Just how ill-prepared the GI Army and its generals were became horrifically apparent at the Kasserine Pass. In his typically thorough and fast-moving style, Charles Whiting examines these events and the reasons for the debacle, which shook America deeply.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Reads like a Nat Geo article,
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This review is from: Disaster at Kasserine: Ike and the 1st Us Army in North Africa 1943 (Hardcover)
This book is not for the rigorous student of WWII. It is written in a style akin to a Nat Geo article, albeit much longer. There many anecdotes that are hard to find anywhere else, all with cited references. It begins with 2 star general(!!) Mark Clark, climbing out of a submarine, and paddling ashore at Algeria to secretly plan with the Free French on the upcoming invasion of North Africa, Operation Torch. The author describes a drinking party with Ike, Clark and Churchill, with Churchill ringing his valet to come clean his feet, and of Patton assuring FDR,'I will leave the (North African) beaches either a hero..or a corpse.', and when Patton went to see his old mentor, Pershing about his new command, Ole Black Jack was too frail to recognize him. There are accounts of the confusion in dealing with the Free French and the Vichy, with all their conflictions in loyalty, and of the tenous, untried relationship (in battle) between the green Yanks and the hardened Brits, who referred to the former as 'our Italians'. Overall, it was enjoyable reading and I may take up another one of Whiting's WWII series.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Disaster at Kasserine Pass,
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This review is from: Disaster at Kasserine: Ike and the 1st Us Army in North Africa 1943 (Hardcover)
This is an interesting but somewhat rambling narrative concerning a small part of the North Africa campaign in Feb, 1943.
Its rambling for the US forces in Operation Torch don't hit the shores of Moroco and Algeria until page 65. Prior to this, the author discusses Clark's negotiations with Darling as well as the friction between the French and British. The conflict at Longstop Hill is then discussed but It takes the author to page 121 before talking about the preliminaries of the battle for Kasserine Pass. Not having read Mr Whiting before, I didn't know what to expect. My appraisal would be his style is more like Rick Atkinson or Lloyd Clark than David Glantz. Once the author gets down to the German offensive at Kasserine Pass, his focus tightens and I began enjoying the story. Mr Whiting does present the key engagements at and west of the Pass but this book is far from a comprehensive study of the campaign or a deep analysis of the importance of winning for Rommel with the Allies closing in on him. The relationship of Rommel and Arnim is mentioned but greater emphasis on this rivalry would have been interesting. With receiving reinforcements, the Allies were finally able to stop Rommel's advance in front of Thala and Tebessa and the author clearly shows how devastated Rommel was with the eventual stalemate and retreat. The author is critical of General Fredendall's command abilities as well as his green II Corps who fell back in disarray.The author also clearly points out that most of the Allied tanks were obsolete and could not compete with the German Mk IVs and the new Tigers. The Luftwaffe was also of much greater support to the ground forces than the Allied air force was. There are only a few maps but they're pretty good and there are photos to help the reader. The book closes with a Bibliography, Notes and Index. I would suggest this book is better suited to the new student or casual reader for it is engaging but not comprehensive enough for the serious historian.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Disaster is right...,
By
This review is from: Disaster at Kasserine: Ike and the 1st Us Army in North Africa 1943 (Hardcover)
A untrained American army, with no experience, along with the Free French and British troops, who also had no real experience, goes against Rommel and von Arnim with their skilled and very experienced Axis units. The result was, as the book says, a disaster. Not a total one, but a major one. The book examines the cause of this Allied defeat, but is light on the details. A good starter book for people who wish to get into military history or World War Two history. The book gave me the feeling that the Allies were saved from total defeat, not by anything they did, but because Rommel and von Arnim could not get along and therefore could not work together.
The book shows the fine line between disaster and total destruction. So many times the Axis were so close to completely wiping out the Allies I am frankly surprised we won Africa in the end. The Allied commanders didn't get along, most didn't understand modern warfare, and, to be honest, the American soldiers were totally unprepared for combat. Along with this book, I would suggest Patton, Montgomery, Rommel: Masters of War if you want to know more about Rommel, Montgomery, and Patton. I would also suggest Afrikakorps: Self Portrait and An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943, Volume One of the Liberation Trilogy.
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