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Rick Atkinson: The Cross-Generational & Social Influence of WWII
Rick Atkinson
Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author and Military Historian
- Number one New York Times best-selling author of the WWII series "Liberation Trilogy"
- Former Washington Post reporter, editor, and foreign correspondent
- Uses powerful storytelling to break down leadership commonalities amongst military greats—and how those lessons apply today
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Rick Atkinson is a best-selling author, three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and former Washington Post journalist. He is the author of the New York Times best-selling The British Are Coming, the first volume of his acclaimed Revolution Trilogy, which has earned numerous honors including the George Washington Prize and the New-York Historical Society’s Zalaznick Book Prize. The second volume in the trilogy, The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777–1780, continues the sweeping narrative of the American Revolution, capturing the conflict’s critical middle years with vivid storytelling and deep historical insight. Atkinson also serves as a historical advisor for Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series The American Revolution, which commemorates the Revolution’s 250th anniversary.
He is also the author of the Liberation Trilogy, a definitive narrative history of the liberation of Europe in World War II. Its third volume, The Guns at Last Light, became a #1 New York Times best-seller in 2013 and was hailed as “history written at the level of literature.” Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Atkinson shares compelling stories and insights drawn from military history, illuminating timeless lessons about leadership, sacrifice, and the enduring demands of democracy.
Acclaimed for works such as An Army at Dawn (Pulitzer Prize, History), The Day of Battle, and The Long Gray Line, Atkinson has built a body of work that combines meticulous research with elegant prose. His other books include Crusade, In the Company of Soldiers, and Where Valor Rests: Arlington National Cemetery.
Among his many accolades are the Pulitzer Prizes for history, national reporting, and public service; the George Polk Award; the Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement; and the Samuel Eliot Morison Prize. He has served as the Omar N. Bradley Chair of Strategic Leadership at the U.S. Army War College and remains on its adjunct faculty.
A former assistant managing editor for investigations at The Washington Post, Atkinson reported from Berlin, Somalia, Bosnia, and Iraq, earning a reputation as one of America’s most incisive chroniclers of war and leadership. Born in Munich and raised on military posts, Atkinson holds a Master’s in English literature from the University of Chicago and an honorary doctorate from Norwich University.
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Rick Atkinson D-Day Tribute
The Fate of the Day: Turning Points in America’s Fight for Independence. Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Rick Atkinson brings to life the gripping middle years of the American Revolution, from the battles of Saratoga and Monmouth to the desperate winter at Valley Forge. Drawing from his new book The Fate of the Day, Atkinson reveals how the outcome of the war—and the fate of the United States—hung by a thread between 1777 and 1780. He shares dramatic stories of courage, sacrifice, and leadership, set against a backdrop of global politics and fragile alliances. This talk offers a compelling reexamination of the people and decisions that shaped a nation as we celebrate the country's 250th anniversary. Audiences will gain fresh insight into how ordinary individuals persevered through crisis to forge democracy. Atkinson seamlessly connects past to present, sharing lessons from America’s birth that still resonate today.
Follow the Leaders: What Our Military History Teaches About Being in Charge. World War II was the greatest political event in the last century, shaping the U.S. socially, economically, and internationally. Rick Atkinson looks at prominent military leaders of this great conflict and discusses what we can learn from their successes and failures as leaders. He focuses on General Eisenhower, assessing the strengths and weaknesses that led to his incredible rise in the military and successful leadership style. Atkinson’s scope as a historian extends beyond WWII, allowing him to share stories of other prominent military leaders like Generals Washington and Petraeus. He shows audiences the commonalities amongst military greats and how they can apply the essential leadership characteristics – like resilience, adaptability, and perseverance – to their own lives and organizations. The stories and examples Atkinson shares are so vivid that audiences feel transported, learning the field-tested lessons as the generals do, and his depth of knowledge and recall for historical facts and figures is incredible.
Ten Things Every American Should Know about World War II. Atkinson is among the most celebrated historians of the Second World War, and his Liberation Trilogy—nearly 15 years in the making—has achieved both critical and popular success. It is what every American should know about the greatest epic of the 20th century. In this presentation, Atkinson shares amazing stories and lessons about WWII while discussing its seminal moments and how the war shaped our modern world, created an American heritage, and led to great social change (especially in gender and race relations), medical advancement, and more.
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Latest Books
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777
The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 (Liberation Trilogy)
In the Company of Soldiers: A Chronicle of Combat
Crusade: The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War
The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 (Liberation Trilogy)
An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943, Volume One of the Liberation Trilogy
