Alex Kershaw

Traces the achievements of the World War II regiments under Felix Sparks, documenting their clashes with Hitler's elite troops in Sicily and Alerno and their heroic liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. By the best-selling author of The Bedford Boys. 60,000 first printing.

One World War II Soldier's 500-Day Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau

The Liberator

Amanda Kordeliski

4.5 if I consider this book a pure biography. 4 stars for a historical account.

This was a compelling read that follows the 45th Infantry from Sicily to Munich. It details the fierce fighting the 45th faced in their astonishing 511 days of combat, focusing specifically on Lt.Colonel Felix Sparks. 

Sparks is a different kind of commander and this book painted a picture of a passionate leader who always thought of his men first and the politics of the military a distant second. 

This book had great pacing and I had a hard time putting it down. I have found myself thinking of it many times since I finished and highly recommend it to all who are interested in World War II. I hesitate to give this book 5 stars because the description of the incident at Dachau is a markedly different version than portrayed in other titles I have read and John McManus specifically refutes Sparks' version of the Dachau events in his book Hell Before Their Very Eyes. More reading and research is required before I make up my own mind about the events. 

Overall an excellent read that covers a theatre of WWII that is all too often skipped over.

The Liberator One World War II Soldier's 500-Day Odyssey from the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau

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