Customer Reviews

The Liri Valley: Canada's World War II Breakthrough to Rome

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Please note that I've only filled in the book rating because it's required to post this message. [An author shouldn't rate his own book.] As an author, I generally don't respond to reviews. Michael Dorosh's review, however, requires a respons--notably because it is, as his title infers, "riddled with stupid errors." I do not, for example, mis-identify "Patton's 7th Army as the 5th." Neither Patton nor the 7th saw action in Italy proper. They left that theatre after Sicily, as any military historian worth his salt would know. The Perth Regiment's badge was as described during World War II, a fact thoroughly noted by Brigadier George Kitching at the time under whom the regiment served. The RCR's pipe and drum band is described in detail in the regiment's war diaries for 1944. In fact the band's instruments were smuggled to Italy against orders by the band members, a fact recorded at the time by the regiment's long-standing 2 i/c Major Strome Galloway. It would behoove Dorosh to get his own facts correct before he starts slinging mud.

I purchased this book the same day I finished "Ortona". Zuehlke's writing style is very story-like, while not glazing over important historical facts and details. He does an excellent job of placing the reader at the scene. I was happy to find that I enjoyed this book as much as Ortona, and that it was more of what I liked about the first book. I really enjoyed this book and I don't understand the negative reviews left previously. I've read a lot of military history and I no longer have any use for a dry, history text type approach that so many authors seem to be married to.

Liri Valley, by Mark Zuehlke provides a balanced and comprehensive overview of the canadians role in the Italian campaign specifically re: Monte Cassino as part of the 8th British army push. This particular battle was one of the hardest fought during WW2. Mr Zuelke deserves credit in the work he does re: canadian history. If mistakes have occured re: facts then hopefully he can acknowledge and correct them. Maybe a forum on the authors part would be helpful re: correspondance with fans,facts and feedback etc. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and currently I'm reading his most recent work, Juno Beach, also excellent. Life is not perfect and errors etc. do happen if so let the readers know if none occured then fine. I believe Mark's work is only getting better and the awareness he is bringing to our generation re: these Canadian soldiers is commendable. Continue the good work, hope to see more material on the Canadian's in North Western Europe WW2 especially something pertaining to "Operation Varsity".

While I'm exceptionally pleased to see a resurgence of interest in WW2 subjects, particularly as they apply to the experiences of our veterans, I remain a trifle dismayed at the lack of depth of much of the historical writing which has flourished in the wake of this renaissance. THE LIRI VALLEY is no exception.

In contrast to superb works such as Donald Graves' SOUTH ALBERTAS, this book seems to try to cross a non-man's land between history and tale, accomplishing neither very well. While I will be the first to say that Zuehlke's style of writing is very easy to read and flows well, in this case, the substance contained therein seems suspect. I'm afraid I have to agree with the prior reviews in that credibility with respect to attention to detail is lost pretty much from the beginning; although I suspect the fault lies more with an incompetent editor than with Mr. Zuehlke himself, his puzzling attack on Mr. Dorosh unfortunately tends to diminish his own credibility as a historian, rather than to support his case. This day and age, there are simply too many well-read people out here, and neither technical nor typographical errors can be easily excused.

I would recommend this book for someone who is already familiar with the Liri Valley campaigns - it is indeed easily read and understood, and complements other noted works on the subject - but am hesitant to do so as a primer on the campaign.

One would hope that Mr. Zuehlke will have the services of a 'knowledgeable' editor for his next volume in the series.

This series was an excellent introduction to Canada's contribution in Italy. I highly recommend it and especially enjoyed the quotes from veterans who were there as their stories are now preserved.

Not knowing the major details of this book - but suspecting there is decent coverage in Dancocks' D-DAY DODGERS or even Nicholson's official history - I am very disappointed by the surface level errors, which make one wonder how well the book was actually researched. The first error is in the second sentence of the main text - Patton's 7th Army is misidentified as the 5th Army - and things go downhill from there. The .303 Vickers gun is called a .50 calibre on p. 53, the Perth Regiment is described as a Scottish Regiment with a St. Andrews Cross on their badge (in fact, their postwar cap badge did have this cross - the war time badge most certainly did not), and the photo of a brass and reed band is labelled as the RCR pipes and drums (which did not exist at this time).
If Zuehlke can't get the little details right, how can we trust him on the weightier stuff?

Sadly lacking a decent proofreading by someone in the know. One hopes his third book of the planned trilogy will benefit from better research - or at least proofreading.

RESPONSE TO ZUEHLKE 25 Feb 2002 - reread your book; you describe the invasion of Sicily in sentence one, and then mention the 5th Army, which did not see action there. "On July 10, 1943, some 26,000 Canadians landed on the beaches at Pachino, the southernmost point of Sicily. The Canadians were part of a massive invasion force mounted by two armies - the United States Fifth Army..." This is clearly an error. The RCR had a bugle and drum band; I have been a piper in a highland regiment for 15 years and can tell you difference between a bugle and a bagpipe. Your photo shows no bagpipes, and you may want to reread the RCR history; my reading shows no mention of bagpipes there, either. Your own text mentions that the "pipe and drum band" (sic) played in Rome with "the drum major, thirteen buglers, and nine drummers - dressed in...accoutrements of an infantry bugle corps..."(p. 421) If they had a pipe band, why did they not parade any pipers that day? The answer is clear, they did not exist and this is one more of the details you got wrong.

Your book is "history lite", which I have no qualms with. I like that more people are getting interested in history. There were many good quotes by veterans, but you soften the impact by apologizing for using this approach in the preface. ...