One of the Second World War's most brutal and dramatic campaigns brought to life in this vivid and epic historyIt could have all been over much quicker. In this gripping account, bestseller John Strawson analyses how the slow, bloody and fiercely fought Italian campaign delayed the end of the Second World War after the tide had turned against Hitler and the Germans. Here was a point of dogged resistance; and also indomitable advance and eventual victory from a huge Allied push up the peninsula.What was the justification for opening up a major new front against Hitler? What were the effects of doing so, the consequences of the important tactical decisions made by politicians and generals, the hostility between Patton and Montgomery, and the larger disagreement between the US and Britain? In answering them Strawson gets to the heart not only of this too-often overlooked struggle, but the entire War.Military history at its finest, full of unforgettable detail and grand strategy, this is perfect for readers of Max Hastings or James Holland.