The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945
by Rick Atkinson
Note that I listened to this while driving the car, which means my attention wavered more than it would with words on paper. I was...well...not exactly riveted. I knew how it had to end, and the plot synopsis was history to me--but still, I was sort of riveted. I'd never imagined the waste, the inconceivable waste, of an invasion on such a scale. And the waste went on--gliders smashed, tanks sunk in the mud, supplies torched and exploded, and human lives lives lives. So many human lives chopped into hamburger. In a world of four billion people I know only too well the insignificance of a single human life...and I know the connections of it, too. Each lost life ripped the heart out of a number of persons--two, four, eight, or a lot more--and left them permanently crippled.
Best quote in the book: Eisenhower, to a solder who was uneasily suppressing a smile at the sight of General Patton throwing up at a concentration camp site.
I hear that a lot of soldiers say they don't know what they're fighting for. But now we know what we're fighting against.
(My apology if I missed a word or two--hope I got the gist.)
So other than the waste, the battles, and the many mistakes on the front lines, this book had to offer an insight into the interworking personalities of command. Montgomery--Churchill--Roosevelt--Patton--de Gaulle--Stalin. Occasionally, very occasionally, equal time was given to the opposition--Field Marshall Rommell had a few appearancees.
So, I don't know. There are other books in the series, but I'll leave it at this one. For now.
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