An Army at Dawn Book Summary

In 'An Army at Dawn,' Rick Atkinson chronicles the harrowing and pivotal North Africa Campaign of World War II, where Allied forces faced not only the formidable Axis powers but also the challenges of leadership and strategy. Through vivid storytelling and extensive research, Atkinson unveils the complexities of military decisions made in the heat of battle. Readers are drawn into the lives of soldiers and commanders alike, experiencing their triumphs and tribulations. This gripping narrative exposes the often overlooked aspects of war, including the political intricacies and human cost. Will the Allies' sacrifices pave the way for victory, or will peril from within threaten their mission?

By Rick Atkinson

Published: 2002

""In the darkest moments of battle, it is not the strength of the body that wins, but the resilience of the spirit; for it is in hardship that we forge our true selves and find the courage to rise against the tide.""

Book Review of An Army at Dawn

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "A splendid book... The emphasis throughout is on the human drama of men at war."--The Washington Post Book World The liberation of Europe and the destruction of the Third Reich is an epic story of courage and calamity, of miscalculation and enduring triumph. In this first volume of the Liberation Trilogy, Rick Atkinson shows why no modern reader can understand the ultimate victory of the Allied powers without a grasp of the great drama that unfolded in North Africa in 1942 and 1943. Opening with the daring amphibious invasion in November 1942, An Army at Dawn follows the American and British armies as they fight the French in Morocco and Algiers, and then take on the Germans and Italians in Tunisia. Battle by battle, an inexperienced and sometimes poorly led army gradually becomes a superb fighting force. At the center of the tale are the extraordinary but flawed commanders who come to dominate the battlefield: Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, Montgomery, and Rommel. Brilliantly researched, rich with new material and vivid insights, Atkinson's vivid narrative tells the deeply human story of a monumental battle for the future of civilization.

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"In the darkest moments of battle, it is not the strength of the body that wins, but the resilience of the spirit; for it is in hardship that we forge our true selves and find the courage to rise against the tide."

An Army at Dawn

By Rick Atkinson