The Rising Tide: A Novel of World War II

The master of Historical Fiction has written another master piece in this exciting first volume of what was originally intended to be a trilogy of the Second World War. This trilogy, however, ignored the Pacific Theater and Jeff Shaara received so much flack from his readers and veterans that he was convinced to write a 4th volume concluding this series. Of course, he has since written one on the Battle of Midway in the Pacific bringing the total to this trilogy to five volumes, so I guess he just can’t stop writing – and that’s OK with me. Shaara takes us inside the minds of those who fought so desperately in the deserts of North Africa, both Axis and Allied. When it comes to describing combat itself, he develops use of short, staccato sentences helping to simulate the confusion and chaos and terror of those events engulfing the reader in the battle surrounding him. A vivid description of what it might have felt like to be inside a Sherman tank as it is hit and explodes during the catastrophic first encounter against Erwin Rommel’s legendary Afrika Korps at Kasserine Pass will hold the reader breathless. I have never been killed and lived to tell about it. Nor have I known anybody to have that experience either. But Jeff Shaara, in most of his military novels that I have read, has taken me through that first-hand experience as closely as the imagination can conceive, and his sobering description brings a reality to his novels that truly brings them to life, if that is the appropriate description. In this particular novel the “victim” survives and is captured by the Germans. I have a long career teaching history and one of my goals was to try to bring the subject to life for my high school students. Not to delve into specifics, but any author who helped me bring history to the common level, I admired. To that end, my most admired professional historian was the late Bruce Catton. And now, my most admired Historical Fiction writer is the current Jeff Shaara. In addition to helping to illustrate history as a common event, it is always based on solid, document-based research. I love this author. I just wish he were active when I was.

Jeff Shaara has written a masterpiece in the 1st of a much anticipated trilogy. The characters are richly drawn, Rommel, Eisenhower, Montgomery, Clark, Patton and a memorable list of others. The bulk of the novel takes place in North Africa as an uncertain and untested American force joins the British in an attempt to drive Rommel and his Panzer divisions from North Africa. Then the action leaps to Sicily where Patton takes center stage and adds to his illustrious reputation. I loved how the action and history propels you through the pages. The characters literally jump off the page at you and you become to know them so well. Interesting in how the story weaves back from the Allied point of view and the German point of view. Highly recommended.

I read a lot of historical novels, and World War II is one of my favorite topics. After reading "Gods and Generals" last year, I knew Jeff Shaara was a very good writer. The Rising Tide is an excellent beginning of a WWII trilogy. Covering the North Africa, Sicily, and Italy campaigns, Shaara does a nice job of weaving the combat scenes into the political goings-on in the background, and describing the various politicians (Roosevelt and Churchill) and generals (Eisenhower, Patton, Rommel, Montgomery, Clark, and Bradley) who were involved. After reading about all of the strife and disagreements between the Americans and the British, it's a wonder that the Allies won the war! Shaara describes the main characters well enough to give a good picture of their personalities and thinking. All except two of the characters are high-level politicians or military leaders. Two are GIs: a tank gunner and an airborne sergeant. The emphasis is on the high-ranking folks, with fairly limited time spent with the GIs, but in any case, the author paints the overall picture pretty well. The book has excellent maps for each major battle. Some of the map scales were wrong, giving an erroneous idea of the distances, but other than that, the maps were very helpful. Some photos would have been nice (for example, showing some of the types of tanks involved), but I imagine most serious students of WWII already know about that. Overall, Shaara does a very nice job with The Rising Tide, and I'm looking forward to the second book of the trilogy, which will be Overlord, the Normandy invasion. Definitely a must for the WWII buff, especially if you haven't read much about the campaigns in North Africa and Italy in 1942-1943.

In his (now regrettably past) prime, W.E.B. Griffin concocted wonderful war adventures from blending real people and events with fictional characters and circumstances. Jeff Shaara has gone miles beyond Griffin in taking real people, real events, adding just a bit of imagination and turning actual history into great fiction. Truly great fiction. "The Rising Tide" is the first of a planned trilogy about WWII. For the first few pages, I wondered where Shaara was going. It was more on the order a well written history text. Then it segued to Rommell in the desert . . . and then it dawned on me. Shaara is bringing us into a part of the lives of Rommel, Eisenhower, Patton, Montgomery, Bradley and ordinary soldiers that we can't touch: the internal happenings of their minds. Shaara's goal is audacious and his success breathtaking. Most of Shaara's words are spent on the leaders, like Rommell and Eisenhower. Good move: Shaara is able to provide the big picture, the sweep and scope of the war. In less competent hands, I doubt that it would work. But Shaara makes it seem real. The frustrations of Rommel, faced with a deteriorating situation in Africa, the jealousy of other German generals, the incompetence of the Italian leadership, the increasingly delusional Hitler and his own declining health. Shaara puts you in Rommel's mind, so to speak, and he does it well. The same holds true for Eisenhower, as yet untested as the leader of a never before attempted coalition. Eisenhower is not sure of his own capabilities, but he has virtually no one to confide his fears in. Shaara makes leadership the lonely place it is. Without spoiling it for the reader, it is difficult to convey Shaara's triumph. To those familiar with WWII history, particularly the North African campaigns, virtually every event in Shaara's book will be known. Shaara wisely balances the big-time players like Eisenhower with some smaller fry, specifically two American soldiers. It's an impressive and very effective technique. For those readers who are not overly familiar with the period, it's a painless and entertaining way to open a window on history. Shaara has done something truly unique here and he's done it superlatively well. WWII history afficiandos and those simply interested in a solid war adventure will find it fascinating. I'm impatiently looking forward to the next two volumes. Jerry

"The Rising Tide" (historical fiction) is the first of a trilogy by Jeff Shaara. This is a magnificent book - full of intimate and spell-binding details based on World War II. I thoroughly enjoyed it and eagerly anticipate the next book. Mr. Shaara is a master of this type novel. Earlier works included spectacular depictions of the Civil War and eloquent portrayals of World War I. Like many of you, I did not think there was anything more to learn about World War II - due to countless movies and books on the subject. I was wrong. The author manages to grab the reader's attention through an invigorating mix of key players. I encountered the usual suspects, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Winston Churchill, etc. However, I was captivated by an interesting assortment of obscure characters - which brought texture, warmth, and appeal, to this exceptional read. The chapter on Erwin Romnel (sometimes called "Desert Fox") kept me riveted. It had more action, suspense, and adventure than a James Bond movie! In the foreword, the author states his goal is to find a few voices, tell the story through their eyes, and put the reader in the same room. I visited that room, met some exceptional people, and had a memorable time. I encourage you to do the same. Reviewed by Reginald V. Johnson, author, How to Close More Customers

Jeff Shaara once again writes an outstanding historical fiction. The North African/Sicily/Italian Campaign is often forgotten in coverage of the war falling as a footnote to D-Day and other battles. This well researched novel places the reader as an intimate witness to the American introduction to war and their subsequent maturing as a dominant fighting force. You are exposed to the delicate politics and frustrations experienced by the planners as well as the bravery of the common soldier. The writing is swift and engrossing. It is a shame we will have to wait another year for the next installment in the trilogy.