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The Day of Battle (Abridged): The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 Audiobook
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(4.01) - 2,491 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
THE HARROWING STORY OF ONE OF HISTORY'S MOST COMPELLING MILITARY CAMPAIGNS
In An Army at Dawn -- winner of the Pulitzer Prize -- Rick Atkinson provided a dramatic and authoritative history of the Allied triumph in North Africa. Now, in The Day of Battle, he follows the American and British armies as they invade Sicily in July 1943, attack Italy two months later, and then fight their way, mile by bloody mile, north toward Rome.
The Italian campaign's outcome was never certain; in fact, President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and their military advisors bitterly debated whether an invasion of the so-called soft underbelly of Europe was even wise. But once underway, the commitment to liberate Italy from the Nazis never wavered, despite the agonizing price. The battles at Salerno, Anzio, the Rapido River, and Cassino were particularly ferocious and lethal, yet as the months passed, the Allied forces continued to drive the Germans up the Italian peninsula. Led by Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, among the war's most complex and controversial commanders, American troops became increasingly determined and proficient. With the liberation of Rome in June 1944, ultimate victory in Europe at last began to seem inevitable.
Drawing on extensive new material from a wide array of primary sources, and written with great drama and flair, The Day of Battle is narrative history of the first rank.
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"This book is Atkinson's second in what will ultimately be a trilogy on the US Army in WW II. The first, An Army at Dawn, garnered him his second Pulitzer, and is simply the best of its kind of definitive American military history. The Day of Battle recounts some stupendously treacherous battles that receive little attention in the glare of battles like Normandy or the Bulge; examples: Anzio, crossing the Rapido, Monte Cassino, and of course the race for Rome."
— Brian (5 out of 5 stars)
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“A triumph of narrative history, elegantly written, thick with unforgettable description and rooted in the sight and sounds of battle.”
— New York Times -
“A very fine bookAnyone who devoured An Army at Dawn with relish will be delighted with Atkinson’s account of the Sicilian and Italian campaign.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Atkinson surpasses his Pulitzer-winning An Army at Dawn in this empathetic, perceptive analysis of the second stage in the U.S. Army's grassroots development from well-intentioned amateurs to the most formidable fighting force of World War II.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“With The Day of Battle, Atkinson again proves himself to stand among the ranks of our most talented popular historians … Required reading for anyone with an interest in the battles of World War II.”
— Austin American-Statesman
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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One of the 2007 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Nonfiction
The Day of Battle Listener Reviews
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" Band of Brothers set me off on a whole WWII kick, so I checked this out from the library. It tooks months of listening during my commute to work--almost as much time as the Italian campaign! Super inspiring and helped put the BBC series Foyle's War into perspective. Can't wait for Atkinson's treatment of DDay. I didn't think anyone could top Stephen Ambrose, but by the end of Vol II, I was convinced! "
— Stacey, 2/16/2014 -
" Volume two of "The Liberation Trilogy." Volume one, "An Army at Dawn" was superb-- a pulitzer winner. I've just started this one and, so far, its getting the job done. "
— Craig, 2/5/2014 -
" A fantastic narrative of the Sicilian and Italian Campaigns, filled with minute detail. "
— Matthew, 2/2/2014 -
" The third volume in Atkinson's "Liberation Trilogy" is due next year. How the Allies managed to win the war is beyond me. The generals sure didn't help very much. "
— Larry, 1/28/2014 -
" Rick Atkinson again demnostrates the same masterful research and writing as in the first book of trilogy. It is very rare to have WWII history which is hard to put down. As with the first book, I found this book very easy reading. As an avid WWII reader, first two books are definitely in the top ten of WWII histories. I strongly recommend both of his books. "
— Lew, 12/27/2013 -
" Great military history of the people big and small in the Italian campaign, WW2. I laughed, I cried, and I was made thoughtful. "
— Chris, 12/23/2013 -
" Probably the best written book of World War II history I've ever read... but then, I didn't read "The Army at Dawn," which won Mr. Atkinson a Pulitzer "
— Mackenzie, 12/22/2013 -
" Rick Atkinson is a great writer! He makes history come alive and for that reason I recommend that you do not read this book too close to bedtime or you will have nightmares of war. I eagerly await the next book in this WWII trilogy! "
— Justeen, 11/18/2013 -
" Excellent piece on a somewhat forgotten period of World War II. "
— David, 10/23/2013 -
" Very good pic, I have an entirely new view of World War II after reading it. "
— Bryan, 5/17/2013 -
" brilliant, very detailed and grim "
— Jim, 2/13/2013 -
" Really wonderful and readable account of the European/African theatre of World War II. If you have any interest in reading books about history, Atkinson's trilogy will be well worth your time. "
— Jonathan, 12/28/2012 -
" Atkinson continues with his WW II trilogy...this is fine, fine stuff! "
— Steve, 12/13/2012 -
" Great book. Learned a lot as I didn't know much about this part of the war. The author does a good job of mixing different viewpoints into one cohesive narrative. Highly recommended. "
— Bryan, 12/7/2012 -
" Nice follow up to "An Army at Dawn" Well written and researched. "
— Frederick, 6/21/2011 -
" The second trilogy of Rick Atkinson's World War II series. This one tells of the battles that were fought in Sicily and Italy. "
— Steve, 6/5/2011 -
" Like Army at Dawn, this book covered a bunch of stuff about the war that one rarely reads much about. For example, the years 1943-1944. And it was extremely long. And it was very good. "
— Wilson, 5/18/2011 -
" This book gave me real sense of the fighting that occurred in Italy and its great cost. "
— Larry, 1/9/2011 -
" WOW! I am not a reader of military books in general and this is FASCINATING! "
— Suzette, 11/25/2010 -
" A good one volume overview of the Italian campaign.<br/><br/>If you have nothing else on this campaign it is worth getting, if you have a lot it you don't need it.There just does not appear to be anything new in this book from what has been written on this subject over the years since it occurred. "
— Greg, 10/26/2010 -
" Good, straightforward narrative of the Italian campaign. Great job at illuminating the disgusting regularity of thoughtless mis-communication between high ranking officers resulting in the deaths of many GIs. "
— Aaron, 8/25/2010 -
" Good book for folks interested in WWII. "
— Bebe, 8/3/2010 -
" Like its predicessor, Atkinson retells the Allied attack on Italy balancing a comprehensive treatment with an interesting, personality driven narrative. Well done. "
— Rich, 6/15/2010
About Rick Atkinson
Rick Atkinson, a former staff writer and senior editor at the Washington Post, is the highly acclaimed author of several books of military history. An Army at Dawn won the Pulitzer Prize for History, and The Guns at Last Light was a #1 New York Times bestseller. Among his many accolades and awards are the George Polk Award, the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award, the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize, the Society for Military History Distinguished Book Award, the Axel Springer Prize, and the Henry Adams Prize, among others.