Eisenhower's Armies
by Niall Barr recounts the
British-American alliance during World War II, focusing on the relationship
between the British and Americans in combating the Axis powers in Western
Europe. It's the story of two different nations, one on the rise and one who
fought gallantly in the early wars of
the war, and how these armies had to learn to live, work, and fight
together despite tactical and philosophical disagreements on how to fight the
war.
Barr, whose specialty is 20th Century History, delivers
painstaking details of the relationship between the United States and Great Britain. If you like
insight, the author goes way beyond World War II and talks about the history of
American-British military relations going back to the Colonial Era. While
important for context, the depth and breadth of what was covered by Barr was
arguably excessive if you value a quick read. At 470 pages, this book can grind
into some level of detail and would require an occasional re-read or two to get
points across.
It would also have been a benefit to see more coverage
devoted to the air campaign and coordination between the United States and
Great Britain. While some coverage was devoted to the importance of the British
air support in North Africa, more could have been devoted to the coverage of
the last year of conflict, specifically in how the United States and Britain
worked together effectively through air sorties in the Battle of the Bulge and
the attacks the Allied forces provided in advance of the invasion at Normady. This could have been provided at the expense of an exhaustive back story into
the relationship between the Americans and Brits. Nonetheless, the book is an
effective historical account of the "Special Relationship" and its
evolution over time.
MY RATING - 3
