Sicily '43 : the first assault on fortress Europe / James Holland.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Holland, James, 1970- author.

Contributor:

Dorothy Mann Yeakel & Paul Herbert Yeakel Memorial Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Italy--Sicily.

World War, 1939-1945.

Operation Husky, 1943.

Military campaigns.

Sicily (Italy)--History, Military--20th century.

Sicily (Italy).

Sicily (Italy)--History--1870-1945.

Italy--Sicily.

Genre:

History.

Military history.

Physical Description:

xxxviii, 598 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps, portraits ; 24 cm

Edition:

First Grove Atlantic hardcover edition.

Other Title:

Sicily 1943

Sicily Forty Three

Sicily Nineteen Forty Three

First assault on fortress Europe

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Atlantic Monthly Press, an imprint of Grove Atlantic, 2020.

Summary:

"On July 10, 1943, the largest amphibious invasion ever mounted took place, larger even than the Normandy invasion eleven months later: 160,000 American, British, and Canadian troops came ashore or were parachuted onto Sicily, signaling the start of the campaign to defeat Nazi Germany on European soil. Operation HUSKY, as it was known, was enormously complex, involving dramatic battles on land, in the air, and at sea. Yet, despite its drama and its paramount importance to ultimate Allied victory, very little has been written about the 38-day battle for Sicily. Based on much new research, Sicily '43 offers vital new perspective on a major turning point in World War II. The characters involved-General George Patton and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery among many-were as colorful as the battles across the scorching plains and above the peaks of Sicly were brutal. Among Holland's great skills is incorporating the experience of on-the-ground participants on all sides-from American colonel Jim Gavin, British major Hedley Verity, and Canadian lieutenant Farley Mowat to brigade commander Wilhelm Schmalz, Luftwaffe fighter pilot Johannes "Macky" Steinhoff, and Italian combatants, civilians, and mafiosi alike-giving readers an intimate sense of what occurred in July and August 1943. Emphasizing the significance of Allied air superiority, Holland overturns conventional narratives that have criticized the Sicily campaign for the slowness of the Allied advance and that so many German and Italian soldiers escaped to the mainland; rather, he shows that clearing the island in 38 days against geographical challenges and fierce resistance was an impressive achievement. A powerful and dramatic account by a master military historian, Sicily '43 fills a major gap in the narrative history of World War II"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: pt. I Command of the Skies

1. The Long Path to HUSKY

2. A United Front

3. The Problem of Planning

4. Hitler's Gamble

5. Air Power

6. CORKSCREW

7. Man of Honour

8. The Glitch in the Plan

9. Crescendo in the Air

10. Countdown

pt. II Invasion

11. Airborne Assault

12. Early Hours of D-Day

13. Landings

14. Foothold

15. Night Attack

16. Counter-Attack at Gela

17. Fightback at Gela

18. Expanding the Bridgehead

pt. III The Race to Catania

19. Taking Stock

20. Primosole Bridge

21. Shooting

22. Slaughter at the Bridge

23. The Bloody Plain

pt. IV The Conquest of Sicily

24. Assoro

25. Overthrow

26. The Bloody Mountains

27. Closing In

28. Troina and Centuripe

29. The Etna Battles

30. The Straits of Messina.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [537]-571) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Dorothy Mann Yeakel & Paul Herbert Yeakel Memorial Fund.

ISBN:

9780802157188

0802157181

OCLC:

1192303915

Publisher Number:

99986138374