The Rock Of Anzio: From Sicily To Dachau, A History Of The U.S. 45th Infantry Division

The 45th Infantry Division was a US National Guard division drawn from northern Texas and Oklahoma, and during World War II, it saw some horrific action in Italy, Southern France, and the invasion of Germany.What made the division's background unique was that it was heavily drawn from American citizens who had suffered much at the hands of their government and fellow citizens: Native Americans, from many tribes across the two states. Called to the colors that had brought them suffering for decades, these Native Americans served those colors with unbelievable honor and courage, earning high decorations and sacrificing their lives to do so.Just as importantly, the 45th Infantry Division played a major role in the American war effort. The "Thunderbirds" made their combat debut in the invasion of Sicily, and suffered accordingly in that victorious drive. They invaded the Italian mainland at Salerno, which was, as the Duke of Wellington would have said, "a near-run thing," and as more recent historian Eric Morris said, "A Military Disaster." From there, the 45th fought its way up the Italian boot, until it was used in the end-run amphibious assault at Anzio.There the division gained its name and this book its title, as the 45th Infantry held off ferocious German counterattacks against the perimeter amid appalling conditions. The 45th went on to conquer Rome, and then was sequestered for its third amphibious assault of the war: the invasion of Southern France.The division played a major role in that little-known or remembered campaign, landing on the Riviera, and driving north into the Rhone Valley, fighting in Alsace and the Colmar Pocket against the last major German counterattack in the West, "Operation Nordwind," which failed spectacularly, but not before inflicting more casualties and pain. From there, the 45th went on to drive into Bavaria, joining the 42nd Infantry Division to liberate the ghastly Nazi concentration camp at Dachau, opening the true horror of Hitler's genocide to the world.Flint Whitlock has paralleled the odyssey of the 45th Infantry Division with Dante's journey through the Inferno of Hell, opening each chapter with an appropriate poem from that book, and it truly is a hellish journey, with young men meeting horrific fates amid appalling conditions. Many of the young men speak for themselves, as this is truly a "foxhole-eye" view of the division's history, and it is to both Whitlock's credit and the contributors that they are both sharp and educated. Mr. Whitlock provides the writing ability, research, and perspective...the contributors provide emotion, immediacy, humor, and gravitas.The maps in the book are excellent, and help you follow the division's course, and it is well-illustrated.This book is truly a memorable trip through World War II's Inferno, as seen by the young, often Native Americans, who sacrificed so much to win it.

If you are interested in WWll, as it happened in Europe, this is the book for you. I am in the process of gathering information about the war as I had nine uncles that served in that war, all from the same family. In order to do that, I contacted the VA research people and the man that helped me recommended I read this book. I learned so many things while reading this....things never taught in school. In addition to being a fount of information however; this book was written in a way that took you right into the battles and the struggles. I could picture these men and all they went through so it definitely enlarged my perception of my Uncles explaining much about how they came to become the people they became. I applaud this author for his amazing work.

Clearly written, thoroughly researched, with author interviews (1994-1996) of over 60 of the men who served and fought with the 45th Infantry Division in WWII.

The book was listed as like new and lived up to that, you could not tell it had ever had a page turned and came with a vinyl cover on it like the libraries use. As a result this book will be passed on to my Grand Children to read so that they will know what there Great Grand Father did for our country and the world. He was a pebble in the Rock of Anzio. He was wounded three times at Anzio the third and most serious occurred during the final break out, which ended up being his last fight of the war, due to his injuries and the number of days he spent in combat he was shipped home from the hospital in Rome.

My father was with this unit throughout WWII, but he never talked about his wartime experiences before he passed away several years ago. This book follows the US 45th Infantry Division, with a pre-war introduction through the entire war, much more than is implied by the use of the word "Anzio" in the title. From the initial landings on Sicily and the fighting in Italy through the landing in France and on into Germany and the liberation of Dachau, the men of the 45th endured 511 days of combat. While no book can portray what these soldiers went through, at least now I have some insight. Primary emphasis is on the infantry. I plan to re-read this book while following with a good map to 'follow' the action (which I should have done in the first reading).

Had a research paper due for a college course and this book provided great information. I sadly had to change topics halfway through due to other complications But this book is a great read and even if you aren’t prompted to read it for research it’s still a great book for any collection.

The 45th ID was one of those good solid & no flash units that finally got a solid biography. Maybe because it was a National Guard Unit from Oklahoma. Anyways it has a lot of really neat nuggets of historical facts & pictures in the book that seem to get left out of the newer history books. As a sidebar they also fought in the later stages in Korea and helped fight on the ground in the War on Terror. That and the guys from the 45th I met while in the Army were solid citizens & high class troops. Also if you want more then you might want to check out Bill Mauldins Brass Rings.

Great book

Excellent book. Having come off the back of some poor quality history, so refreshing to have someone who clearly explains the terrain, the objectives, and the course of the action. Throw in enough, but not too many, personal accounts and it flows very well and is a great read. The Division was involved in significant actions in the war, and so there is plenty of material. The Anzio action, as expected from the title, takes much of the book. It is well decribed and takes you to what a horror it was like to be there. There is passing comment on Mark Clark, Alexander and strategy, but the book stays true to its intent and doesn't wander off into other topics. Overall excellent.

This is one of the best documented divisions of WW2, this book was full of first hand accounts from the Thunderbirds