During the Second World War, the Allies invaded Italy in September 1943, having secured the island of Sicily, and in that month, the Italian government disposed MUSSOLINI and agreed an armistice with the Allies. This was the beginning of a long, bloody and muddy campaign that only ended a few days before the German surrender in Europe in May 1945. Although the Italian campaign lasted almost twice as long as that in North-West Europe, in terms of the historical bibliography of the former, one event stands out. This was the Battle, or Battles, of Monte Cassino in early to mid-1944.

Although I do not subscribe to the significance of this battle against other events in the Italian campaign, I can understand why it attracts many authors to put pen to paper. Half the books in my library on the Italian campaign have Monte Cassino in the title. The author is one that I respect and I will purchase his books on the strength of his reputation. He has focused on the Irish, and in particular, Northern Irish aspects of the Second World War. His history of the 9th (Londonderry) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment is superb, and his book Victory in Italy fills a much needed void in the historiography of the campaign. This book enters, in my humble view, a crowded area; albeit the author has been writing this book for some time.

The book comprises fourteen chapters; thereby dividing the battles into chronological elements. The first chapter sets the scene, with Chapter Two looking at the main senior characters in the forthcoming battle from a military perspective. The research for the book is mainly derived from the National Archives at Kew, and a wide library of secondary sources.

As with all this author’s books, the narrative reads well. My only dissenting comment is one that applies to several books covering a military campaign or battle that names of locations are referred to frequently, yet, there are only eleven maps included in the front of the book, and there is no consistency in the style of the maps. I also remain confused about the relative courses of the Rivers Gari, Rapido, Liri and Garigliano, which is important to the understanding of the nature of the fighting in the area.

In conclusion, the book is one that does cover this aspect of the Italian campaign in depth and objectively. Once the Irish Brigade becomes involved, its actions are covered in more detail than many others, but I can understand and forgive that. It is a very good book on the Monte Cassino battles and the campaign in Central Italy in early and mid-1944, and as such, I am delighted to add it to my library. ( )