An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943

713 Pages·2007·5.64 MB·English

by  Rick Atkinson

Praise for
An Army at Dawn
“A monumental history of the overshadowed combat in North Africa during
World War II that brings soldiers, generals, and bloody battles alive through
masterful storytelling.”
—citation for the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for History “A book that stands shoulder to
shoulder with the other major books about the war, such as the fine writing of
Cornelius Ryan and John Keegan.”
—Associated Press
“Atkinson’s writing is lucid, vivid…. Among the many pleasures of An Army at
Dawn are the carefully placed details—shells that whistle into the water with a
smoky hiss; a colonel with ‘slicked hair and a wolfish mustache’ a man dying
before he can fire the pistols strapped in his holster.”
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “One of the most compelling pieces of military
history I’ve ever read, An Army at Dawn will become a military history and
strategy studies classic. Atkinson writes with incredible insight and mastery of
the details, and he is always mindful of the larger picture. He goes from the
highest political levels to the deepest foxhole without missing a beat. This is
history at its finest.”
—General Wesley K. Clark, U.S.A. (ret.), former NATO supreme commander
“An engrossing narrative…Atkinson has an impressive command of words, a
flair for simplifying complex issues, and a vast reservoir of information…. This
is a fascinating work which any reader can enjoy, and professional historians will
find perusal of it eminently worth their while.”
—Arthur L. Funk, Journal of Military History “A masterpiece. Rick Atkinson
strikes the right balance between minor tactical engagements and high strategic
direction, and he brings soldiers at every level to life, from private to general. An
Army at Dawn is history with a soldier’s face.”
—General Gordon R. Sullivan, U.S.A. (ret.), former Army chief of staff “What
distinguishes his narrative is the way he fuses the generals’ war…with the
experiences of frontline combat soldiers.”
—Raleigh News & Observer “Atkinson’s book is eminently friendly and
readable, but without compromising normal standards of accuracy and
objectivity. More than a military history, it is a social and psychological inquiry
as well. His account of the Kasserine Pass disaster alone is worth the price of the
book and stands as an exciting preview of the rich volumes to come. I heartily
recommend this human, sensitive, unpretentious work.”
—Paul Fussell, author of Doing Battle and Wartime “Rick Atkinson’s An Army
at Dawn is a superb account of the Allied invasion of North Africa. From the
foxhole to Eisenhower’s supreme headquarters, Atkinson has captured the
essence of war in one of the most neglected campaigns of World War II.”
—Carlo D’Este, author of Patton and Eisenhower “Given his success with
modern military history, the penetrating historical insights Atkinson brings to
bear on America’s 1942–43 invasion of the North African coast are not
surprising…. The most thorough and satisfying history yet of the campaigns in
North Africa.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “This is a wonderful book—popular history
at its best. It is impressively researched and superbly written, and it brings to life
in full detail one of the vitally important but relatively ‘forgotten’ campaigns of
World War II. What Bruce Catton and Shelby Foote did for the Civil War in their
trilogies, Rick Atkinson is doing for World War II in the European Theater.”
—Professor Mark A. Stoler, author of Allies and Adversaries “Atkinson’s book
puts him on a fast track toward becoming one of our most ambitious and
distinguished military chroniclers….[He] has unpacked facts that will lift many
eyebrows.”
—Bookpage
“For sheer drama, the Tunisian campaign far overshadowed any other phase of
the Second World War. Rick Atkinson has told the story with zest and brutal
realism. His account will be a monument among accounts of World War II.”
—John S. D. Eisenhower, author of Allies and The Bitter Woods “An Army at
Dawn is an absolute masterpiece. Atkinson conveys both the human drama and
historical significance of this campaign with a power and intensity that is
nothing short of electrifying. This book is storytelling—and history—at its most
riveting.”
—Andrew Carroll, editor of War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from
American Wars “Rick Atkinson has done a beautiful job of research and writing
in An Army at Dawn. This is the North African campaign—warts, snafus,
feuding allies, incompetents, barely competents—unvarnished. It whets my
appetite for the rest of the Liberation Trilogy Atkinson has promised us.”
—Joseph L. Galloway, coauthor of We Were Soldiers Once…and Young “Rick
Atkinson combines meticulous research and attention to detail with an
extraordinary ability to tell a story. It is a rich and powerful narrative which is
certain to become a classic.”
—Ronald Spector, author of At War at Sea and Eagle against the Sun
Also by Rick Atkinson The Long Gray Line Crusade
An Army at Dawn
An Army at Dawn
THE WAR IN NORTH AFRICA, 1942–1943
VOLUME ONE OF THE LIBERATION TRILOGY
Rick Atkinson
An Owl Book
HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY
NEW YORK
To my mother and father
Owl Books
Henry Holt and Company, LLC
Publishers since 1866
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10010
www.henryholt.com
An Owl Book® and ® are registered trademarks of Henry Holt and Company,
LLC.
Copyright © 2002 by Rick Atkinson All rights reserved.
Distributed in Canada by H. B. Fenn and Company Ltd.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Atkinson, Rick.
An army at dawn: the war in North Africa, 1942–1943 / Rick Atkinson.—
1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
Not all images included in the print edition of this title are available in this
ebook edition.
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8724-6
1. World War, 1939–1945—Campaigns—Africa, North. 2. Operation
Torch. 3. Africa, North—History, Military. I. Title.
D766.82.A82 2002
940.54'23—dc21
2002024130
Originally published in hardcover in 2002 by Henry Holt and Company Maps by
Gene Thorp
At last the armies clashed at one strategic point,
They slammed their shields together, pike scraped pike
With the grappling strength of fighters armed in bronze
And their round shields pounded, boss on welded boss,
And the sound of struggle roared and rocked the earth.
The Iliad, Book 4