The monastery

by Fred Majdalany

A fictional account of one of the most famous, bitterly fought and controversial battles of World War II.Few battles of the Second World War compare with Cassino for drama, the prolonged agony of the combatants and tragic controversy. About halfway between Naples and Rome, the Allied armies ran into strongly entrenched German forces determined to check their advance on Rome.The place the Germans had chosen to make this stand was Monte Cassino, surmounted by the famous and ancient Benedictine Abbey, and it was here that four fierce and gruelling battles were fought between the Allies and the German Army.This is the story of the last assault, written by an officer who played his own part in it - a story of the men of many nations who fought at Cassino under the menacing shadow of St. Benedict's historic Abbey.‘Majdalany recounts the battle with the clarity of full comprehension’ - New Yorker‘A shrewd and valuable survey. . . . The course of the battle is lucidly and succinctly described in its successive stages’ - Times Literary Supplement

Genres: World War II, Historical Fiction

115 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1945

About the author

Fareed "Fred" Majdalany was the son of a Manchester-based Lebanese family. He worked as a journalist, drama critic and theatre publicist pre-war. When the Seocnd World War began, he volunteered and was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers in 1940. Majdalany served in North Africa and Italy and was awarded the Military Cross. After the war he resumed his career as a journalist and published novels and military histories, all of which were well-received.

Reviews

[Mrs J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The battle at Monte Cassino

Only Four parts, this is a narration by a faceless soldier of the battle for the monastery at Monte Cassino.
Filled with the details that mattered to the infantrymen tasked with watching then taking the monastery, it’s interesting to balance the demands of toilet, tea and news from home with the bodies and death that are encountered in their journey.
The striking note of casual acceptance of these soldiers walking into battle is enhanced by the use of first names. There is not the bland, remote use of rank apart from those orders on high so there is a sense of the camaraderie of the men living and dying together.
There is lots of action interspersed with tea and shaved, conveyed with a grim matter-of-factness. Interesting and informative.

[Viragored · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my usual choice for reading material, but I found it engaging even though the subject matter could be quite distressing. War is never a happy time but the author reveals the inner thoughts of soldiers who have to cope with the awfulness of what they are thrust into.
The only nits I'd pick are to do with the writing style - primarily acronyms with no explanation. Many of the sentences could be written better, but that could well be just my being brought up so long after World War II that writing styles have changed.
I recommend this book, it gives an insight that I've not had in other books.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fictional account of the fight for Monte Cassino from the perspective of a British Commanding Officer. The narrator is an officer with the forward headquarters unit, so the novel focuses more on the logistics and workings of the Army than on the experiences of the guys in the trenches, but there is some of that as well. Interesting perspective by an author who was part of the Lancashire Fusiliers.

[M V Ciamaroni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth the time

A lot of acronyms with no explanation.
Slow reading not worth the time in my opinion
The narrator's name never mentioned.
Not for me

[Nadir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book for illustrating what a participant in battle feels like from the despair of being ordered from reserve into action ("Oh Christ") to the way that seemingly important things like the overall battle become mundane compared to one's own sector of the battlefield. The prose is terse but gets the essential points across - it feels very authentic - not a lot of flowery language, but excellent imagery. This isn't a battle study - you won't be consulting maps or seeing unit organization tables - but you will understand with good insight what occurred as far as this particular individual experienced it.

[Zeba Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is short, it captures the atmosphere and environment of battle in a fascinating way. Majdalany has a very distinctive voice, the book really feels as though you are listening to a serving soldier discussing his experiences. There are one or two very gruesome scenes, but what this book really does is convey the atmosphere and emotions in the run-up to battle and the nitty gritty of preparations and logistics. I read it because I'm trying to get a feel for what my grandfather might have experienced in the Italian campaign, and it served as an interesting insight.