A Rattling Good Read -- Remove if old news

[Bob Potter]

Gentlemen,

Last evening I finished reading Rick Atkinson's "Day of Battle," the second in his "Liberation Trilogy." Those of you who have followed my rambling in these fora will recall that my father was an Italian campaign veteran and I have spent many a happy hour picking the brains of the membership here for more sources.

If you put only one book on your shelves about the Italian campaign, let it be this one. Atkinson has researched prodigiously, synthesizes primary and secondary material thoroughly, ans writes brilliantly. OK, his focus is Americans, the Fifth Army, and Marcus Aurelius Clarkus, but the Allied contribution is treated in some detail. He reports the conclusions of others but allows the reader to draw his own.

If any of you have read it, I'd admire to read your opinion.

Otherwise put it on your Christmas list, below the new CMP tyres.

Bob

[Jon Skagfeld]

Bob:

"Marcus Aurelius Clarkus" indeed. Great zinger!!!

[Bob Potter]

Hi Jon,

I cannot claim credit for that zinger; it appears in the book.

Atkinson must have a prodigious capacity to read, sort, and retain material. His ability to make connections across masses of evidence is remarkable. The bibliography in this book is huge, and Atkinson seems to have mastered his sources thoroughly.

I like the way he assesses the shakers and movers in the Italian campaign. He musters many opinions, contemporary and later, and lays out the evidence for the reader's appraisal. He has allowed me to rethink my opinions of some of these players. I thought his "take" on Freyberg was somewhat harsh, but in light of his approach he made me think.

He has also allowed me to appreciate some older sources that recent authors have denigrated.

The first volume is also worth the trip.

Bob