Ever Your Own Johnnie Sicily And Italy 1943 45

'Ever your own, Johnnie, Sicily and Italy, 1943-45' is the concluding book of the 'Ever your own, Johnnie' trilogy. It describes, through his letters and diaries, the day-to-day life of R.S.M. John Kemp of the 76th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, from the time of his landing in Sicily, illness and hospital in Algiers, and the subsequent return to his Regiment in Italy. It tells of the conversion of the Regiment to a field artillery role on the Gothic Line, and of the conflict in the final push north to defeat of the Germans in Italy, followed by the long wait as an army of occupation before returning home on New Year's Eve 1945.

A history of World War II’s Operation Husky, the first Allied attack on European soil, by the acclaimed author of Normandy ’44. On July 10, 1943, the largest amphibious invasion ever mounted took place, larger even than the Normandy invasion eleven months later: 160,000 American, British, and Canadian troops came ashore or were parachuted onto Sicily, signaling the start of the campaign to defeat Nazi Germany on European soil. Operation Husky, as it was known, was enormously complex, involving dramatic battles on land, in the air, and at sea. Yet, despite its paramount importance to ultimate Allied victory, and its drama, very little has been written about the thirty-eight-day Battle for Sicily. Based on his own battlefield studies in Sicily and on much new research, James Holland’s Sicily ’43 offers a vital new perspective on a major turning point in World War II and a chronicle of a multi-pronged campaign in a uniquely diverse and contained geographical location. The characters involved—Generals George Patton and Bernard Montgomery among many—were as colorful as the air and naval battles and the fighting on the ground across the scorching plains and mountaintop of Sicily were brutal. But among Holland’s great skills is incorporating the experience of on-the-ground participants on all sides—from American privates Tom and Dee Bowles and Tuskegee fighter pilot Charlie Dryden to British major Hedley Verity and Canadian lieutenant Farley Mowat (later a celebrated author), to German and Italian participants such as Wilhelm Schmalz, brigade commander in the Hermann Göring Division, or Luftwaffe fighter pilot major Johannes “Macky” Steinhoff and to Italian combatants, civilians and mafiosi alike—which gives readers an intimate sense of what occurred in July and August 1943. Emphasizing the significance of Allied air superiority, Holland overturns conventional narratives that have criticized the Sicily campaign for the vacillations over the plan, the slowness of the Allied advance and that so many German and Italian soldiers escaped to the mainland; rather, he shows that clearing the island in 38 days against geographical challenges and fierce resistance was an impressive achievement. A powerful and dramatic account by a master military historian, Sicily ’43 fills a major gap in the narrative history of World War II. Praise for Sicily ’43 A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice Named a Best History Book of the Year by the Wall Street Journal “Academic histories are all very well, but at times it is a pleasure to sit back and wallow in an old-school military tale of flinty-eyed men doing battle. That is what James Holland, a seasoned craftsman, offers in Sicily ’43.” —New York Times Book Review “Crisp, detailed, and entertaining. Holland refuses to let the legends overshadow the flesh-and-blood soldiers who fought, bled, and died. Sicily ‘43 is an outstanding look at a stepping-stone to victory.” —Wall Street Journal

Acclaimed WWII historian James Holland both narrates and reframes the controversial first months of the Italian Campaign and sets a new standard in the chronicling of war Following victory in Sicily, while the central command planned the spring 1944 invasion of France, Allied troops crossed into southern Italy in September 1943, expecting to drive Axis forces north and liberate Rome by Christmas. Italy quickly surrendered but German divisions fiercely resisted, and the hoped-for quick victory descended into one of the most challenging and protracted battles of the entire war. James Holland’s The Savage Storm, chronicling the dramatic opening months of the Italian Campaign in unflinching and insightful detail, is unlike any campaign history yet written. Holland has always narrated war at ground level, but here goes further by chronicling events almost entirely through the contemporary eyes of those who were there on all sides and at all levels—Allied, Axis, civilians alike. Weaving together a wealth of letters, diaries, and other documents—from the likes of American General Mark Clark, German battalion commander Georg Zellner, New Zealand lance-corporal Roger Smith, legendary war reporter Ernie Pyle, and Italian politician Filippo Caracciolo—Holland traces the battles as they were experienced across plains, over mountains, through shattered villages and cities, in intense heat and, towards the end of December 1943, frigid cold and relentless rain. Such close-up views persuade Holland to recast important aspects of the campaign, reappraising the reputation of Mark Clark himself and other senior commanders of the U.S. Fifth and British Eighth armies. Given the shortage of Allied shipping and materiel allocated to Italy because of the build-up for D-Day, more was expected of Allied troops in Italy than anywhere else, and, as accounts at the time attest, a huge price was paid by everyone for each bloodily contested mile. Putting readers vividly in the moment as events unfolded, with characters made unforgettable by their own words, The Savage Storm is a defining account of the pivotal months leading to Monte Cassino, and a landmark in the writing about war.

'Ever your own, Johnnie, North Africa, 1942-43' is a sequel to 'Ever your own, Johnnie, Britain, 1938-42' and recounts the day-to-day life of R.S.M. John Kemp of the 76th Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, through retrospective accounts and letters written to his wife. It covers the period in his military service from landing in Algiers as part of 'Operation Torch', the Allied Forces' invasion of Vichy French North Africa, until his departure for Sicily under 'Operation Husky'. The book vividly describes experiences of working in a foreign country under wartime conditions, and of the frequent advances to defeat the German and Italian Armies in North Africa. Many of the letters are written to entertain and amuse his wife at home, and to hide the realities of the war that he was experiencing. The book, however, contains notes and commentary to give context to his writing and the campaign as it unfolded as his regiment moved east to Bizerte, and the preparations for the invasion of Sicily.

'Ever your own, Johnnie, Britain 1938-42' recounts the experiences of John Kemp through letters written to his wife about his life in the army, from the time of his voluntary enlistment in 1938 to his departure from Glasgow for the invasion of Axis occupied North Africa in 1942. The book follows John's rapid rise through the ranks from a Gunner to the position of the Regimental Sergeant Major of the 76th Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, during the Battle of Britain, and the following preparations for the Regiment's overseas service. In addition to his letters, the book contains notes and commentary to give context to his writing.

When the Allies invaded mainland Italy in 1943 they intended only a clearing-up operation to knock Italy out of the war, but Hitler ordered the German armies to defend every foot of the country. The 'Tug of War' was the mysterious force which caused a war to race out of control, and attract vast numbers of men, tanks, guns and aircraft. The book analyses the main battles of Salerno, Cassino, Anzio and the march on Rome.