For the Allies, the Battle of Kasserine Pass in February 1943 was a rude awakening. During a pivotal three-week period--as the entire world fixed its gaze upon a hitherto obscure village in the mountains of North Africa—major questions about the course of the war were asked and answered. In this gripping look at a crucial struggle during a formative period of World War II, the author explains why Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. Patton, previously untested, emerged as important military leaders and how the Allies endured the grim punishment inflicted by the Germans at Kasserine Pass and learned to wage successfully a coalition war against Axis forces.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
Martin Blumenson provides a clear and objective recounting of the initial confrontation between German and American forces in World War II. Through meticulous research in the offical records of the North Africa campaign, and discussions with surviving participants, Blumenson reconstructs the battle and personalities of this critical engagement in a very readable prose. (Kevin D. Stringer, Maj., AV Armor )
[An] excellent retelling. (Library Journal )
[An] excellent retelling. (Library Journal )
About the Author
Martin S. Blumenson is the author of Heroes Never Die: Warriors and Warfare in World War II and Anzio: The Gamble that Failed (both published by Cooper Square Press), along with The Duel for France and 1944. In addition, he edited the two-volume The Patton Papers. He lives in Washington, DC.
Martin S. Blumenson is the author of Heroes Never Die: Warriors and Warfare in World War II and Anzio: The Gamble that Failed (both published by Cooper Square Press), along with The Duel for France and 1944. In addition, he edited the two-volume The Patton Papers. He lives in Washington, DC.
Martin S. Blumenson is the author of Heroes Never Die: Warriors and Warfare in World War II and Anzio: The Gamble that Failed (both published by Cooper Square Press), along with The Duel for France and 1944. In addition, he edited the two-volume The Patton Papers. He lives in Washington, DC.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Captivating reading,
By Dimitrios (Greece) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Kasserine Pass (Paperback)
The painful defeat of the US Army in the battle of Kasserine Pass is recounted by Blumenson with exceptional clarity and powerful prose. The author is very critical of some commanders )like Lloyd Fredendall of course) but he pays tribute to other American officers who fought with exemplary courage. The book covers more heavily the US side than the German but it remains one of the best for anyone who wants to analyze that terrible campaign. There is a useful background to the battle, with reference to the status of the old French colonies in North Africa and some material for the role of the British Army. Blumenson prefers to write history seeing the big picture but he does not ommit the view of the common soldier and his experiences. The book loses the fifth star because it does not contain enough maps (although the necessary to follow the action are included) and most of the times the various units are not described with their official designation, for example there is Lt Colonel X's battalion but not its number. There are some black and white photographs of rather mediocre quality.
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An oustanding study of modern battlefield command,
By Matthew Baumgartner "matt baumgartner" (South Bend, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Kasserine Pass (Paperback)
Blumenson writes an outstanding history of the battle from the point of view of commanders from platoon level to Corps level, stressing the problems facing them and the means by which they arrived at their decisions. The best acount of the US army's initiation to combat against the Germans that I have ever read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
the ghost-like picture of the "professional veterans",
By
This review is from: Kasserine Pass (Paperback)
Rommel's carreer has always fascinated me. He seems to personify the near perfect leader, although he of course has his flaws. His own account (Rommel Papers) of the Battle of Kasserine is a fascinating story and this book by mr. Blumenson adds perfectly. It gives a good account of the activities from the staff down to the common soldier, but only for the U.S. side. No personal German accounts are used and the scope of vision is never switched to this side, except for the commanders. This gives a rather impersonal ghost-like picture of these "professional veterans". Hence the four stars instead of five. Kasserine Pass has been a wonderful read and a thrilling experience.
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