The Savage Storm

Acclaimed WWII historian James Hollandboth narrates and reframes the controversial first months of the ItalianCampaign and sets a new standard in the chronicling of war

Following victory in Sicily, whilethe central command planned the spring 1944 invasion of France, Allied troopscrossed into southern Italy in September 1943, expecting to drive Axis forcesnorth and liberate Rome by Christmas. Italy quickly surrendered but...
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Acclaimed WWII historian James Hollandboth narrates and reframes the controversial first months of the ItalianCampaign and sets a new standard in the chronicling of war

Following victory in Sicily, whilethe central command planned the spring 1944 invasion of France, Allied troopscrossed into southern Italy in September 1943, expecting to drive Axis forcesnorth and liberate Rome by Christmas. Italy quickly surrendered but Germandivisions fiercely resisted, and the hoped-for quick victory descended into oneof the most challenging and protracted battles of the entire war.

JamesHolland's The Savage Storm, chronicling the dramatic opening monthsof the Italian Campaign in unflinching and insightful detail, is unlike anycampaign history yet written. Holland has always narrated war at ground level,but here goes further by chronicling events almost entirely through thecontemporary eyes of those who were there on all sides and at alllevels--Allied, Axis, civilians alike. Weaving together a wealth of letters,diaries, and other documents--from the likes of American General Mark Clark,German battalion commander Georg Zellner, New Zealand lance-corporal RogerSmith, legendary war reporter Ernie Pyle, and Italian politician FilippoCaracciolo--Holland traces the battles as they were experienced across plains,over mountains, through shattered villages and cities, in intense heat and,towards the end of December 1943, frigid cold and relentless rain.

Such close-upviews persuade Holland to recast important aspects of the campaign,reappraising the reputation of Mark Clark himself and other senior commandersof the U.S. Fifth and British Eighth armies. Given the shortage of Alliedshipping and materiel allocated to Italy because of the build-up for D-Day,more was expected of Allied troops in Italy than anywhere else, and, as accountsat the time attest, a huge price was paid by everyone for each bloodilycontested mile. Putting readers vividly in the moment as events unfolded, withcharacters made unforgettable by their own words, The Savage Storm isa defining account of the pivotal months leading to Monte Cassino, and alandmark in the writing about war.