Command Missions: A Personal Story

Description

Lucian K. Truscott and his men fought through some of the toughest operations of World War Two: Torch, Husky, Shingle, and Dragoon. From North Africa, through the length of Italy, into Southern France and eventually into occupied Germany, he led his troops onward to repel the Axis powers. Command Missions is a fascinating account of Truscott’s journey through the Second World War, in which he recounts his fellow soldiers’ exploits, the co-operation and at times tense relationships between various Allied commanders, as well as intricate details of the battles that the American forces were engaged in. Although he had little battle experience prior to the beginning of the war he quickly impressed his superiors. By 1945 he had commanded many different troops as he rose through the ranks during the course of the war including the 3rd Infantry Division in Sicily, the VI Corps at Anzio and in Southern France, and finally the Fifth Army from the Apennines to the Alps. Truscott’s memoir provides brilliant insight into how commanders planned operations and reacted swiftly to the ever-changing situations of their troops on the ground. It was only through this combination of strategic preparation and quick thinking that the Allied armies were able to overcome their German and Italian enemies. Drawing upon his own personal experiences, letters and orders from other generals like Patton and Eisenhower, as well as the notes and recollections of aides and other soldiers allow Truscott to create a vivid history of the Allied invasion of Italy. Command Missions: A Personal Story is essential reading for anyone interested in the military campaigns of World War Two as well as the leaders that commanded their troops to victory. Lucian K. Truscott was a highly decorated officer of World War Two. He was one of the few U.S. officers to command a division, a corps, and a field army on active service during the war. He published this work in 1954 and passed away in 1965.