Rising Tide

Shaara, Jeff. The Rising Tide. Book 1 of the World War II: 1939-1945 series. 2006. 576p. ISBN 9780345461414.

During 1941, as Hitler's armies swept across Europe, England stood as a lone holdout. The global conflict expanded dramatically when Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor drew America into the war. The United States joined its British ally to fight against Japanese conquest in the Pacific and to turn the tide against the German forces in Europe. The early battles of this new alliance were fought in the harsh deserts of North Africa and the rugged landscape of Sicily. It was here that new forms of warfare, like massive tank battles and the deployment of paratroopers, were tested in a way the world had never seen before. These campaigns began to shift the momentum of the war, paving the way for the decisive Allied invasion of France.

Rising Tide provides an intimate look at the heroic and tragic figures who shaped this conflict, from the well-known to the obscure. It paints a vivid picture of key military leaders, including the efficient administrator Dwight D. Eisenhower and his subordinates, such as the clashing personalities of George Patton and Bernard Montgomery. The narrative also features the brilliant German general Erwin Rommel, known as "the Desert Fox," who handed the Americans a humiliating early defeat. Through the perspectives of soldiers, from tank drivers to paratroopers, the story brings the battles to life in stunning detail, offering a deeper understanding of the individuals who fought in this monumental global war.

Grounded in archives and discussions with surviving veterans, Rising Tide vividly describes the North African and Sicilian campaigns, as well as the experiences of living through war. Fans of military history will appreciate this exploration of the Mediterranean as a battlefield during the Second World War.