The Battles of Monte Cassino: The Campaign and Its Controversies - Paperback

by Glyn Harper (Author), John Tonkin-Covell (Author)

The first thematic analysis of the Battles of Monte Cassino brings to light new and controversial ideas and information about some of the most critical battles of World War II

The Allied forces' actions in and around Monte Cassino in Italy remain some of the most controversial of World War II. Adolf Hitler described them as the battles that came closest to the bitter struggles on the Western Front. This reappraisal of the battles brings new information about the events at Cassino to light. This is another campaign narrative but a fresh look at some of the key aspects of the battles--the controversial bombing of the Benedictine monastery, the effectiveness of the commanders involved on both sides, the consequences of the Anzio beachhead, the performance of the Germans, and why four agonizing battles were needed to defeat the Germans at Cassino.

Author Biography

Glyn Harper is a professor of war studies and general editor of the Centenary History of New Zealand and the First World War. He worked as an Army officer in the Australian and New Zealand Armies and as director of Massey's Centre for Defence and Security Studies. John Tonkin-Covell teaches strategic studies at the New Zealand Defence Forces' Command and Staff College and is a defense civilian in the New Zealand Defence Force.