Vivid, enthralling and authoritative ... military history at its pacy best. -- John Hooper, Roman Bureau Chief for The Economist<br />Christian Jennings's 'At War on the Gothic Line' is a compelling account of the epic battles to liberate Northern Italy in 1944-45 that have been previously ignored by historians. Superbly told through the eyes of the men and women who fought there - Allies, Germans and partisans - this outstanding book admirably recounts one of the bloodiest chapters in the longest military campaign of World War II. -- Carlo D'Este, Author of Patton: A Genius For War

As the Allies stormed across Normandy in late summer 1944, another strategically vital yet unsung campaign was being fought across the mountainous terrain of northern Italy. A vast international army of 12 different nationalities had to break through the Gothic Line, a rugged barrier of German defensive positions that stretched from the Adriatic coast to the Mediterranean. In this fast-paced narrative of a year at war, veteran foreign correspondent and historian Christian Jennings provides an unprecedented look inside these crucial, bloody battles, through the eyes of 13 men and women from seven different countries, bringing history and war to life in this unmissable book.
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Preface Author's Note Part One: Introduction - The Road to the Gothic Line 1. Beware of the Rabbit 2. The Torturers of Via Tasso Part Two: Before the Line 3. Italy: A Country Made for Defensive Warfare 4. Nisei Soldiers and the Battle for Belvedere 5. Indians on the Road to Florence 6. Blood and Honour: Partisans and the SS on the Road North 7. Best-laid Plans: The SOE and OSS in Northern Italy Part Three: On the Line 8. Dug-in Defence: The German Plan 9. The Complexities of Command: Lieutenant General Leese and Operation Olive 10. A Multi-national Assault: Ten Armies on the Gothic Line 11. With Infantry and Tanks: The Canadians on the Foglia River 12. Green Devils on the Adriatic: The German Defence and the Fall of Rimini 13. Mules, Bulldozers, and Bailey Bridges: The Indians on the Apennines 14. Alienating the Italian Population: The Massacre at Marzabotto 15. Fighting German Artillery and Jim Crow: Buffalo Soldiers in Tuscany 16. At the Point of the Line: The Attack on Seravezza Part Four: Behind the Line 17. Behind Enemy Lines: The SOE and OSS Missions in the North 18. Regular and Irregular Forces: The Fall of Ravenna 19. Christmas in the Serchio Valley 20. East Wind: The Different Flavours of Communism Part Five: After the Line 21. Secret Surrender: Operation Sunrise 22. The Last Battles: Colle Musatello and Chioggia 23. The Last Day of Battle: Surrender in Italy and Operation Unthinkable 24. Justice for the Germans Epilogue: What Became of the Characters in the Book
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An enthralling history of an oft-forgotten battlefield of World War II brought to life by the recollections of the Allied, Axis and partisan forces who fought on the Gothic Line.

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781472821645
Publisert
2016-09-22
Utgiver
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Vekt
645 gr
Høyde
233 mm
Bredde
152 mm
Aldersnivå
01, G
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
336

Biografisk notat

CHRISTIAN JENNINGS is a British freelance foreign correspondent, and the author of five works of non-fiction. Since 1988, across twenty-three countries, he has been writing books and journalism on international current affairs, Special Forces, defence and latterly science for publications ranging from The Economist and Reuters to Wired, The Mail on Sunday and The Scotsman. He has been based variously in Sarajevo, London, Pristina, Kigali, Bujumbura, Skopje, Nairobi and Geneva.