Monte Cassino: The Hardest-Fought Battle of World War II

by Matthew Parker

Book Overview

Monte Cassino is the true story of one of the bitterest and bloodiest of the Allied struggles against the Nazi army. Long neglected by historians, the horrific conflict saw over 350,000 casualties,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385509855
• ISBN13: 9780385509855
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 414 Pages
• Weight: 1.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

The Heroism at Monte Cassino

For some odd reason, Allied strategists considered Italy the "soft underbelly" of German-ruled Europe. It proved virtually the opposite. Parker points out that the very geography of Italy nullified the advantages that the Allies had acquired over the Germans by 1944. Furthermore, German forces dug in and stiffened their resistance in Italy. Every Allied attack on Monte Cassino was beaten back with heavy losses. Allied bombing and shelling of this German fortification seemed to have little effect--at least at first. Matthew Parker presents a great deal of detail on the Polish Corps, much more than usually seen in non-Polish publications. As a Polish-American whose biological father fought at Monte Cassino, I have a special interest in this battle. There were about 50,000 soldiers in the Polish Corps, and 80% of them had recently been imprisoned in the Soviet Union. They were led by General Wladyslaw Anders, who himself had recently spent time in Soviet prisons. Having analyzed the failure of previous attempts to take this objective, General Wladyslaw Anders decided on a strategy of attacking all German positions simultaneously. This would keep the Germans from temporarily retreating from one hideout to another and then freely coming back to counterattack the advancing Allies. The Poles intercepted a German order to retreat from Monte Cassino. This gave the Polish Corps a chance to trap the Germans before and during their retreat. Anders' strategy worked. The fighting was exceptionally fierce, and the Poles took Monte Cassino. The stench of the dead was everywhere. Matthew Parker describes the red poppy flowers growing on the hillsides that surround Monte Cassino. Unfortunately, he fails to mention the fact that these very flowers inspired a military song: "Red Poppies at Monte Cassino" by Ref Ren. The song describes Polish soldiers treading and dying on these poppies "because anger was greater than fear of death". The poppies imbibed Polish blood instead of dew. In time, the flowers of these poppies would be redder than ever because of their diet of Polish blood. When the Poles took Monte Cassino, the captured Germans became white with fear once they saw the Polish eagle insignia on the uniforms. In March 1983, a West German source published an article that accused the Poles of killing wounded Germans following the capture of Monte Cassino. Robert Frettlohr, one of the wounded German veterans captured by the Poles, spoke up. He forcefully repudiated the scurrilous accusation of Polish soldiers killing wounded Germans. He then got acquainted with Kazimierz Gurbiel, one of the Polish soldiers who had captured Frettlohr decades earlier. A friendship developed. Both former enemies were reunited at Monte Cassino in 1989, 45 years after their first meeting. Frettlohr regretted the war, pointing to its senselessness. He urged that Germans and Poles never again shoot at each other. For his part, Kazimierz Gurbiel, who had been severely wounded in a l

Incredibly Informative

Having visited Salerno this past summer, I was disappointed to discover very little local information on the war and the Allied invasion there. Since I was staying with my wife's family, I asked them to recount their memories, which included climbing high on the coastal mountains as children and watching the troops come ashore. In their recollections they believed the invasion was virtually casualty-free for all. This surprised me, and I began searching for more information back here in the States. Not only does Matthew Parker's book recount the battles of Monte Cassino, but it also provides significant background information on the events and decisions leading up to the Mediterranean invasions, including the one at Salerno, which was not casualty-free. I read Parker's book while on Christmas holiday in Genova, Italy (2005), but unfortunately did not make it to Monte Cassino itself for a visit. Next time. Parker's book was difficult to put down and I've already recommended it to others. I look forward to reading more from this well-researched historian. His work has brought much "readable" attention to aspects of WWII that are often overlooked. This is not a typical history book. It is accessible, well-written, and a good read. His reliance on eye-witness accounts and testimony is excellent. I hope he plans to write others books about WWII topics often overlooked, like the involvement of Polish troops throughout various theatres, like the Battle for Monte Ormel in the Falaise Pocket for instance, a valley of brutal fighting reminiscent of the horrors depicted at Monte Cassino.

The Rest of The Story

An interesting, informative account of that controversial battle. Mr. Parker gives an unbiased and very detailed description of the battle based upon the accounts of those "front line" troops that were there..Allies, German and Italian. It's a book that once begun you won't be able to put down.

A Captivating Read

From the first few chapters this book stands out as an very interesting read. It not only explains the basics movements of the battle but also explains the personality and character of the soldiers from each of the participating countries including the Italian civilians. Also explained are the events of the nearby towns, cities and regions that helped shape the course of the battle. Each of the different military actions are told not only in terms of overall movements of military units but also from the view of experiences of individual persons and soldiers involved in those movements. This recipe is repeated for each of the military units (and sometimes civilian as well) involved in each of the four different events that made up the battle for Monte Cassino. As a result the story is told from a strategic as well as a tactical viewpoint. It is very apparent that Matthew Parker has done an incredible amount of research and is very knowledgeable on the subject. Each of the four battles and some of the fighting within the battles is well illustrated with maps that let you follow the exploits of the units described in the text. The book leaves you with a real understanding of the incredible hardships and waste of human life associated with this event above and beyond many others of WWII. I bought this book after visiting and touring Monte Cassino on a recent trip to Italy, and I really wish I had read it before the trip rather than afterward. This book would be a must read for anyone planning a visit to the area.

Poorly fought battle: well-written book

This book interested me for two reasons: 1: my father was one of those unfortunate souls trapped on the Anzio beachhead that was involved in the Monte Cassino operaton, and 2: being Polish I've always felt proud that the monastery was finally taken by Polish troops. That being said, I will admit that I enjoyed reading this book, as it revealed again that high ranking oficers well behind the front lines look at maps on walls and send men out to die without thinking through their "strategy". This was most likely carnage that could have been largely avoided, and was only successful due to the simple courage of the men on the front lines. Both Allied and Aixs fighters were interviewed for this book, and it's quite important to hear from these men, who are dying off every day. Their stories should not be lost to history, for both the victors and the vanquished have something important to impart to us about the horror and cruelty of war, even a "just war".