{"product_id":"sicily-43-the-first-assault-on-fortress-europe-paperback","title":"Sicily '43: The First Assault on Fortress Europe - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJames Holland\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA major new history of one of World War II's most crucial campaigns--the first Allied attack on European soil--by the acclaimed author of \u003cem\u003eNormandy '44\u003c\/em\u003e and a rising star in military history\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn July 10, 1943, the largest amphibious invasion ever mounted took place, larger even than the Normandy invasion eleven months later: 160,000 American, British, and Canadian troops came ashore or were parachuted onto Sicily, signaling the start of the campaign to defeat Nazi Germany on European soil. Operation HUSKY, as it was known, was enormously complex, involving dramatic battles on land, in the air, and at sea. Yet, despite its paramount importance to ultimate Allied victory, and its drama, very little has been written about the 38-day Battle for Sicily.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on his own battlefield studies in Sicily and on much new research, James Holland's \u003cem\u003eSicily '43\u003c\/em\u003e offers a vital new perspective on a major turning point in World War II and a chronicle of a multi-pronged campaign in a uniquely diverse and contained geographical location. The characters involved--Generals George Patton and Bernard Montgomery among many--were as colorful as the air and naval battles and the fighting on the ground across the scorching plains and mountaintop of Sicily were brutal. But among Holland's great skills is incorporating the experience of on-the-ground participants on all sides--from American privates Tom and Dee Bowles and Tuskegee fighter pilot Charlie Dryden to British major Hedley Verity and Canadian lieutenant Farley Mowat (later a celebrated author), to German and Italian participants such as Wilhelm Schmalz, brigade commander in the Hermann Göring Division, or Luftwaffe fighter pilot major Johannes \"Macky\" Steinhoff and to Italian combatants, civilians and mafiosi alike--which gives readers an intimate sense of what occurred in July and August 1943.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmphasizing the significance of Allied air superiority, Holland overturns conventional narratives that have criticized the Sicily campaign for the vacillations over the plan, the slowness of the Allied advance and that so many German and Italian soldiers escaped to the mainland; rather, he shows that clearing the island in 38 days against geographical challenges and fierce resistance was an impressive achievement. A powerful and dramatic account by a master military historian, \u003cem\u003eSicily '43\u003c\/em\u003e fills a major gap in the narrative history of World War II.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJames Holland\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of \u003ci\u003eNormandy '44\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBig Week\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Rise of Germany\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Allies Strike Back\u003c\/i\u003e in the War in the West trilogy, as well as \u003ci\u003eFortress Malta\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDam Busters\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Battle of Britain\u003c\/i\u003e. Holland regularly appears on television and radio and has written and presented the BAFTA shortlisted documentaries \u003ci\u003eBattle of Britain\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eDam Busters\u003c\/i\u003e for the BBC, among others. A fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he has his own collection at the Imperial War Museum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 640\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.9 x 8.9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 16, 2021\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51978543104301,"sku":"9780802157195","price":22.59,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/dm1WazFQQlFwd21kNjdEVXdMeXZsZz09.webp?v=1775805723","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/sicily-43-the-first-assault-on-fortress-europe-paperback","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}