great reads.
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Devildoc
Verified Military
@Ocoka thanks for the feedback. Regarding the pics, that's why they have, you know, editors. They are supposed to catch those things.
So far I am all in. I'm about 100 pages into An Army At Dawn, and fully admit I have learned more about the North African campaign in the past few days than I have to this point.
So far I am all in. I'm about 100 pages into An Army At Dawn, and fully admit I have learned more about the North African campaign in the past few days than I have to this point.
Incidentally, Ian W. Toll has written the first two volumes of a Pacific War trilogy, The Conquering Tide and Pacific Crucible--both of which I've read and highly recommend--and currently he's working to finish the third book.
Devildoc
Verified Military
thanks for the tip! They are going to go in my post-graduate school reading list to be commenced two hours after I graduate in May.
I doubt if many editors would even give it a second look...unless they'd been squad leaders...
Rick Atkinson just released his first in a trilogy about the American Revolution. Titled The British are Coming it clocks in at a stunning 800 pages for the hardcover. I guess I'll finish Toll's Pacific Crucible book, read Atkinson's, and then go back to Toll's trilogy about the naval war in the Pacific. On Amazon the Kindle version will set you back $20 and the hardcover $24. If you've read any of Atkinson's work, $24 for 800 pages from a Pulitizer winning author is pretty standard.
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The British are Coming is insane. The amount of things and context you aren't taught even in college is staggering. I'm on the British retreat from Concord and it has a little of everything: conventional tactics for their day, unconventional tactics for their day, urban fighting, insurgency, etc.
Just a great book so far.
Just a great book so far.
Devildoc
Verified Military
For some reason my ability to bold and highlight is gone, but I wanted to very much emphasize "The amount of things and context you aren't taught even in college is staggering."
This is what I am trying to teach my kids. History isn't some thrown-together, random sets of dates, places, and events. It's all connected, and you have to look for what's between the lines.
We have been talking about the pre-revolutionary days, there was an event in central North Carolina, the rise of the Regulators, that was foundational for a lot of people in NC wanting to split from England. Had it not happened, NC would have likely been Loyalist until late in the war and a safe haven for Cornwallis.
I will genuinely be amazed if you two don't like the book. His work is so strong and he presents history as a story, not a bunch of dry nonsense. He's a fantastic writer.
