Monte Cassino: The Story Of The Most Controversial Battle Of World War II

Description

In trade paperback for the first time, the gripping story of one of the greatest Allied blunders--the bombing and destruction of an ancient Italian abbey . Monte Cassino opens in the cold Italian winter of 194344. Germany would lose the war, but they still held much of Italy, leaving the Allies to fight their way north to capture Romea route no army had taken since Hannibal traversed the Alps to avoid it. And overlooking the only possible passage stood the ancient Abbey of Monte Cassino. The ultimate decision to bomb Monte Cassino was one of the most controversialand tragicevents of World War II. The combat that followed was just as tragic: Soldiers from more than a dozen nations fought through that savage winter in a ferocious battle that allowed no advance or retreat. Here Hapgood and Richardson examine the military operations and political machinations that led inexorably to the bombing, explore the personalities of all involved, and in a new afterword reflect on its lingering consequences. This is an epic tale of menand monksat war.

David Hapgood has written for many publications, including the New York Times, and is the author of several books. He lives in New York City. David Richardson researched this book for ten years. He resides in McLean, Virginia.