THE BEGINNING OF A MONUMENTAL STUDY OF THE AMERICAN-LED CAMPAIGN FOR EUROPE IN WORLD WAR II.  IT IS A BRILLIANT ANALYSIS OF COMMAND AT BOTH THE STRATEGIC AND THE TACTICAL LEVEL.  ALL THE COMPLEX INGREDIENTS OF NATIONS AT WAR – THE BURDENS OF HISTORY, THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY, THE ROLES OF PERSONALITIES, THE CONFUSIONS OF THE BATTLEFIELD – ARE PRESENTED IN A POWERFUL NARRATIVE THAT IS PLEASURABLE TO READ EVEN AS IT IS DEEPLY FOUNDED IN SCHOLARSHIP.

THE PORTRAITS OF FIELD MARSHALL MONTGOMERY AND OF IKE’S LIEUTENANTS – OMAR N. BRADLEY, JACOB L. DEVERS, COURTNEY H. HODGES, GEORGE S. PATTON, JR., ALEXANDER M. PATCH, WILLIAM H. SIMPSON, LEONARD T. GEROW, J. LAWTON COLINS, AND MATTHEW B. RIDGWAY, AMONG OTHERS – ARE THE FIRST EXTENDED TREATMENTS THAT SOME OF THESE LEADERS HAVE RECEIVED.  EVERY MAJOR STRATEGIC AND TACTICAL DECISION IN EVERY BATTLE OF THE AMERICAN OFFENSIVE IS COVERED IN DETAIL, WITH MAPS AND CAREFUL DESCRIPTIONS OF KEY TERRAIN FEATURES, INCLUDING MANY PERSONAL INSIGHTS DRAWN FROM DIARIES KEPT AT THE AMERICAN ARMY GROUP AND ARMY HEADQUARTERS.