They Fought at Anzio [Hardcover]

John S. D. Eisenhower (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0826217389 | ISBN-13: 978-0826217387 | Publication Date: June 4, 2007 | Edition: 1

Italy was the scene of the longest, bloodiest, most frustrating, and least understood series of battles fought by the Western Allies during World War II. Now, John S. D. Eisenhower offers a new look at the Italian campaign, emphasizing the Anzio offensive an operation pushed by Winston Churchill that fell largely to American troops to carry out. It has been said that Anzio was a soldier s battle, remembered more for blood shed than for military objectives achieved. By focusing on the experiences of the soldiers who fought there and the decisions of commanders in perilous circumstances, They Fought at Anzio offers a new appreciation of the contributions of both and a new understanding of this unheralded theater of the war.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“As a career soldier and military historian, John Eisenhower brings impeccable historical credentials to the field of military history. . . . In They Fought at Anzio, Eisenhower focuses on the dilemma facing the commanders responsible and those who fought the battles and treated the wounded and the dying. He is well-versed to do so, and not only has he personally known some of the men he writes about, but his unique relationship with his father is a priceless historical asset that he has always judiciously utilized.”—Carlo W. D’Este, author of Patton: A Genius for War 

“What Eisenhower has really accomplished is a powerful overview of the entire Italian campaign. His coverage of the leadership is as strong as his treatment of the foot solder, and both perspectives really tell us what the battle at Anzio involved.”—Robert H. Ferrell, author of Five Days in October: The Lost Battalion of World War I

 “They Fought at Anzio is a fine work of history by a very fine historian. John S. D. Eisenhower can tell a good story, and he has told this one with a sharp eye for character and the telling detail.”—Rick Atkinson, author of In the Company of Soldiers: A Chronicle of Combat

About the Author

John S. D. Eisenhower, graduate of West Point and retired Brigadier General, USAR, is the author of numerous books, including the best-selling Bitter Woods; Yanks: The Epic Story of the American Army in World War I; Allies: Pearl Harbor to D-Day; and, most recently, General Ike: A Personal Reminiscence. He lives in Trappe, Maryland.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: University of Missouri; 1 edition (June 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826217389
• ISBN-13: 978-0826217387
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #263,935 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging story of the war in Italy, from grunt to command, September 27, 2007

By 

Mannie Liscum (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: They Fought at Anzio (Hardcover)

John S.D. Eisenhower established himself as a historian of note decades ago when he penned "The Bitter Woods: The Battle of the Bulge" (1969). With "They Fought at Anzio" has added another solid effort to his cannon. As anyone who is familiar with Eisenhower's previous works would expect his research is thorough and fair (not nationalistically slanted). Eisenhower's writing style has changed little over the past four decades, and there's not really any reason for him to do so as his is a style of reader engagement that is not over cluttered with jargon or confusing language. The pacing of "They Fought at Anzio" extremely even, start to finish, and as such makes this a very enjoyable read.

Eisenhower focuses his prose less on details of combat action than on personalities of and relationships between commanders, and background events leading up to engagements. This approach lends much more humanity to the text than is often possible with detailed orders of battle and after-action reports. Eisenhower is also quite generous in his use of a multi-nationalistic approach to his subject, presented by Allied and German/Italian views of events. This latter component of "They Fought at Anzio" probably provides the most concrete connection, other than name, between John and his famous father, US President and Supreme Commander, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Most would agree that Gen. Eisenhower's greatest strength as a leader of men was as a great moderator and captain of allies who were comprised of many nations and military cultures.

The human side of the war in Italy is also brought to vivid life by Eisenhower's repeated use of memoirs of Lt. Avis Dagit (nurse w/ 56th Evacuation Hospital) [from Half An Acre of Hell] and Lt. Lloyd Wells (Co B, 2nd Bat, 6th Armd Inf, 1st Armd Div) [from Anzio to the Alps]. Such is Eisenhower's clear preference for these sources that readers will likely want to pick up copies of both of these books as well; strong tribute to an author's ability to capture his/her audience indeed.

All in all "They Fought at Anzio" is a solid book, expertly researched and presented, and fun to read. Should be of interest to serious and casual readers alike. 4 stars.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Salerno to Rome, Short, But Well Done, September 25, 2008

By 

David M. Dougherty (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: They Fought at Anzio (Hardcover)

Although Anzio (Shingle) is the centerpiece of this book, the author develops the story from Clark's landing at Salerno to show how the various operations in Italy were interrelated. This is another fine book by John Eisenhower, author of the very fine work, "The Bitter Woods", his story of the Battle of the Bulge. Less than 300 pages long, another two hundred could have been easily added, but then the writing might have become bogged down in relatively uninteresting details. There is none of that here, and the author's fine writing style holds the reader's interest throughout.

Eisenhower deftly points out that the Italy campaign was always the red-headed stepchild for American planning, but pushed by the British and especially Churchill. The author develops all the characters and their opinions, Churchill, Alexander, Montgomery, Clark, Lucas and Truscott. Even the German side received light but sufficient treatment, and both the landings at Salerno and Anzio are clearly shown to be near-run things due to Allied miscalculations and rapid German responses. What was expected to be relatively easy, in part due to overwhelming air support, never was, and the PBI (poor bloody infantry) paid the price. Amazingly, casualties on both sides turned out to be about the same.

Although the author is generally kind to all Allied commanders, their flaws and misconceptions are clearly pointed out but not belabored. Americans and British alike can point to mistakes made by the other's commanders, and Clark's glory hunting and Montgomery's backstabbing are there for all to read. Even Lucas is treated mildly for his failures at Anzio, and Eisenhower's analysis tends to show that Lucas was removed for his defeatism rather than mistakes in generalship. There is really much to learn here. This is not an attack on anyone in particular as is so often found today in books about World War II, but rather an informative narrative from which the reader can learn what really happened. For example, British "know it all" arrogance towards American generals and troops is mentioned where it affects events, but otherwise is not dwelled upon. That alone is refreshing.

The author balances his account between high-level commanders and their decisions and the experiences of the troops on the ground. Cause and effect, decisions, battle and casualties are elucidated here in absolutely clarity, making this work riveting and informative at the same time.

Even the maps are done well, and both maps and photos are helpful. The battles and generalship are brought home with remarkable clarity, and that is why I gave this work five stars. More could have been added, but then the then the book might have become boring. As it is, boring is not an adjective that is applicable here.

For a newcomer to the Italian campaign (or the part of it from Salerno to Rome), I heartily recommend this book. The serious historian may find this book a little light, and wish to consult other works on some details, but all in all, this is an excellent read for everyone.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An OK book but I expected better, June 19, 2007

By 

Tony Zbaraschuk "Tony Zbaraschuk" (Riverside, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: They Fought at Anzio (Hardcover)

John S. D. Eisenhower is a historian with a number of books to his credit, and I was expecting something worthy of his past oeuvre.

This isn't it.

It's not a bad book, and if you haven't read anything on the Italian campaign it's a worthwhile introduction to Anzio, Cassino, and the surrounding war; if you have read anything, there's nothing new here. One glance at the footnotes tells the whole story: he quotes from a few memoirs (Allied Fifth Army commander Mark Clark's Calculated Risk, Truscott's Command Decisions, Audie Murphy's To Hell And Back, a few others), a couple of lower-level people he interviewed later on (good for the human interest story, I suppose).

There's almost no use of the detailed official histories, and very little of any scholarship on the Italian campaign later than the 1950's. (The single best book on the whole affair, Graham and Bidwell's Tug of War, doesn't even show up as far as I remember.)

That said, the book is well-written and the story is worth reading, but I don't think that this book adds anything to the literature on the Italian campaign.