I am currently reading "An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943" by Rick Atkinson. Atkinson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who was once an editor at the Washington Post and is author of "The Long Gray Line" and "Crusade."

"An Army at Dawn" is the first book in a planned trilogy on U.S. role in the Allied liberation of Europe in WWII. The second book, on the war in Italy, is due out in 2005. The third volume, on Western Europe, is due in 2008.

I'm only about 1/3rd through this book, but it is impressive and enlightening. So much has been written about the Afrika Korps and and British 8th Army, but little seems to be out there about the North Africa landings and battles in Tunisia. Here we see Eisenhower in his first battle command, the beginnings of the Patton myth/legend, Mark Clark involved in secret infiltration and negotiation with the Vichy French.

Wow, it's an eye-opener for me. I knew the landings were a major botch, but never knew the details. (Seems like there should have been more lessons learned here and applied to the D-Day landings.) I also never realized the extent of the Vichy French armed resistance to the invasion.

Excellent read so far, with lots of anecdotes and vignettes. Atkinson covers all the major players, as well as the common GI in the trench or tank. There are also lots of maps and photos (most of which I haven't seen before). Recommended.

DJ --

You're more well-read than I am, so I look forward to your opinion. I'm trying not to hype, but this book has captured my attention.

A general observation: often history books start with a lengthy set-up, giving all the background, decribing the major players, military order of battle and political situation. By the time you get to the "meat," the author has bored you to tears. I almost put down "We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young" because of this, but was ultimately glad I stuck it out.

I haven't seen the Patton book you mention -- who wrote it?

I have completed Part One, the landings in Algeria and Morocco and have found the book to be excellent. It has given me another view with some additional info not found in the US Army official history. This especially applies to all the political games of the Vichy Frensh.

Jeff

I basically finished the book yesterday, have just the summary. Boy does this show how many US casualities, not to mention English (Commonwealth) casualties, were caused by poor british operational planning: The three attempts to storm the Morrovan and Algerian ports by coup-d-main operations - costing three US battalions, the frontal attacks by Montgomery at Mareth, and GEN Anderson's completely unimaginative attack for 1st British Army, to which II (US) Corps was attached. But neither does Patton come thru with many honors - He has a long way to go to 3rd Army fame!

There are stories, familiar to those that have read about Operation MARKET-GARDEN, of British armor breaking thru German defenses, then stopping the exploitation to brew some afternoon tea The British Generals, Montgomery, Anderson, Alexander, blasting performance of green US troops, but then nothing is said about similar performance by unblooded British divisions, once at Mareth and twice in 1st Army.

The beginning of the end of British infantry strength was in North Afica - there are numerous examples of the British relying on frontal attacks with minimal artillery support and poor, if any, combined arms attacks. British infantry is smashed continually in Tunisa (don't get mw wrong, British infantry is probably the best conventional infantry in the world, but the British generals did the Tommies no favors) - to include Montgomery's final attacks on the last two days so he can garner some honors in the capture of Tunis, when the 18th Army Group commander had cut him out of the plan.

It is definitely a difficult birthing for the US Army in ETO.

Excellent book with plenty of maps

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#:-)