The Fortress: A Diary of Anzio and after Hardcover – 1 Jan. 1956

Moving and powerful. I went to the wadis to see where he fought. Spot on.

As described

accurate well written

Brilliant account of the terror, boredom, moral ambiguity and horror of war. I am surprised it is not more well known. I picked up a reference to the book while researching the Italian Partisans. I read it in a group of books including Alpine Partisan by Albert Southon and Pebbles From My Skull by Stuart Hood. And from there on to The White War by Mark Thompson which covers the Italian experience of the First World War which I also highly recommend (search the web for book reviews and you will see why).Back to Trevelyan. One of the many strengths of this book is the pen-portraits of people he is with. And some parts which made me laugh out loud. Amidst the descriptions of people being blown half-apart by land mines or shot in the throat, he receives a letter from his Nanny Matthews who writes, 'I don't know, dear, how you stand up to all this. You were so carefully bought up'.