Explores the life and military career of Lucian Truscott, one of the greatest, yet least celebrated, US combat commanders of World War II.

Born in Texas to a drug-addicted father, Truscott would become one of the United States’ greatest ever combat generals. Expert in mechanised warfare and amphibious operations during World War II, he was a plain-speaking, determined fighter.

The book traces Truscott’s rise as a senior American commander in various theatres of war, including the campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and southern France. It examines Truscott’s relationship with other senior American commanders such as George Patton (who once threatened to sack him), Mark Clark (who didn’t like him), Eisenhower and George Marshall.

Truscott made a significant contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany, improving his command skills with each new experience. Being placed in command of the Anzio beachhead was his finest hour, where his vital contribution ultimately led to the capture of Rome.

Truscott garnered a unique record during World War II as the only American officer to command military formations from regiment up to a full army, with over 200,000 soldiers under his command. He also took part in five amphibious landings during the war, becoming the United States’ foremost expert in such operations.

General Lucian K. Truscott: ‘Quite a talent for fighting’ is for military enthusiasts looking to expand their knowledge beyond the well-known names of World War II canon.

Glyn Harper QSM, PhD, MA (Hons), BA, Dip Tchng is an experienced author who has written extensively on various subjects from World War I, World War II and beyond.

Glyn was Professor of War Studies at Massey University until his retirement in 2021. Prior to this he served in the Australian Army, where he completed his PhD, and in 1996 he transferred to the New Zealand Army, where he rose to Lieutenant Colonel as head of the Military Studies Institute. Glyn was the Army’s official historian for the deployment to East Timor, co-writing the official history and a children’s book about that deployment.

In 2011 Glyn was appointed by Massey University as the project manager for the Centenary History of New Zealand and the First World War program, and he wrote two of the fourteen volumes of the Centenary History. He is the award-winning author of more than twenty books for adults and thirteen books for children, many of which have achieved best-selling status. In 2012, Glyn was awarded a QSM for services to historical research. He is currently the academic adviser of Project ‘Army 200’, the 200-year history of the New Zealand Army, and is working on several new books.

A note on American, British and German units and formations of the Second World War
Prologue: An unwanted command
Chapter 1: Lucian Truscott’s preparation for war
Chapter 2: Over there
Chapter 3: Commanding the Dogface soldiers
Chapter 4: Disaster at Anzio
Chapter 5: Anzio command: Truscott’s finest hour
Chapter 6: Fighting in France August to October 1944
Chapter 7: Back to Italy
Chapter 8: After the wa
Chapter 9: Assessment