A new book has appeared called ' Monte Cassino : The Story Of The Hardest-Fought Battle Of WWII ' by Matthew Parker ( Headline, London, £20 ). I'll admit to being a little put off by the title ( which sounds like a great potential title for a hotly-argued thread on this forum... ) but the book has had some very good reviews. The Daily Telegraph reviewer states that this is the first important book about Cassino to appear for nearly 20 years ( I was surprised, but he may be right ) and, almost uniquely, Parker apparently has drawn upon the personal experiences of many who experienced the battle from all sides and also from the perspective of Italian civilians. Strategic and command issues are reportedly covered well, and the reviewer describes the book as '... an important and beautifully written book... a tribute to those who withstood the Western Allies bloodiest encounter with the German Army.' May be worth a look for the Forums' Cassino students.....
It's ISBN 0755311752 and can be seen at ; - http://www.hodderheadline.co.uk/index.asp?url=bookdetails.asp&book=41405&best=
Bought this the other week when it came out, but not had a chance to read it yet. I see some bookshops in the SE of England are already selling it for under a tenner!
Sommecourt's right - I bought a copy in a discount bookstore in Harrow today for £9.99 - it's now joined my 'to be read' pile....
