James Holland – Cassino ’44 (history)

We are joined by historian James Holland to discuss his visceral account of World War II’s attritional Italian campaign, brought to vivid life by diaries, letters and contemporary sources.

There is no such thing as an easy victory in war but after triumph in Tunisia, the sweeping success of the Sicilian invasion, and with the Italian surrender, the Allies were confident that they would be in Rome before Christmas 1943. And yet it didn’t happen. Hitler ordered his forces to dig in and fight for every yard, thus setting the stage for one of the grimmest and most attritional campaigns of the Second World War.

James is the co-founder and co-chair of the annual Chalke History Festival, and co-hosts the We Have Ways Of Making You Talk podcast with Al Murray.

In conversation with David Soskin