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Bitter Victory: The Battle for Sicily, 1943
Bitter Victory illuminates a chapter of World War II that has lacked a balanced, full-scale treatment until now. In recounting the second-largest amphibious operation in military history, Carlo D'Este for the first time reveals the conflicts in planning and the behind-the-scenes quarrels between top Allied commanders. The book explodes the myth of the Patton-Montgomery rivalry and exposes how Alexander's inept generalship nearly wrecked the campaign. D'Este documents in chilling detail the series of savage battles fought against an overmatched but brilliant foe and how the Germans—against overwhelming odds—carried out one of the greatest strategic withdrawals in history. His controversial narrative depicts for the first time how the Allies bungled their attempt to cut off the Axis retreat from Sicily, turning what ought to have been a great triumph into a bitter victory that later came to haunt the Allies in Italy. Using a wealth of original sources, D'Este paints an unforgettable portrait of men at war. From the front lines to the councils of the Axis and Allied high commands, Bitter Victory offers penetrating reassessments of the men who masterminded the campaign. Thrilling and authoritative, this is military history on an epic scale.
688 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 1988
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250 people want to read
About the author
Carlo D'Este
24 books65 followersCarlo D'Este retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel in 1978, having served overseas in Germany, Vietnam, and England. Born in Oakland, California, he received his B.A. from Norwich University and his M.A. from the University of Richmond and an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Norwich in 1992.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 8, 2017
My dad, Einar Graff Jr., was an army cryptanalyst attached to the navy during WWII. His work shipboard was to maintain encrypted communication with amphibious landing forces. He served therefore in North Africa, in Sicily and in the Philippines or, more precisely, in the vicinities of Oran, Algeria and of Gela, Sicily, and at the battle and subsequent landings in Leyte Gulf.
As Dad approached his 95th year, his end in sight, I began to make a more concerted effort to read about the U.S. campaigns in Africa, Sicily and the Philippines in order to better understand him and his stories of those years in the service. This book has been the first I've read to touch upon the beginnings of the invasion of Italy. Points of contact with Dad's accounts, however, are few. He was really only there for the Gela landings and his stories emphasized the high seas the night beforehand, seas so rough that he, an NCO, could sleep topside, the interior quarters of his ship being awash with vomit--a point made by D'Este.
But 'Bitter Victory' is focused primarily on detailing the land war in Sicily--all to the point of showing how, in the author's opinion, the allies, Canadian, British and American, failed to entrap the German forces on the island or to prevent their almost perfect escape to the mainland. Here he seems both thorough and convincing, his account being very well researched and documented.
A real military historian would find this book both engrossing and, perhaps, challenging. I am not such a one, the detailed descriptions of particular troop movements and engagements not interesting me as much as the incidental anecdotes, biographical sketches and final conclusions. Still, stepping out of my own shoes, I think this an exceptionally good military history.
As Dad approached his 95th year, his end in sight, I began to make a more concerted effort to read about the U.S. campaigns in Africa, Sicily and the Philippines in order to better understand him and his stories of those years in the service. This book has been the first I've read to touch upon the beginnings of the invasion of Italy. Points of contact with Dad's accounts, however, are few. He was really only there for the Gela landings and his stories emphasized the high seas the night beforehand, seas so rough that he, an NCO, could sleep topside, the interior quarters of his ship being awash with vomit--a point made by D'Este.
But 'Bitter Victory' is focused primarily on detailing the land war in Sicily--all to the point of showing how, in the author's opinion, the allies, Canadian, British and American, failed to entrap the German forces on the island or to prevent their almost perfect escape to the mainland. Here he seems both thorough and convincing, his account being very well researched and documented.
A real military historian would find this book both engrossing and, perhaps, challenging. I am not such a one, the detailed descriptions of particular troop movements and engagements not interesting me as much as the incidental anecdotes, biographical sketches and final conclusions. Still, stepping out of my own shoes, I think this an exceptionally good military history.
September 16, 2021
Another superb effort by military historian and biographer Carlo D'Este; this work covers the often-forgotten Operation Husky: the conquest of Sicily by the Americans and the British. This work covers the campaign from both the Allied and Axis points of view, and the view is mostly from the top, as D'Este concentrates on the planning (or lack of same) and execution of the high commands. British general Harold Alexander - the combined ground forces commander - receives special criticism as a leader who wasn't capable of leading or stamping his vision on how the battle should be fought on his subordinates: Montgomery and Patton, so each of them fought their own battle as they saw fit. A very thorough overview of this fascinating campaign, and not to be missed by anyone with an interest in the Second World War.
March 16, 2018
A fascinating account of Sicilian campaign.
This book does a good job of bringing the battles in Sicily to life. It does focus to much on the elite regiments and says little about the vast majority of soldiers in the battles.
The book desperately needs a good editor. There are hundreds of spelling mistakes and typographical errors.
This book does a good job of bringing the battles in Sicily to life. It does focus to much on the elite regiments and says little about the vast majority of soldiers in the battles.
The book desperately needs a good editor. There are hundreds of spelling mistakes and typographical errors.
April 18, 2021
Absolutely excellent book on Operation Husky, the invasion and conquering of Sicily. Shows just much of how it was not a cake walk for our forces. Author blends big picture and visceral boots on the ground accounts flawlessly.
October 26, 2014
In this excellent book Mr. D'Este delves deep into the near bitter warfare raged amongst the Allied high commands as they planned and prepared for Operation Husky: the invasion of Sicily.
The differences of opinion regarding high strategy and the tactical details between the Americans and the British helped to create a still lasting aura of mistrust between the Allies that would follow them throughout the course of the war. The eventual success of the invasion, flawed though it was, did nothing to distill the lingering feelings of mistrust between the Allies, and in fact only served to heighten them when the invasion of mainland Italy turned into a fruitless bloodbath against outnumbered, but brilliantly led, German forces.
As far as the battle itself D'Este shows the utter ineffectiveness of the Italian armed forces to defend their own soil. This can be explained by the fact that not only did Italy never have its heart in the Second World War (as they did in the First, though that was a bit of a disastrous bloodbath so it explains why they were not remotely grateful for a second go), but they resented the successes and maltreatment of their erstwhile allies the Germans. The Germans never accepted the Italians as a full fledged ally militarily, much like the Germans viewed the Austro-Hungarians in WWI as a corpse they were shackled to, the Germans were always grumbling about having to save Italian chestnuts from numerous fires. Thanks to low morale, inept leadership, poor equipment, meager rations and deplorable medical care, and uncaring 'allies' the Italians essentially folded within the first few days and never again participated on the Axis side of WWII.
The Americans and British never could see eye to eye on operational objectives. Montgomery created a hell of a row between the allies when he suggested, from a position of common sense, a unified command structure for the battle. This would have put the British in overall command, sure to infuriate Americans who already felt slighted by their British cousins and felt they still had something to prove after their initial thrashings at the hands of the Germans in the first battles in Tunisia. So when Patton swung his 7th Army westwards, to hook around behind the main German defensive lines around Mt. Etna, seize the strategically important port of Palermo, and then arrive behind the Germans and cutoff their retreat at Messina, he left the British to slug it out with well equipped, well dug in German defenders who were worlds ahead in terms of effectiveness compared to the Italians.
When Patton took Messina ahead of Montgomery, though he too had to fight some very tough, bloody battles the closer he got to Messina, especially Troina, he had won the 'race' to Messina but had almost lost the campaign. And, in a way, the Allies did lose the larger campaign.
The main story of the Sicilian Campaign, at least to my eyes, is not the overall Allied material triumph, or the Italian collapse that followed, but the outstanding performance of a small cadre of German divisions that took everything the Allies could dish out, and returned the favor time and time again.
The Germans, knowing that they could easily be trapped and either annihilated between the pincers of the 7th US and 8th British Army or forced to surrender, subsequently waged a truly brilliant defensive campaign that maximized Allied casualties and bought them the time for a relatively junior officer to keep open the Messina Straits where the Germans then not only removed all but their dead and seriously wounded and previously captured to the mainland, but their heavy equipment too. That was the true feat of arms of the Sicilian Campaign: the amazing performance of the badly outnumbered Wehrmacht. A terrible harbinger of things to come in Italy.
All in all an excellent read, my only quibble would be the lack of in depth study at the Axis plans for defense and an inside look at German headquarters as the Allies waged their war of conquest on Sicily. Still this is an excellent book, easily the best on the Sicily Campaign.
The differences of opinion regarding high strategy and the tactical details between the Americans and the British helped to create a still lasting aura of mistrust between the Allies that would follow them throughout the course of the war. The eventual success of the invasion, flawed though it was, did nothing to distill the lingering feelings of mistrust between the Allies, and in fact only served to heighten them when the invasion of mainland Italy turned into a fruitless bloodbath against outnumbered, but brilliantly led, German forces.
As far as the battle itself D'Este shows the utter ineffectiveness of the Italian armed forces to defend their own soil. This can be explained by the fact that not only did Italy never have its heart in the Second World War (as they did in the First, though that was a bit of a disastrous bloodbath so it explains why they were not remotely grateful for a second go), but they resented the successes and maltreatment of their erstwhile allies the Germans. The Germans never accepted the Italians as a full fledged ally militarily, much like the Germans viewed the Austro-Hungarians in WWI as a corpse they were shackled to, the Germans were always grumbling about having to save Italian chestnuts from numerous fires. Thanks to low morale, inept leadership, poor equipment, meager rations and deplorable medical care, and uncaring 'allies' the Italians essentially folded within the first few days and never again participated on the Axis side of WWII.
The Americans and British never could see eye to eye on operational objectives. Montgomery created a hell of a row between the allies when he suggested, from a position of common sense, a unified command structure for the battle. This would have put the British in overall command, sure to infuriate Americans who already felt slighted by their British cousins and felt they still had something to prove after their initial thrashings at the hands of the Germans in the first battles in Tunisia. So when Patton swung his 7th Army westwards, to hook around behind the main German defensive lines around Mt. Etna, seize the strategically important port of Palermo, and then arrive behind the Germans and cutoff their retreat at Messina, he left the British to slug it out with well equipped, well dug in German defenders who were worlds ahead in terms of effectiveness compared to the Italians.
When Patton took Messina ahead of Montgomery, though he too had to fight some very tough, bloody battles the closer he got to Messina, especially Troina, he had won the 'race' to Messina but had almost lost the campaign. And, in a way, the Allies did lose the larger campaign.
The main story of the Sicilian Campaign, at least to my eyes, is not the overall Allied material triumph, or the Italian collapse that followed, but the outstanding performance of a small cadre of German divisions that took everything the Allies could dish out, and returned the favor time and time again.
The Germans, knowing that they could easily be trapped and either annihilated between the pincers of the 7th US and 8th British Army or forced to surrender, subsequently waged a truly brilliant defensive campaign that maximized Allied casualties and bought them the time for a relatively junior officer to keep open the Messina Straits where the Germans then not only removed all but their dead and seriously wounded and previously captured to the mainland, but their heavy equipment too. That was the true feat of arms of the Sicilian Campaign: the amazing performance of the badly outnumbered Wehrmacht. A terrible harbinger of things to come in Italy.
All in all an excellent read, my only quibble would be the lack of in depth study at the Axis plans for defense and an inside look at German headquarters as the Allies waged their war of conquest on Sicily. Still this is an excellent book, easily the best on the Sicily Campaign.
October 6, 2008
Excellent account on the Husky Operation.
Not only describes the lack of coordination between the different service arms; the need for protagonism on behalf of Patton and Montgomery; but also how Husky was a learning process for the Allies, using airborne and seaborne forces, for later operations such as Overlord.
Also appraised is the German retreating tactics and evacuation plan which as success not even the Germans expected.
As the author says, it was a material victory for the Allies but a moral one for the Germans.
As side note, I found very interesting the chapter about the involvement of the US Navy and the Mafia during the operation.
Not only describes the lack of coordination between the different service arms; the need for protagonism on behalf of Patton and Montgomery; but also how Husky was a learning process for the Allies, using airborne and seaborne forces, for later operations such as Overlord.
Also appraised is the German retreating tactics and evacuation plan which as success not even the Germans expected.
As the author says, it was a material victory for the Allies but a moral one for the Germans.
As side note, I found very interesting the chapter about the involvement of the US Navy and the Mafia during the operation.
February 12, 2014
I like all of Carlo D'Este's books, but something about the Sicilian campaign is just so damn interesting. He does an excellent job capturing all sides of the battle.
March 20, 2017
A great study on the Sicily campaign.
July 14, 2021
Operation Husky? What’s that? Unless you’re a serious scholar of the Second World War, you’ve probably never heard of the Allied campaign to conquer Sicily referred to by its code name. After all, the public’s attention generally is fixed on those climactic battles such as Midway, Stalingrad, and Normandy that have been fortunate enough to be chronicled (more or less) in Hollywood blockbusters starring A-list actors. So now is your chance to learn about this important stepping stone that brought the American and British forces from North Africa to the boot of the Italian mainland – and you can do it by reading one of the straight-up best pieces of military history I’ve read in quite a while. “Bitter Victory”, by the late Carlo d’Este (Lt. Colonel, U.S. Army, Retired) is one of the finest works on World War Two that I have yet encountered. D’Este goes into considerable detail on nearly every aspect of the operation, from planning to logistics to intelligence to deception. His access to official sources, including unit records at all echelons of command not only from the U.S., British, and Canadian units that took part, but from the Italian and German defenders, as well, provides a treasure trove of data and anecdotes that illustrate the actions and reactions of the combatants. His analysis and review at the end of each chapter closes the information loop by explaining the how and why at each step of the campaign. His description of the dynamics among the senior leaders on both sides and his frank discussion of blunders committed by an Allied force still trying to find its stride in the face of an experienced Wehrmacht and an Italian army that had lost its faith in its government complete the picture of this highly important but often overlooked battle in the democracies’ efforts to free Europe from fascist domination. But this is no dry recitation of facts and figures; d’Este’s polished style reads like a novel and will keep you turning the pages. This will be one of my all-time favorite works on the Second World War. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
October 17, 2020
D'Este's book was ground-breaking in 1988 when it came out. It is an excellent analysis and discussion of the command, planning, and decision-making process involved in the Allied Invasion of Sicily in 1943 - Operation Husky. It is illustrated with photos and maps.
The book is well-written and goes in-depth into the planning and strategic and grand tactical aspects of the campaign. D'Este also spends considerable time in "mini biographies" of the commanders, all the way down to battalion level.
But a book cannot be all things. His descriptions of tactical engagements are often hard to follow and incomplete. He spends an entire chapter on the fight for Primosole Bridge but the reader is left with only a vague idea of the movements and actions. The maps also occasionally do not have on them key places mentioned in the text.
Overall this is still a classic text of the Second World War and an exceptional insight into the planning and leadership of the Allies. Wholly recommended.
The book is well-written and goes in-depth into the planning and strategic and grand tactical aspects of the campaign. D'Este also spends considerable time in "mini biographies" of the commanders, all the way down to battalion level.
But a book cannot be all things. His descriptions of tactical engagements are often hard to follow and incomplete. He spends an entire chapter on the fight for Primosole Bridge but the reader is left with only a vague idea of the movements and actions. The maps also occasionally do not have on them key places mentioned in the text.
Overall this is still a classic text of the Second World War and an exceptional insight into the planning and leadership of the Allies. Wholly recommended.
December 15, 2021
Like his book on Anzio, D'Este's has written the best book on the Battle for Sicily and the Allied High Command. Frankly, they come off poorly. Crushing Air Superiority, complete Command of the Sea, and 3-1 superiority (at least) in tanks, artillery, and numbers. Yet it took 2 Allied Armies over a month to push 50,000-60,000 Germans off the island. Not only did large numbers of German Troops escape into Italy, they took most of their tanks and equipment with them.
The refusal to take risks, along with sheer incompetence and a failure to effectively use the Allied superiority at sea was to blame. Not Monty's finest hour. My only complaint is that Bradley is often quoted as the oracle of wisdom. We get a lot of Bradley on Patton, but very little Patton on Bradley. Patton was too busy fighting the battle to comment on his subordinate. And his early death prevented him from defending himself against Bradley's post-war slurs.
The refusal to take risks, along with sheer incompetence and a failure to effectively use the Allied superiority at sea was to blame. Not Monty's finest hour. My only complaint is that Bradley is often quoted as the oracle of wisdom. We get a lot of Bradley on Patton, but very little Patton on Bradley. Patton was too busy fighting the battle to comment on his subordinate. And his early death prevented him from defending himself against Bradley's post-war slurs.
October 30, 2020
Early in WWII the Americans were green & untested as the British would say. They were correct to a point. The book covers the campaign briefly in Africa beforehand then shows how the Sicily campaign showed how difficult it could be for the British & Americans to work together.
The battle soon became a battle of British general Sir Bernard Montgomery versus American general George Patton. The British wanted the Americans to cover the flank the whole way while Patton was not cool with that. The allies were too conservative in the planning but all the mistakes that happened where a rough draft of the Normandy Invasion a year later in 1944 where the same mistakes were fine tuned making that operation successful.
Before that, Operation Husky (Sicily Invasion) was the biggest invasion ever. Unfortunately, it was not perfectly planned. The book covers both the British/Canadians & Americans equally on how the Sicilian Invasion developed, plus German point of view were the Germans where able to flee to Italy due to poor Allied planning. The book is a good narrative of one of the accomplishments early on in the European Theatre of WWII.
The battle soon became a battle of British general Sir Bernard Montgomery versus American general George Patton. The British wanted the Americans to cover the flank the whole way while Patton was not cool with that. The allies were too conservative in the planning but all the mistakes that happened where a rough draft of the Normandy Invasion a year later in 1944 where the same mistakes were fine tuned making that operation successful.
Before that, Operation Husky (Sicily Invasion) was the biggest invasion ever. Unfortunately, it was not perfectly planned. The book covers both the British/Canadians & Americans equally on how the Sicilian Invasion developed, plus German point of view were the Germans where able to flee to Italy due to poor Allied planning. The book is a good narrative of one of the accomplishments early on in the European Theatre of WWII.
November 20, 2021
Very interesting book about the problems in the Sicily invasion, specifically how a lack of coordination and poor planning enabled the German and Italian armies to escape to Calabria with all their weapons. General Alexander in particular is portrayed as a very poor leader who did t manage Patton and Montgomery appropriately, and it resulted in a more difficult operation than it should have been.
May 18, 2020
Well done narrative history, another winner from D'Este. It's not a quick read, the final chapters could have been more concise, but by-and-large, this is an excellent treatment of a complex campaign.
July 4, 2023
Good account of the (lack of) planning that led to the needless frustrations and strategic failure of Operation Husky (the Allied invasion of Sicily). A healthy reading list can be made from the footnotes, even excluding all the generals' biographies (which are unreliable anyway.)
June 23, 2023
Story of the Ally's Sicilian invasion during World War II.
March 11, 2024
The Sicilian campaign is one of the lesser known campaigns of World War 2. Carlo D'Este's books is a must-read for those serious students of WW2 history. The author is extremely blunt and honest in analyzing the Allied command's flaws even as he praises the Germans and Italians for their tenacity, imagination, and eventually ingenuity in organizing one of the biggest and most successful evacuation of an army AND all of its equipment.
Napoleon once famously said that the measurement of a general is how he organizes a retreat. Towards the end, the Germans demonstrated such qualities that Napoleon would approve. By contrast, the BEF at Dunkirk left behind all of its heavy equipment and returned to Britain demoralized and required further re-training. The Germans would fight again with a largely intact army with all of its equipment in the Italian campaign. I would suggest James Holland's book for that campaign.
After reading D'Este's book, I am further convinced that Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery does not decide all the accolades and hero worship in England. I might be biased as an American, but the evidence there. Montgomery blundered in Sicily. He blundered in Market Garden, and he blunder politically after the Battle of the Bulge.
Napoleon once famously said that the measurement of a general is how he organizes a retreat. Towards the end, the Germans demonstrated such qualities that Napoleon would approve. By contrast, the BEF at Dunkirk left behind all of its heavy equipment and returned to Britain demoralized and required further re-training. The Germans would fight again with a largely intact army with all of its equipment in the Italian campaign. I would suggest James Holland's book for that campaign.
After reading D'Este's book, I am further convinced that Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery does not decide all the accolades and hero worship in England. I might be biased as an American, but the evidence there. Montgomery blundered in Sicily. He blundered in Market Garden, and he blunder politically after the Battle of the Bulge.
June 13, 2023
Fascinating, balanced study of the Sicily campaign. The polotics and background were of particular interest to me.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews