Description
Book SynopsisFrom the street fighting that heralded the German occupation to the Gestapo repression that followed, this is the gripping story of the German occupation of Rome from the Italian armistice in September 1943 until the Allied liberation of the city on June 5, 1944.
In September 1943, following wave upon wave of Allied bombing, Italy announced an armistice with the Allies. Shortly afterwards, the German army disarmed Italian forces and, despite military and partisan resistance, quickly overran Rome. Rome City in Terror is a comprehensive history of the nine-month-long German occupation of the city that followed.
The Gestapo wasted no time enforcing an iron grip on the city once the occupation was in place. They swiftly eliminated the Carabinieri, the Italian paramilitary force, rounded up thousands of Italians to build extensive defensive lines across Italy, and, at 5am one morning, arrested more than 1,000 Roman Jews and sent them to Auschwitz. Resistance,
Trade Review
In Rome - City In Terror, Victor Failmezger retells the story of the harrowing days leading up to the Allied liberation of Rome in 1944. Between partisan warfare against the hated Nazi occupiers and the constant stream of escaped Allied prisoners-of-war, scrambling towards freedom along the Escape Line, Failmezger vividly reveals that Rome was far from the quiet Open City it was purported to be. If you want something to read while waiting for the COVID lockdown to end, this is the book! -- Leo Barron, author of * Patton at the Battle of the Bulge *
Victor Failmezger’s passion for the city of Rome is matched by his extensive knowledge of its dark recent past. -- Joshua Levine, author of * Dunkirk: The History Behind the Major Motion Picture *
Throughout, Failmezger presents fascinating stories and characters from a dramatic period of the war on the Italian front. Highly recommended for anyone interested in World War II history. * Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review *
A fine piece of history telling and a very good read. * Gunmart *
Table of Contents
List of Maps Acknowledgements Author's Introduction Dramatis Personae Prologue 1: Bombing the Cradle of Christianity 2: The Frantic Effort to Leave the Axis 3: The Former Allies Square Off 4: War in a Museum – The Battle for Rome 5: The Gestapo in Rome – Kappler, Espionage, and Sabotage 6: First They Take the Jews 7: The Vatican Nest of Spies 8: Unexpected, but Welcome Help 9: Allied POWs Seek Freedom 10: Knocking on the Gates of Saint Peter’s 11: Official Military Resistance 12: Ciao Bella, Ciao – The Partigiani 13: The Rome Escape Line 14: Life under the Gestapo Boot – Raids, Roundups, Food, and Art 15: An American Boy Scout OSS Spy in Rome 16: A Stranded Whale 17: No Roman Holiday 18: The Order Has Been Carried Out 19: The Roman Spring of 1944 20: Prelude to Liberation 21: At Long Last, Liberation Epilogue Endnotes Acronyms Appendices Bibliography and Resources Index
