The Rock of Anzio: From Sicily to Dachau, a History of the U.S. 45th Infantry Division

Anzio was one of the greatest battles of World War II-a desperate gamble to land a large amphibious force behind German lines in Italy in the hope that the war could be shortened by capturing Rome. It also turned out to be one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. military history. Based on extensive research into archives, photos, letters, diaries, previously classified official records, and scores of personal interviews with surviving veterans of the 45th, The Rock of Anzio is written with an immediacy that puts the reader right onto the battlefield and shows us war through the eyes of ordinary men called upon to perform extraordinary deeds.

Anzio was one of the greatest battles of World War II -- a desperate gamble to land a large force behind German lines in ltaly, to shorten the war by capturing Rome. Through sheer determination and against overwhelming odds, the 45th Division saved the beachhead at Anzio from annihilation, breaking the back of the German onslaught. From Italy, the 45th went on to blaze a distinguished path through France and Germany, suffering some of the heaviest casualty rates of any U.S. Army unit in World War II. In the war's final days, the 45th Infantry Division liberated the Dachau concentration camp, resulting in a controversial incident in which Nazi camp guards were executed by outraged American soldiers -- a story told here in complete detail for the first time. Based on archives, photos, letters, diaries, previously classified official records, and scores of personal interviews with surviving veterans of the 45th, The Rock of Anzio is written with an immediacy that puts the reader right onto the battlefield.

A reissue of this best-selling, soldier's-eye view of the 45th Infantry Division and its heroic efforts during World War II, from the beaches of Italy to the liberation of Dachau.

Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Flint Whitlock is a former U.S. Army officer who served on active duty from 1965 to 1970, including a tour in Vietnam. He has been a military historian since 1986 and is the author of Soldiers on Skis, The Rock of Anzio, and The Fighting First. He is a regular contributor to World War II magazine and WW II History magazine. He is the president of the newly formed Colorado Military History Museum, Inc. He lives in Denver, Colorado.