Martin Blumenson (1918–2005)

The ships of an Allied assault convoy put to sea from Naples early on January 21, 1944. Their destination was the little beach of Anzio, near Rome, which it was hoped would be a steppingstone for an impressive Allied entry into Rome. From Anzio to Rome was only an hour's drive, but it was to take the Allies four months to get there. Across the shattered landscape both the Allies and the Germans fought desperately for what turned out to be hopeless goals,
How the military objectives of these armies eluded them, what they gambled and what they won and lost are fully described in this book. 'For the Allies', writes the author, Anzio (became) an epic stand on a lonely beachhead. But this descnption could not obscure the heartache. The outcome ofthe landing was one of the great disappointments of the war.' General Lucas, the commander of the Allied forces, commented. The whole affair has a strong odour of Gallipoli and apparently the same amateur was still on the coach's bench.
Based on a thorough study of both Allied and German records, this book discloses a tragic and perhaps unnecessary episode in the controversial Italian campaign.
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Basato su fonti Alleate ma anche tedesche, questo libro racconta un episodio tragico e forse non necessario della controversa campagna italiana: lo sbarco ad Anzio. Quello che doveva essere solo il primo passo per un'entrata trionfale Roma si trasformò in una lunga e disperata battaglia che occupò le truppe alleate e quelle tedesche per mesi.… (altro)