
Cassino '44
The Brutal Battle for Rome
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Narrated by:
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Al Murray
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By:
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James Holland
About this listen
Acclaimed World War II historian James Holland vividly relates the dramatic last months of the Italian Campaign in a masterful volume that brings new awareness to this vital hinge point of the war.
As the new year of 1944 began in Italy, the Allied army’s momentum had ground to a halt just south of the vaunted German Gustav Line of defense, far short of their initial objective of liberating Rome by Christmas. The fighting up the Italian peninsula had been brutal—rugged terrain, fierce resistance, terrible weather. While Allied leaders in London prepared for the cross-Channel invasion of France later that spring, the war in the West hinged in Italy. As bestselling historian James Holland relates in his seminal concluding volume on the Italy Campaign, the next five months saw two of World War II’s most famous battles—the four ferocious assaults on Monte Cassino and the fraught landing northwest in the marshes at Anzio—culminating at last in the liberation of Rome on June 4, merely two days before D-Day.
Based on twenty years of research, Cassino ’44 offers perspectives and conclusions that differ from the standard narrative. Holland elevates the narrative of war, chronicling the dramatic events primarily through in-the-moment letters and diaries of those who were there. Counterpointing the memories of German soldiers like battalion commander Jurg Kellner with those of British captain John Strick and American corporal Audie Murphy, whose exploits in the field would lead to Hollywood fame, and of Italian citizens and politicians caught up in the maelstrom, Holland vividly recreates their day-to-day encounter with destiny over each bloodily contested mile.
General Mark Clark, overall Allied commander in Italy, has been criticized for being overly cautious and needlessly extending the campaign. Holland argues that, given the conditions and constant shortage of materiel held back for the D-Day invasion, Clark and other commanders led a remarkably successful campaign. Well more than 100,000 Allied casualties occurred in the five months leading to Rome, more than in any other campaign of the war. Cassino ’44 is the definitive account of a key turning point of World War II and brings our appreciation of the experience of war to a new level.
©2024 James Holland (P)2024 Simon & Schuster AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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By: James Holland
-
The Savage Storm
- The Battle for Italy 1943
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Al Murray
- Length: 18 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Following victory in Sicily, while the central command planned the spring 1944 invasion of France, Allied troops crossed into Southern Italy in September 1943, expecting to drive Axis forces north and liberate Rome by Christmas. Italy quickly surrendered but German divisions fiercely resisted, and the hoped-for quick victory descended into one of the most challenging and protracted battles of the entire war. James Holland’s The Savage Storm chronicles the dramatic opening months of the Italian Campaign in unflinching and insightful detail.
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Brilliant writing and reader! Compelling to listen to.
- By Steve on 03-21-25
By: James Holland
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Normandy '44
- D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for France
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: John Sackville
- Length: 24 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the 76 days of bitter fighting in Normandy that followed the Allied landing, have become the defining episode of World War II in the west - the object of books, films, television series, and documentaries. Yet as familiar as it is, as James Holland makes clear in his definitive history, many parts of the OVERLORD campaign, as it was known, are still shrouded in myth and assumed knowledge.
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Excellent account of Normandy but be weary...
- By S. H. Moore on 02-22-20
By: James Holland
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Bagration 1944
- The Great Soviet Offensive
- By: Prit Buttar
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 20 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Throughout the war on the Eastern Front, there were two consistent trends. The Red Army battled to learn how to fight and win, while involved in a struggle for its very survival. But by 1944 it had a leadership that was able to wield it with lethal effect and with far more effective equipment than before. By contrast, the Wehrmacht had commenced a slow process of decline after the invasion of the Soviet Union. Hitler became increasingly unwilling to delegate decision-making to commanders in the field, which had been crucial to earlier success.
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Impressive amount of detail, as expected from the author.
- By Zoran Jovic on 03-30-25
By: Prit Buttar
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Burma '44
- The Battle That Turned World War II in the East
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Al Murray
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In February 1944, in one of the most astonishing battles of World War II, a ragtag collection of British clerks, drivers, doctors, muleteers, and other base troops, stiffened by a few dogged Yorkshiremen and a handful of tank crews, managed to defeat a much larger and sophisticated contingent of some of the finest infantry in the Japanese army on their march toward India.
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Standard Holland read
- By Thomas Brian Raines on 10-18-24
By: James Holland
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Beda Fomm to Operation Crusader, 1940-41
- Desert Armour: Tank Warfare in North Africa
- By: Robert Forczyk
- Narrated by: Chris Monteiro
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Robert Forczyk covers the development of armored warfare in North Africa from the earliest Anglo-Italian engagements in 1940 to the British victory over the German Afrikakorps in Operation Crusader in 1941. The war in the North African desert was pure mechanized warfare, and in many respects the most technologically advanced theatre of World War II. It was also the only theatre where for three years British and Commonwealth, and later United States, troops were in constant contact with Axis forces.
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Too many details, not enough context
- By MortonC on 09-01-24
By: Robert Forczyk
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Sicily '43
- The First Assault on Fortress Europe
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Al Murray
- Length: 19 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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On July 10, 1943, the largest amphibious invasion ever mounted took place, larger even than the Normandy invasion 11 months later: 160,000 American, British, and Canadian troops came ashore or were parachuted onto Sicily, signaling the start of the campaign to defeat Nazi Germany on European soil. Operation HUSKY, as it was known, was enormously complex, involving dramatic battles on land, in the air, and at sea. Yet, despite its paramount importance to ultimate Allied victory, and its drama, very little has been written about the 38-day Battle for Sicily.
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Great writing, great narration, interesting topic
- By ItalCali on 08-02-21
By: James Holland
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The Savage Storm
- The Battle for Italy 1943
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Al Murray
- Length: 18 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Following victory in Sicily, while the central command planned the spring 1944 invasion of France, Allied troops crossed into Southern Italy in September 1943, expecting to drive Axis forces north and liberate Rome by Christmas. Italy quickly surrendered but German divisions fiercely resisted, and the hoped-for quick victory descended into one of the most challenging and protracted battles of the entire war. James Holland’s The Savage Storm chronicles the dramatic opening months of the Italian Campaign in unflinching and insightful detail.
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Brilliant writing and reader! Compelling to listen to.
- By Steve on 03-21-25
By: James Holland
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Normandy '44
- D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for France
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: John Sackville
- Length: 24 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
D-Day, June 6, 1944, and the 76 days of bitter fighting in Normandy that followed the Allied landing, have become the defining episode of World War II in the west - the object of books, films, television series, and documentaries. Yet as familiar as it is, as James Holland makes clear in his definitive history, many parts of the OVERLORD campaign, as it was known, are still shrouded in myth and assumed knowledge.
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Excellent account of Normandy but be weary...
- By S. H. Moore on 02-22-20
By: James Holland
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Bagration 1944
- The Great Soviet Offensive
- By: Prit Buttar
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 20 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Throughout the war on the Eastern Front, there were two consistent trends. The Red Army battled to learn how to fight and win, while involved in a struggle for its very survival. But by 1944 it had a leadership that was able to wield it with lethal effect and with far more effective equipment than before. By contrast, the Wehrmacht had commenced a slow process of decline after the invasion of the Soviet Union. Hitler became increasingly unwilling to delegate decision-making to commanders in the field, which had been crucial to earlier success.
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Impressive amount of detail, as expected from the author.
- By Zoran Jovic on 03-30-25
By: Prit Buttar
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Burma '44
- The Battle That Turned World War II in the East
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Al Murray
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
In February 1944, in one of the most astonishing battles of World War II, a ragtag collection of British clerks, drivers, doctors, muleteers, and other base troops, stiffened by a few dogged Yorkshiremen and a handful of tank crews, managed to defeat a much larger and sophisticated contingent of some of the finest infantry in the Japanese army on their march toward India.
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Standard Holland read
- By Thomas Brian Raines on 10-18-24
By: James Holland
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Beda Fomm to Operation Crusader, 1940-41
- Desert Armour: Tank Warfare in North Africa
- By: Robert Forczyk
- Narrated by: Chris Monteiro
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Robert Forczyk covers the development of armored warfare in North Africa from the earliest Anglo-Italian engagements in 1940 to the British victory over the German Afrikakorps in Operation Crusader in 1941. The war in the North African desert was pure mechanized warfare, and in many respects the most technologically advanced theatre of World War II. It was also the only theatre where for three years British and Commonwealth, and later United States, troops were in constant contact with Axis forces.
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Too many details, not enough context
- By MortonC on 09-01-24
By: Robert Forczyk
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The Battle of Britain
- Five Months That Changed History; May-October 1940
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 26 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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The Battle of Britain paints a stirring picture of an extraordinary summer when the fate of the world hung by a thread. Historian James Holland has now written the definitive account of those months based on extensive new research from around the world, including thousands of new interviews with people on both sides of the battle.
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The battle up to The Battle of Britain
- By Chiefkent on 11-07-17
By: James Holland
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Savage Skies, Emerald Hell
- The U.S., Australia, Japan and the Ferocious Air Battle for New Guinea in World War II
- By: Jay A. Stout
- Narrated by: Rich Miller
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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While the Marine Corps island-hopped across the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Saipan to Iwo Jima, the U.S. Army was locked in a grueling, multiyear fight for the jungle island of New Guinea, which in Japanese hands threatened both Australia and the vital supply lines stretching to the United States. Forces under Douglas MacArthur intended to deny the Japanese this opportunity and use New Guinea as a stepping stone on the road back to the Philippines and, beyond it, Japan.
By: Jay A. Stout
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Arnhem: Black Tuesday
- The Classic Battle Told As Never Before
- By: Al Murray
- Narrated by: Al Murray
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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The Battle of Arnhem is one of the best-known stories in British military history: a daring but thwarted attempt to secure a vital bridgehead across the Rhine in order to end the war before Christmas. It is always written about, with the benefit of unerring 20/20 hindsight, as being doomed to fail, but the men who fought there, men of military legend, didn't know that that was to be their fate. By focusing on the events of one day as they happened through the eyes of the British participants, Al Murray offers a very different perspective to a familiar narrative.
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Excellent writing AND performance!
- By Christopher A. Bachuss on 11-22-24
By: Al Murray
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Brothers in Arms
- One Legendary Tank Regiment’s Bloody War from D-Day to VE-Day
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: Al Murray
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the last cavalry units to ride horses into battle, the Sherwood Rangers were transformed into a “mechanized cavalry” of tanks in 1942. After winning acclaim in the North African campaign, they spearheaded one of the D-Day landings in Normandy and became the first British troops to cross into Germany. Their courage, skill, and tenacity contributed mightily to the surrender of Germany in 1945.
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All the details
- By GY on 01-03-22
By: James Holland
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Operation Typhoon
- Hitler's March on Moscow, October 1941
- By: David Stahel
- Narrated by: Philip Battley
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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David Stahel's groundbreaking new account of Operation Typhoon captures the perspectives of both the German high command and individual soldiers, revealing that despite success on the battlefield the wider German war effort was in far greater trouble than is often acknowledged.
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Exhausting the Blitzkrieg
- By Rodney W. Schmisseur on 05-19-24
By: David Stahel
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The Reckoning
- The Defeat of Army Group South, 1944
- By: Prit Buttar
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 20 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Prit Buttar retraces the ebb and flow of the various battles and campaigns fought throughout the Ukraine and Romania in 1944. January and February saw Army Group South encircled in the Korsun Pocket. Although many of the encircled troops did escape, in part due to Soviet intelligence and command failures, the Red Army would endeavour to not make the same mistakes again. Indeed, in the coming months the Red Army would demonstrate an ability to learn and improve, reinventing itself as a war-winning machine, demonstrated clearly in its success in the Iasi-Kishinev operation.
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Exceptional
- By Amazon Customer on 04-25-21
By: Prit Buttar
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Dam Busters
- The True Story of the Inventors and Airmen Who Led the Devastating Raid to Smash the German Dams in 1943
- By: James Holland
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 14 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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The night of 16 May, 1943: Nineteen specially adapted Lancaster bombers take off from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, each with a huge 9000-lb cylindrical bomb strapped underneath it. Their mission: to destroy three dams deep within the German heartland, which provide the lifeblood to the industries supplying the Third Reich's war machine.
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A must for anyone interested in Air Warfare
- By Jim In Texas! on 03-24-14
By: James Holland
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Duel Under the Stars
- The Memoir of a Luftwaffe Night Pilot in World War II
- By: Wilhelm Johnen, James Holland
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Listen to this captivating memoir by Wilhelm Johnen who flew his first operational mission in July 1941, having completed his blind-flying training. In his first couple of years he brought down two enemy planes. The tally went up rapidly once the air war was escalated in spring 1943, when Air Marshal Arthur Harris of the RAF Bomber Command began the campaign dubbed the Battle of the Ruhr.
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The best pilots in history
- By Nick Broms on 06-16-18
By: Wilhelm Johnen, and others
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Operation Biting
- The 1942 Parachute Assault to Capture Hitler's Radar
- By: Max Hastings
- Narrated by: Max Hastings, John Hopkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Operation Biting retells this dramatic operation through a gallery of amazing characters from Winston Churchill, who promoted the raid, to Lord Mountbatten, who commanded Combined Operations, to the brave unsung commandos who fought their way through enemy territory. A cliffhanger of a story that ratchets the suspense to the last moment, Operation Biting sheds new light on an exciting and little-known chapter of the Second World War.
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Just excellent. So enjoyable.
- By GuardDog on 02-16-25
By: Max Hastings
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Death of the Wehrmacht
- The German Campaigns of 1942
- By: Robert M. Citino
- Narrated by: Tom Beyer
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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From the overwhelming operational victories at Kerch and Kharkov in May to the catastrophic defeats at El Alamein and Stalingrad, Death of the Wehrmacht offers an eye-opening new view of that decisive year. Building upon his widely respected critique in The German Way of War, Citino shows how the campaigns of 1942 fit within the centuries-old patterns of Prussian/German warmaking and ultimately doomed Hitler's expansionist ambitions.
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Lucidity!
- By Anonymous User on 08-02-24
By: Robert M. Citino
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The Battle for Moscow
- By: David Stahel
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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In November 1941, Hitler ordered German forces to complete the final drive on the Soviet capital, now less than 100 kilometers away. Army Group Center was pressed into the attack for one last attempt to break Soviet resistance before the onset of winter. From the German perspective, the final drive on Moscow had all the ingredients of a dramatic final battle in the east, which, according to previous accounts, only failed at the gates of Moscow.
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Classic Stahel
- By abulbulian on 06-15-24
By: David Stahel
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Retribution
- The Soviet Reconquest of Central Ukraine, 1943-44
- By: Prit Buttar
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 17 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Making use of the extensive memoirs of German and Russian soldiers to bring their story to life, the narrative follows on from On A Knife's Edge, which described the encirclement and destruction of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad and the offensives and counter-offensives that followed throughout the winter of 1942-43.
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Solid, substantial military storytelling
- By Rodney W. Schmisseur on 12-21-19
By: Prit Buttar
What listeners say about Cassino '44
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Sarah
- 01-20-25
Like a 20 Hour Podcast, in a Good Way!
Like the preceding “The Savage Storm”, the book is snappy and well narrated by the inimitable Al Murray.
James Holland has a real knack for storytelling, as evidenced by their hit podcast “We have Ways.” This translates so seamlessly to the audio format that I am left wondering if there was light revision to the physical copy or if their deep experience in podcasting makes everything they produce ideal for audio.
My fear going into his book catalog was that the audio format would inhibit my ability to keep track of details and lack maps, the things War Nerds love. However, Holland deploys a number of tricks that alleviate much of this. The real War Nerds will want to keep a google earth map open and maybe a couple webpages to reference historical battle maps, but it is certainly not necessary.
I also find his heavy use of historical documents written at the time (like diaries and field reports, not looking back years later) gives the story an immediacy and propulsion that sets it apart from other history books.
In summary, do you like ww2 books? Want the details of how the allies assaulted Hill 593 without getting bogged down in an academic text? Learn through heart rending, but also uplifting personal accounts that keep the narrative engaging? Then this audiobook is for you.
Special shoutout to the story of the female partisan in Rome. Great stuff.
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- Randy Paulin
- 12-14-24
The Human Face of War
As always, Holland presents the assiduously-researched stories of ordinary soldiers superbly. He does this without losing sight or the larger military and political aspects of the campaign. One does tend to get lost among the Italian names of the various peaks and valleys that were fought for. This is a problem with all books on military history, of course, especially when speaking of various geographic features otherwise unfamiliar to the vast majority of readers. This is an inevitable failing of the format, though: it’s impossible to include maps in an ebook: they must be provided by the reader. That’s really a quibble, though. This book is another memorable effort by the man who is arguably the best author of military history writing today.
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- kevin
- 12-05-24
Excellent & very thorough & fair history
I love Holland’s books, love the podcast but I don’t love Al Murray as a reader. For example in this book he pronounces “Jabos” about 15 different ways
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- Brian Treusdell
- 03-28-25
Casino 44 Rocks!
Great book, very well written. There are a lot of details, especially the last third of the book. It’s very inspiring to know that if you just stay focused and keep moving forward, you’ll eventually win the battle!
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- Gabby J
- 11-21-24
No “petulant hatred” found
James Holland does a nice job of explaining what it was like to take part in this particular battle using both after action reports and the personal feelings of civilians as well as soldiers from each side as they themselves recorded it. No bias or “petulant hatred” as one reviewer stated. I believe the author has shown a great balance of empathy for what happened to all people involved while also providing facts of the battle. Always read for yourself and decide.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Jeff G
- 11-28-24
Well written
This book is a great more detailed look at the race for Rome and how the Anzio and Monte Cassino battles interacted with each other and with the planning for Overlord. I found the book took a balanced view from all sides. Holland's research is good as always.
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- Cheese
- 11-18-24
Read The Day of Battle by Rick Atkinson instead of this garbage
Far, FAR better books exist on this topic; Author seems to have a petulant hatred for Germans that clouds any sort of professional historical analysis.
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