I welcome the author and historian James Holland.
His new book is Cassino ‘44: The Brutal Battle for Rome. This is a story that needs retelling. I first realized of Monte Cassino when I was very young, and there was a black and white presentation on television in Philadelphia of the destruction of Monte Cassino, and it was presented as a debate by the Allies about what needs to be done.
I don't remember clearly what the resolution was. However, now that I've read James’s book and studied the matter, the debate was secondary to what else was going on, which was a massacre of all sides in their terrain that was forbidding to begin with. But it was winter time. So I begin this conversation with the big picture—why Italy?
Given we know now that the battle was going to be won in mainland Europe after Normandy, why was Italy kept on?
What was Overlord, and what was Italy to Overlord?
Watch the full interview above, or listen to an audio version below:
LINKS:
Cassino ‘44: The Brutal Battle for Rome by James Holland.
The opinions expressed on this website and on The John Batchelor Show are those of John Batchelor and guests, and not those of CBS News.
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