Ortona: Canada's Epic World War II Battle

Ortona is the best book of Canadian military history I have read. Like Ted Barris' Juno: Canadians at D-Day, this book is part novel and part military history. It maintains the reader's interest through the tension of story telling. It also teaches. The book includes a few good maps. For the amateur historian, the text can be easily related back to the maps by river and place names, unit names, or date. I will be reading this book again and picking up copies of the other two in this series.

A readable precis not just of Ortona, but of the entire Moro River campaign (the title is a bit of a misnomer). Covers ground ably covered by Daniel Dancocks in D-DAY DODGERS and by Gerry Nicholson in the official history THE CANADIANS IN ITALY, but really offers no new insights into how the battle of Ortona itself was fought. A good book for anyone looking for a general description of the Canadians in the Moro, and some good interviews with vets, but again - the appendices are strewn with errors, there has been almost no research done regarding the German side of the story, and the actual fighting in Ortona isn't touched until page 251, and takes up less than 100 pages of this 400 page book. Anyone expecting a detailed study of the house-to-house struggle tht came to be known as Little Stalingrad will be sorely disappointed, as I was. Search for Ortona and pick up the comic book version by Saverio di Tullio - it is at least researched from both sides of the battle.

This book was better than Currahee! I am a Soldier and have never read a book so fine as this! I almost pictured myself with those brave soldiers! I could read it again which I am! I recomenned it to people that like Canadian or American military history, Even for young soldiers in the Canadian Army!

I always find it very interesting to read about very heroic men in very dangerous situations. The only problem with this book is that it was written years too late. Too many brave heros have past away without their stories being told. Nonetheless, still a very good book.

ORTONA is a magnificent, exhaustive account of one of the most significant battles ever fought by the Canadian Army Overseas. Mr. Zuehlke has based his commentary primarily upon veterans' accounts, which makes for a unique, fascinating and lively story. This book should be required reading for any course on Canadian history, and is a model for what any such history should be. Well done sir!