From battlefields and cemeteries to museums and monuments, Italy has many important sites from World War II. Whether you’re a history buff or just want to visit some interesting places, these sites make good additions to your itinerary. To find out where to go and plan your visits, I highly recommend this comprehensive guide book by Anne Saunders:
Probably the most well-known site from World War II is Monte Cassino Abbey, the site of one of the war’s most important battles. Almost every city and town has a war memorial to its fallen soldiers. But there are many other places you probably don’t know and wouldn’t find on your own. Anne’s book will help you discover them.
A Travel Guide to World War II Sites in Italy is a very well-organized and easy to use guide. It has everything you need to visit the sites including addresses and GPS coordinates, background information, travel notes, information about what to see, and web sites when applicable. Almost 200 sites are included, most of which the author has personally visited. Historical information is presented in an interesting and easy to understand manner so it’s not necessary to have prior knowledge.
The book is divided into 20 chapters, starting with an introduction to World War II in Italy. The following chapters are divided by Italian regions starting from Sicily in the south and ending in Trieste in the north. Each of these regional chapters are arranged to be used as an itinerary or you can choose a couple of places to supplement your own itinerary.
Excerpts from the journal written by an American officer during his time as a prisoner of war in Italy, included in the appendix, add a personal touch. Black and white photos in the center section reference the chapter where the site can be found.
- See more photos of memorial sites on the book’s web site.
This book is an updated version of Anne’s previous book. It includes additional Italian regions and sites, updated visiting information, and GPS coordinates. I read the first book, using it to visit several sites and found it to be excellent. It had everything I needed to know, even though I am not well-versed in World War II history, and really made the places come alive for me .
With the additional coverage, this new guide is even better and still compact enough to carry around with you easily. It’s also great for armchair travel for anyone interested in history or just wanting to learn more about World War II.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a review copy of the book by the author, however that did not influence my opinion.
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