The Rising Tide

I randomly decided to read The Rising Tide by Jeff Shaara this weekend. Here's my review, for what it's worth.

A gripping novel of WWII, it covers primarily the battles and personalities that shaped the North African front from spring 1942 - fall 1943 after the Allied invasion of Italy. The historical events are accurate in essentials and details, while the characters are fleshed out from both the historical records and Shaara's pen. The reader, becoming immersed in the engrossing battle descriptions and character interactions is likely to forget they are absorbing a history lesson at the same time.

This book opened my eyes to three new perspectives on WWII. American history education, when it even progresses to cover WWII, leaves a student knowing little more than Pearl Harbor, Normandy, concentration camps, and the use of the A-bomb. All important, of course, but somewhat limited in scope.

First, this book is set primarily in North Africa, a theater of the war that I don't remember being mentioned (except in Raiders of the Lost Ark). Nonetheless, the events there were key to the Allied invasion of Europe.

Second, the book showed the humanity and place of the officers and commanders of the German armies. I think that too often the American perspective lumps the entire German army and people with the insanity of Hitler and the atrocities of the concentration camps.

Third, we are always presented with the picture of the Allies (England, France, U.S., et al) united against the Germans. Apparently, French politics were even murkier 60 years ago than they are now. In fact, American forces had to fight off the French when landing in N. Africa. Only after they saw the Americans winning did they finally decide to join our side. With Allies like that...

Anyway, this book is a good read, and I highly recommend it.