Publisher's Weekly Review
This is a first-class analysis of Allied operations in Italy against skilled and powerful German forces under the command of Albert Kesselring, a master of defensive warfare. Much of the discussion here has to do with what Graham and Bidwell, coauthors of Fire Power, call ``the grit in the gearbox of coalition warfare,'' a coalition of American, British, Canadian, New Zealand, French and Polish units whose commanders were not cooperative. The authors are astute in their evaluation of the generals in question and their troops as well. General Mark Clark comes across, for instance, as a grudge-bearing Anglophobe who won victories almost in spite of himself. The fighting abilities of the French and Canadian troops in particular are roundly praised, in contrast to the American and British troops whose weaknesses are analyzed in detail. Tug of War is mainly a study of the dynamics of planning and execution over a period of 20 months, from the point of view of the Allied generals. Recommended for serious students of military history. (July 28) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Library Journal Review
Graham and Bidwell, a familiar team of soldiers-turned-historians, have written easily the best single-volume study of the Italian campaign in any language, surpassing W.G.F. Jackson's The Battle for Italy (1967). Though the style and approach will appeal to general readers, intellectual quality has not been sacrificed. Nor do the authors tell war stories for their own sake. Anecdotes and examples are carefully chosen to illustrate general points. The authors' evaluations of individual actions present Salerno, Anzio, and Cassino in a comprehensive strategic and operational framework. Their comparative interpretations of the fighting power of formations and armies in the theater challenges conventional images of the U.S. approach to war. And their analysis of generalship is highlighted by a perceptive treatment of Mark Clark. Recommended. Dennis Showalter, History Dept., Colorado Coll., Colorado Springs (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
