The Rising Tide

This, the first of at least two historical novels by Jeff Shaara, chronicles World War II in North Africa. In his usual, involved style, Shaara connects the reader to both the common soldier--in this case a paratrooper named Adams, and a tank gunner named Logan--and the larger personalities, including Patton, Eisenhower, and the Desert Fox, Erwin Rommel. This is the story of the Allied victory in North Africa and Sicily, the upsweep of the tide that would carry the Allies toward the rather inevitable invasion of Normandy.

What you won't get: an overall generalizaton or birds-eye view of the action. What you will get: the personalization of the action you do see. It's layered, textured, and you start to understand what motivates both the generals and the fighting man. North Africa is an often overlooked theatre of the war, and typically focuses only on the 'unbeatableness' of Germany's Rommel. However, this gritty, meticulously researched novel will show the other side of the coin--how the Allies struggled to work together, and to catch up to the head start of the Nazi war machine (which experienced problems as well). I'm still picking sand out of my shorts on this one. A+.

Special thanks to Chef Zink today for the cherry truffles. It's a necessary part of the Valentine's Survival Pack.