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The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 by Rick Atkinson - 4 stars - My Review

PBT Comments: Seems appropriate to publish this review in honor of the 77th anniversary of D-Day.

“The Allies had a plan where there had been no plan, but whether it was a good plan remained to be seen. Certainly it was vague. How Italy should be knocked out was left to the theater commander, General Eisenhower, and the concomitant goal of containing “the maximum number of German forces” implied a war of attrition and opportunism rather than a clear strategic objective.”

Second book in Atkinson’s World War II Liberation Trilogy, The Day of Battle tells the military history of the Allies’ Italian campaign, 1943-1944. It is organized in order of the named Operations. It starts with the invasion of Sicily and ends just after the capture of Rome.

It primarily focuses on the leadership of the Allied forces in the field – George Patton, eventually succeeded by Mark Clark, and Bernard Montgomery. It is supplemented with quotes from letters and diaries of servicemen, so we get a breadth of perspectives up and down the chain of command. Atkinson describes the difficulties of decision-making in the face of uncertainty and how war almost takes on a life of its own once a strategic decision is made.

The terrain in Italy presented many more difficulties than the African campaign and it often took a long time to cover a short distance. The obstacles encountered at Anzio, Rapido River, and Cassino are vividly (and gruesomely) depicted. The Italian campaign was a slog, with many setbacks, questionable decisions, and great loss of life. None of this is glossed over. It is, at times, harrowing reading.

The summary at the end relies on quotes from other historians and participants. It questions whether what was achieved in the Italian campaign was worth the cost. Atkinson does not take a firm stand on whether he sees it was worth the sacrifice and it was a huge sacrifice in terms of loss of life and resources. He leaves this topic with the question, “If not Italy, where?”

I appreciated the inclusion of many maps, photos, and a glossary of terms. I did not like it quite as much as An Army at Dawn, the first in the series, but it is well-written and gives the reader an idea of the horrors of war on both the military participants and the civilian population. Anyone who wants to understand what this war was really like should read this trilogy.

“And then there was the saddest lesson, to be learned again and again in the coming weeks as they fought across Sicily, and in the coming months as they fought their way back toward a world at peace: that war is corrupting, that it corrodes the soul and tarnishes the spirit, that even the excellent and the superior can be defiled, and that no heart would remain unstained.”

I am looking forward to finishing up this Trilogy with you! This one though will always be special to me, as my father fought in Italy. He never spoke about it, except at Christmas. He would tell the same story every year about the truce called for 24 hours at Christmas time. I really understand why he would never talk about it, but I wished he had. Reading this book made me understand his reasons.

Joanne wrote: "I am looking forward to finishing up this Trilogy with you! This one though will always be special to me, as my father fought in Italy. He never spoke about it, except at Christmas. He would tell t..."
Yes, it was brutal. I think it was pretty typical for those who experienced WWII not to talk about it. My grandfather served in the Pacific and he never mentioned anything about it.

I am looking forward to our buddy read and finishing the trilogy.