Tug of War: The Battle for Italy, 1943-1945 - Hardcover

Graham, Dominick; Bidwell, Shelford

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312823231 ISBN 13: 9780312823238

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 1986

Synopsis

Recounts the invasion of Italy during World War II, analyzes the strategies of Allied and German forces, and includes profiles of the military leaders on both sides

About this title

Reviews

This is a first-class analysis of Allied operations in Italy against skilled and powerful German forces under the command of Albert Kesselring, a master of defensive warfare. Much of the discussion here has to do with what Graham and Bidwell, coauthors of Fire Power, call "the grit in the gearbox of coalition warfare," a coalition of American, British, Canadian, New Zealand, French and Polish units whose commanders were not cooperative. The authors are astute in their evaluation of the generals in question and their troops as well. General Mark Clark comes across, for instance, as a grudge-bearing Anglophobe who won victories almost in spite of himself. The fighting abilities of the French and Canadian troops in particular are roundly praised, in contrast to the American and British troops whose weaknesses are analyzed in detail. Tug of War is mainly a study of the dynamics of planning and execution over a period of 20 months, from the point of view of the Allied generals. Recommended for serious students of military history.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Graham and Bidwell, a familiar team of soldiers-turned-historians, have written easily the best single-volume study of the Italian campaign in any language, surpassing W.G.F. Jackson's The Battle for Italy (1967). Though the style and approach will appeal to general readers, intellectual quality has not been sacrificed. Nor do the authors tell war stories for their own sake. Anecdotes and examples are carefully chosen to illustrate general points. The authors' evaluations of individual actions present Salerno, Anzio, and Cassino in a comprehensive strategic and operational framework. Their comparative interpretations of the fighting power of formations and armies in the theater challenges conventional images of the U.S. approach to war. And their analysis of generalship is highlighted by a perceptive treatment of Mark Clark. Recommended. Dennis Showalter, History Dept., Colorado Coll., Colorado Springs
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Publication date: 1986
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312823231
• ISBN 13: 9780312823238
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 445