Rick Atkinson brings dead people back to life - in books, that is.
Atkinson is the author of a trilogy of books on World War II, in which he uses narratives to account for what he calls the "greatest story of the 21st century."
"The author's task requires that the characters be brought to life and stay alive," he said, "in my case, through the trilogy."
The three-time Pulitzer Prize winning author spoke and signed books Wednesday in the Ocora Room at Pugh Hall.
Atkinson said he uses narrative to ensure the real war gets into the books.
"The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944" is the second and most recent book in Atkinson's "Liberation Trilogy."
Atkinson read portions from the first volume, "An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943," which won him the Pulitzer Prize for history.
The first volume tells how American and British forces invaded Morocco and Algeria in 1942.
Atkinson said he began the epic trilogy nine years ago to explain the United States military's role in World War II.
He estimated that the third volume, which will document the end of the war, will be completed in the fall of 2012.
"From the beginning of this enterprise, my presumption has been no 21st-century reader can understand the ultimate Allied victory in Europe without understanding what came before," he said.
The event, sponsored by the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program and the Department of History, attracted about 100 people and several World War II veterans in attendance.
One of them, Phil Newman, was a B-17 pilot stationed in Foggia, Italy.
Newman said he actually learned things about the war from reading the book, such as what was happening on the ground while he was in the air.
"I've been there, but I need it to refresh my memory," Newman said.
He said he's read many books on World War II, but Atkinson's second book is one of the best.
Wade Speake, a UF finance and anthropology junior, said he attended the event because "The Day of Battle" is his dad's favorite book, and he wanted to get it signed.
He said he was impressed by Atkinson's book because he deals with the characters on a personal level.
"It's better than just putting out facts," Speake said "He actually brings you into it."
Atkinson has written five books with a war theme and considers all of them antiwar books.
"War shapes us," Atkinson said. "It's a way of looking at who we are."
