#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The magnificent conclusion to Rick Atkinson’s acclaimed Liberation Trilogy about the Allied triumph in Europe during World War II It is the twentieth century’s unrivaled epic: at a staggering price, the United States and its allies liberated Europe and vanquished Hitler. In the first two volumes of his bestselling Liberation Trilogy, Rick Atkinson recounted how the … Trilogy, Rick Atkinson recounted how the American-led coalition fought through North Africa and Italy to the threshold of victory. Now, in The Guns at Last Light, he tells the most dramatic story of all–the titanic battle for Western Europe.
D-Day marked the commencement of the final campaign of the European war, and Atkinson’s riveting account of that bold gamble sets the pace for the masterly narrative that follows. The brutal fight in Normandy, the liberation of Paris, the disaster that was Operation Market Garden, the horrific Battle of the Bulge, and finally the thrust to the heart of the Third Reich–all these historic events and more come alive with a wealth of new material and a mesmerizing cast of characters. Atkinson tells the tale from the perspective of participants at every level, from presidents and generals to war-weary lieutenants and terrified teenage riflemen. When Germany at last surrenders, we understand anew both the devastating cost of this global conflagration and the enormous effort required to win the Allied victory.
With the stirring final volume of this monumental trilogy, Atkinson’s accomplishment is manifest. He has produced the definitive chronicle of the war that unshackled a continent and preserved freedom in the West.
One of The Washington Post’s Top 10 Books of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2013
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Not an easy author to read
I read all three of the series. It opened my eyes about how horrible world two was
A terrific accounting of the last phase of the war in Europe. It was a good finale to the three part series.
Wraps up his war trilogy in a very detailed, lengthy narrative. Overall very good, but also Very judgmental, and in the genre of “brute force” warfare, where finesse is seldom employed in the attack. (Of course most experienced field officers admit a chance for finesse comes in but one fight in 10, where thousands of soldiers are involved). Atkinson clearly had a low opinion of most of WW2’s top European commanders. Almost no one met his standards for winning battles while keeping the casualties low. Some of the best passages of war’s grimness are from the combat correspondents and the GI letters and diaries. Atkinson often reaches for the “literary metaphors” to convey the horror and waste of combat — but none of this matches a few honest words from an exhausted, scared GI.
Interesting read about WWII. Good read for those interested in WW II. A well written and easy reading style.
This book was highly informative. It was mind boggling to realize the logistics of supporting so many troops over such great distances. It helped me to gain even more respect for the members of the greatest generation.
This is the best book of the trilogy. Rick Atkinson spares no one in his history of the European theater, not Montgomery or Eisenhower or Bradley or Patton or anyone else. His is a tough, hard-nosed look at the reality of the WWII as fought in the European theater and the strengths and flaws of the men who fought that war… from French colonials to German SS troops. This is a great overview and a great final book to the trilogy. Highly recommended.
Intense and thick with information.
Amazing conclusion of Atkinson’s trilogy about the US army in Europe in WW II. He seems to have read about every letter home by any soldier, his research is so comprehensive, but the book still very readable. If you like reading history, like Tuchman’s Guns of August, you will not be let down by this series. I would suggest they be read in order, however, with An Army at Dawn read first.
Detailed, well laid out history with a poetic heart.
Best history presentation on WWII
It’s easy to get bogged down in statistics, but at the same time they are incredible. My husband was in WWII from N. Africa to Czechoslovakia and he thought Atkinson’s books were the best about the war. I agree.
best of his WW2 trilogy
Brilliantly drawn narrative. The best of popular history.
Very detailed
part 3 of one of the best of all histories that deal some aspect of WWII.
A go-to book for the last phase of WWII in Europe. On sale now at Amazon. 4.99
I just finished rereading this classic and highly recommend it. I’ve read all three in this series and consider them in the same class as “The Longest Day” and “A Bridge Too Far,” by Cornelius Ryan, and “Band of Brothers,” by Steven E. Ambrose.
My only regret is that the maps for this book on my Kindle are pitifully small compared to the first two books in the series that I bought in hardback version. I may have to download it to my computer so I can see the maps better.