(Ebook) The Fall of Monte Cassino by Robert Michulec ISBN 9789623611534, 9623611536

(Ebook) The Fall of Monte Cassino by Robert Michulec ISBN 9789623611534, 9623611536

Perhaps one of the best known battles in the Italian campaign was the Battle of Monte Cassino. There was actually a series of four battles, the first starting on 17 January 1944, and the last on 18 May. Monte Cassino was a key to the German defensive Winter Line south of Rome, also known as the Gustav Line. The Battle of Monte Cassino involved almost the full spectrum of Allied nations - USA, France, New Zealand, India, Great Britain, and Poland - fighting against their battle-hardened German nemesis. However, the author has selected the final battle as the main focus for this title. While the book's introduction begins with a concise summary of the individual battles, it quickly moves on to a deeper examination of II Polish Corps, which played a principal role in the final bloody capture of the town of Monte Cassino and its famous monastery. The Poles suffered a staggering total of almost 4000 casualties, and it is said that the red poppies that cover Monte Cassino's slopes in spring owe their color to the blood spilt by these Polish soldiers! =