And No Birds Sang tells the story of a young Canadian, Farley Mowat. The story begins on September 2, 1939 with a young Farley painting his parents' porch when his father pulls into the driveway and excitedly declares that war has begun! Farley was an enthusiastic eighteen-year-old who aspired to join the Air Force and become a fighter pilot. A month later, he applied for the Royal Canadian Air Force, but was rejected because of his young age and slim build. Instead, he was drafted into the 2nd Battalion called the Hasty Pees, hoping to transfer to the 1st Battalion and active service. The story follows Mr. Mowat and his experiences during several battles as the Allies invaded and eventually captured Italy. The title comes shortly after the first battle of Farley, when all was still in the air and no birds were singing. By the summer of 1943, the Allied powers had completed their campaigns in North Africa. Their next objective was to enter Sicily and invade Italy to encourage the Germans to move from the coast to the northwest. This operation became known as "Operation Husky," designed to open shipping lanes in the Mediterranean, eliminate it as an Axis base, and contribute to the downfall of Mussolini's government" (Hickman nd). On July 8, 1943, Mowat, now an intelligence officer, was ordered to Sicily to participate in Operation Husky. They left on the night of the 8th and encountered terribly rough seas due to the sirocco. The sirocco is an intense wind that comes from the Sahara. It looked like Operation Husky was going to be canceled. Fortunately, later that night the wind slowed and the platoons were able to continue the operation. The invasion began on the night of July 9, landing on the west side of the Pachi...... middle of paper ...... o join the war, this quickly changed. They never had enough food, water or clothing. As the desire to stop and give up loomed, everyone continued on their way, knowing that a task must be accomplished if they were to defeat the Axis powers. Brief history of Mussolini and the fascists during World War II. January 6. Accessed March 30, 2014. http://www.custermen.com/ItalyWW2/History/Fascists.htm.2. Hickman, Kennedy. and About.com. Accessed March 26, 2014. http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/worldwarii/p/husky.htm.3. Mowat, Farley. 1979. And no birds sang. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart Limited.4. Slavin, Bill. e Ambush at Grammichele. Accessed March 29, 2014. http://www.fireandfury.com/scenarios/grammichele.pdf.5. 2014. The Royal Canadian Regiment. March 6. Accessed April 1, 2014. http://theroyalcanadianregiment.ca/individual_submissions/sicily.html .