Listen free for 30 days
-
The Day of Battle
- The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 32 hrs and 41 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
The Day of Battle
Buy Now for $38.80
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
You may also enjoy...
-
An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa (1942-1943)
- The Liberation Trilogy, Volume 1
- Written by: Rick Atkinson
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 26 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
The liberation of Europe and the destruction of the Third Reich is a story of courage and enduring triumph, of calamity and miscalculation. In this first volume of the Liberation Trilogy, Rick Atkinson shows why no modern learner can understand the ultimate victory of the Allied powers without a grasp of the great drama that unfolded in North Africa in 1942 and 1943. That first year of the Allied war was a pivotal point in American history, the moment when the United States began to act like a great power.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Extreme detail about an obscure battle
- By Shaun Lynch on 2018-10-19
Written by: Rick Atkinson
-
The British Are Coming
- The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 (The Revolution Trilogy, Book 1)
- Written by: Rick Atkinson
- Narrated by: George Newbern, Rick Atkinson - introduction
- Length: 26 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 5
Rick Atkinson recounts the first 21 months of America’s violent war for independence. From the battles at Lexington and Concord in spring 1775 to those at Trenton and Princeton in winter 1777, American militiamen and then the ragged Continental Army take on the world’s most formidable fighting force. Full of riveting details and untold stories, The British Are Coming is a tale of heroes and knaves, of sacrifice and blunder, of redemption and profound suffering. Rick Atkinson has given stirring new life to the first act of our country’s creation drama.
Written by: Rick Atkinson
-
Normandy '44
- D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for France
- Written by: James Holland
- Narrated by: John Sackville
- Length: 24 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 29
D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the 76 days of bitter fighting in Normandy that followed the Allied landing, have become the defining episode of World War II in the west - the object of books, films, television series, and documentaries. Yet as familiar as it is, as James Holland makes clear in his definitive history, many parts of the OVERLORD campaign, as it was known, are still shrouded in myth and assumed knowledge.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent
- By Kindle Customer on 2023-08-12
Written by: James Holland
-
Sicily '43
- The First Assault on Fortress Europe
- Written by: James Holland
- Narrated by: Al Murray
- Length: 19 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
On July 10, 1943, the largest amphibious invasion ever mounted took place, larger even than the Normandy invasion 11 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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A decent overview of this part of the war.
- By Paul and Jess. on 2021-04-09
Written by: James Holland
-
The Great War
- A Combat History of the First World War
- Written by: Peter Hart
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 22 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3
World War I altered the landscape of the modern world in every conceivable arena. Millions died; empires collapsed; new ideologies and political movements arose; poison gas, warplanes, tanks, submarines, and other technologies appeared. "Total war" emerged as a grim, mature reality. In The Great War, Peter Hart provides a masterful combat history of this global conflict.
Written by: Peter Hart
-
Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942
- Written by: Ian W. Toll
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 41
On the first Sunday in December 1941, an armada of Japanese warplanes appeared suddenly over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and devastated the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Six months later, in a sea fight north of the tiny atoll of Midway, four Japanese aircraft carriers were sent into the abyss. Pacific Crucible tells the epic tale of these first searing months of the Pacific war, when the U.S. Navy shook off the worst defeat in American military history and seized the strategic initiative.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating account of war in the Pacific
- By Lee G on 2020-08-01
Written by: Ian W. Toll
-
An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa (1942-1943)
- The Liberation Trilogy, Volume 1
- Written by: Rick Atkinson
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 26 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 21
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 16
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 15
The liberation of Europe and the destruction of the Third Reich is a story of courage and enduring triumph, of calamity and miscalculation. In this first volume of the Liberation Trilogy, Rick Atkinson shows why no modern learner can understand the ultimate victory of the Allied powers without a grasp of the great drama that unfolded in North Africa in 1942 and 1943. That first year of the Allied war was a pivotal point in American history, the moment when the United States began to act like a great power.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Extreme detail about an obscure battle
- By Shaun Lynch on 2018-10-19
Written by: Rick Atkinson
-
The British Are Coming
- The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 (The Revolution Trilogy, Book 1)
- Written by: Rick Atkinson
- Narrated by: George Newbern, Rick Atkinson - introduction
- Length: 26 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 5
Rick Atkinson recounts the first 21 months of America’s violent war for independence. From the battles at Lexington and Concord in spring 1775 to those at Trenton and Princeton in winter 1777, American militiamen and then the ragged Continental Army take on the world’s most formidable fighting force. Full of riveting details and untold stories, The British Are Coming is a tale of heroes and knaves, of sacrifice and blunder, of redemption and profound suffering. Rick Atkinson has given stirring new life to the first act of our country’s creation drama.
Written by: Rick Atkinson
-
Normandy '44
- D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for France
- Written by: James Holland
- Narrated by: John Sackville
- Length: 24 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 29
D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the 76 days of bitter fighting in Normandy that followed the Allied landing, have become the defining episode of World War II in the west - the object of books, films, television series, and documentaries. Yet as familiar as it is, as James Holland makes clear in his definitive history, many parts of the OVERLORD campaign, as it was known, are still shrouded in myth and assumed knowledge.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent
- By Kindle Customer on 2023-08-12
Written by: James Holland
-
Sicily '43
- The First Assault on Fortress Europe
- Written by: James Holland
- Narrated by: Al Murray
- Length: 19 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
On July 10, 1943, the largest amphibious invasion ever mounted took place, larger even than the Normandy invasion 11 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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
A decent overview of this part of the war.
- By Paul and Jess. on 2021-04-09
Written by: James Holland
-
The Great War
- A Combat History of the First World War
- Written by: Peter Hart
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 22 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3
World War I altered the landscape of the modern world in every conceivable arena. Millions died; empires collapsed; new ideologies and political movements arose; poison gas, warplanes, tanks, submarines, and other technologies appeared. "Total war" emerged as a grim, mature reality. In The Great War, Peter Hart provides a masterful combat history of this global conflict.
Written by: Peter Hart
-
Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942
- Written by: Ian W. Toll
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 41
On the first Sunday in December 1941, an armada of Japanese warplanes appeared suddenly over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and devastated the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Six months later, in a sea fight north of the tiny atoll of Midway, four Japanese aircraft carriers were sent into the abyss. Pacific Crucible tells the epic tale of these first searing months of the Pacific war, when the U.S. Navy shook off the worst defeat in American military history and seized the strategic initiative.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating account of war in the Pacific
- By Lee G on 2020-08-01
Written by: Ian W. Toll
Publisher's Summary
In An Army at Dawn - winner of the Pulitzer Prize - Rick Atkinson provided a dramatic and authoritative history of the Allied triumph in North Africa. Now, in The Day of Battle, he follows the American and British armies as they invade Sicily in July 1943, attack Italy two months later, and then fight their way, mile by bloody mile, north toward Rome.
The Italian campaign's outcome was never certain; in fact, President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, and their military advisors bitterly debated whether an invasion of the so-called soft underbelly of Europe was even wise. But once underway, the commitment to liberate Italy from the Nazis never wavered, despite the agonizing price. The battles at Salerno, Anzio, the Rapido River, and Cassino were particularly ferocious and lethal, yet as the months passed, the Allied forces continued to drive the Germans up the Italian peninsula. Led by Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, among the war's most complex and controversial commanders, American troops became increasingly determined and proficient. With the liberation of Rome in June 1944, ultimate victory in Europe at last began to seem inevitable.
Drawing on extensive new material from a wide array of primary sources, and written with great drama and flair, The Day of Battle is narrative history of the first rank.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Day of Battle
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Stuart Old
- 2024-04-03
The Good, the Bad, and the Okay
Short Review: This audiobook is a solid popular history of the Italian campaign. Detailed history told via audiobook is not for everyone, but this does the job.
STORY: Atkinson has a huge task with this campaign, and he generally manages it well. Atkinson's descriptions of Gela, or the Rapido, or Anzio, are competent and often grim. The novel is similar to Antony Beevor's style: a narrative with eyewitness testimony for flavour. I'm nearly finished the audiobook, and so far I do not detect any strong thesis or "fresh take" underlying the story. I have not read Moorehead or D'Este's works on the Mediterranean theatre, so I do not have much for comparison. This book focuses on the US perspective. The descriptions of the other Allied forces (and there were many) feel cursory at times. For example, the Canadian experiences in the Liri Valley and Ortona felt almost as if they were lifted right out of Reader's Digest's "The Canadians at War 1939-1945" series, rather than original research from the archives in Ottawa. I have little sense that Atkinson was trying to say anything new with this book. Again, that doesn't mean this is a bad audiobook, but it comes across as very conventional at times. For contrast, see Patrick Caddick-Adams' work on Cassino or the Battle of the Bulge: you'd think there would be nothing new to say about those campaigns, but certain writers can bring amazing "freshness" to history. I feel this audiobook lacks that spark, which is a shame.
GOOD: Some strong descriptions of particular events or personalities
BAD: No original interpretation of the Italian campaign; does not explore the Allied armies (or Germans) in depth
PERFORMANCE: Jonathan Davis' narration is competent. As far as American narrators go, he's in the middle of the pack, in my opinion. I would say that his Italian pronunciation is good, but I don't speak Italian. He does seem to be trying. His German pronunciation seems decent. However, this audiobook contains some of the most shocking attempts at French I have ever heard. Describing Canada's past military campaigns, he mentions a battle at "Pasken-Dally". It took me a moment to realize "Pasken-Dally" was his attempt at "Passchendaele." I am not making this up. In the same section, he mangles "Dieppe" so badly it made me laugh out loud. I have no idea how he and the quality control department missed these errors. Do they ruin the audiobook? No. But from a professional audiobook production, they're ridiculous.
GOOD: Lively enough to hold my interest; genuine attempts to respect the Italian language
BAD: Some distracting mistakes; delivery can feel flat at times
OVERALL:
The biggest drawback with a major campaign audiobook like this is that the listener has to keep so many individuals, places, storylines and events straight in one's memory, especially if you take time away between listening sessions. There's no flipping back to a map or a different chapter to refresh your memory. Having said that, fans of military history will probably enjoy Atkinson and Davis' work here. I'm picky when it comes to history; I wanted to give this 4 stars, but the truth is, it's not really my style. Still, if you want to explore the Italian campaign for the first time, and especially if you want to understand the US role in the campaign, this is a good choice.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!