Review (PDF)

The Mighty Endeavor: American Armed Forces In The European Theater In World War II

‘No other book covers the entire European theater so well.’ John Toland From the first landings at Casablanca straight through to the crossing of the Elbe River and VE-Day, this book tells the gripping story of all the battles of World War II that American soldiers, sailors, and airmen took part in, and of the strategy behind them. The book’s core is its account of such famous and dramatic episodes as the landing in North Africa, Kasserine Pass, Salerno and Anzio, D-Day, the liberation of Paris, the Battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine, and the race across Germany. It also tells the story of the conflicts between American and other Allied leaders over how to pursue the war, and of convoys, U-boat wolf-packs, the aerial war over Germany, the bombing of Dresden, and the final surrender of the Nazis.MacDonald takes the reader back to the build-up to war, looking at the circumstances of the American decision during the early ’thirties to concentrate, if war should come, on victory in Europe first; and he describes in detail the ways in which America forged a disciplined fighting force when war broke out. His portrayal of major military figures — George S. Patton, Jr., Mark W. Clark, J. Lawton Collins, among others — is both fair and penetrating, and he pays particular attention to other leaders whose accomplishments are not so well known. His sources include official U.S. Army records and direct interviews with non-commissioned officers and privates and top-level participants such as Generals Eisenhower and Bradley. His account also reflects intensive work with original documents and with many newly available sources, as well as his own experiences in the war as the commander of an infantry rifle company. The Mighty Endeavor is a thoroughly researched history of the American forces in World War Two. Praise for The Mighty Endeavor ‘No other military historian of World War II has Charles MacDonald’s insight into the inner workings of the American military establishment. … The Mighty Endeavor is an objective account, impeccably accurate, eminently fair and, just as important, always readable.’ – John Toland ‘Mr. MacDonald’s knowledge, perception, and insight, together, with his narrative power and grace, are impressive. The best and most readable account to date, The Mighty Endeavor will be unsurpassed for many years to come.’ – Martin Blumenson Charles B. MacDonald rose to the rank of Captain of the 23rd Infantry of the 2nd Division. After the war, in which he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star, he became an official Army Historian, retiring as Deputy Chief Historian in 1979. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.

File Size: 1869 KB

Print Length: 551 pages

Publisher: Endeavour Press (July 28, 2015)

Publication Date: July 28, 2015

Sold by:  Digital Services LLC

Language: English

ASIN: B012WXFHB4

Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray: Enabled

Word Wise: Enabled

Lending: Not Enabled

Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #13,817 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store) #35 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > History > Americas > United States > 20th Century #43 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > History > Military > World War II #80 in Books > History > Military > World War II

This book describes the American effort during WWII. Starting in North Africa and ending on the Elbe River the author describes the evolution of the American soldiers, sailors, and airmen as they became essential players in the destruction of Nazi Germany. Among the highlights are famous episodes such as the landing in North Africa, Kasserine Pass, Salerno and Anzio, D-Day, the liberation of Paris, the Battle of the Bulge, the crossing of the Rhine, and the race across Germany. The scope of the book is very comprehensive, including the conflicts between American and other Allied leaders over strategy, the important Battle of the Atlantic, the air war, and, of course, the monumental land campaigns. The author starts with the delicate balance involved in the build-up to war, and the decision to concentrate on victory in Europe first. The famous personalities are described, including, Marshall, Eisenhower, Patton, Mark W. Clark, Hitler, Mussolini, as well as other British and German military leaders which is informative and enlightening. Not to be neglected are the stories of individual soldiers which are sprinkled throughout the narrative. The prose is solid and the text readable, having just the right amount of detail. The book is balanced, thought provoking, very comprehensive, and provides context and perspective of these historic events.The only disappointment I have is that my Kindle edition has no maps. This detracted from my ability to follow the movements of the armies and the flow of events. Even just a few gereral maps would have been very beneficial.

Charles B. MacDonald established himself as one of the best historians of World War II. This is one of the handful of books that should be required reading for anyone seeking an understanding of the campaign in Europe. MacDonald does justice to the entire scope of the war, from the political and strategic to the foxhole. Though written before the release of some highly classified sources, the book does not suffer from those omissions. It's remarkable how one so intimately involved in the fighting at the cutting edge--he was a rifle company commander in the 2d Infantry Division--could achieve such broad scope in writing of the history he lived.The sole disappointment is the translation of the book into digital format, hence, the four stars instead of five. There are frequent misspellings and "typos" that interrupt the flow of reading. But it's worth it in the end to persevere.

MacDonald is overall the best WWII writer I've encountered regarding the ground war in Europe. His research is deep and detailed yielding a clear picture of the battles - the vast numbers of men and equipment, the power of the weapons and overwhelming casualties, the punishment of daily existence at the battlefront. One complaint: no maps (in the printed version?) MacDonald consistently awards combatants on both sides, and even civilians, the proper respect for their sacrifices and courage that many writers miss. I always finish his books in greater awe of the soldiers of my fathers generation, and then renew a promise to never forget, and not allow others to ignore, how stupid lucky we are for what they did. If only some of our current elected morons would read these books, they might not be so quick to apologize for America's history.

Well written and organized from beginning to end. With the plethora of WWII books available, it's nice to learn new details and about the war and the people who fought in it.

Not a bad narration of the US Military in the ETO. What did irk me was that there were quite a number of spelling errors, which I find hard to believe for a book that has been in print for a long time.

I lost many hours of sleep being drawn in to this intriguing book. Just one of the best books on the European campaign I have read.If you are a history buff,a must read.

Not as thorough as I expected. I have read a few books (and series of books) that were more informative. It's good enough for a younger reader though as a starter book on the subject.

This book is an interesting history of WWII describing incidentals usually not published in war history. The book is very through and describes more than just battles. Good history

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