Women of War: The Italian Assassins, Spies, and Couriers Who Fought the Nazis

by Suzanne Cope

The gripping, true, and untold history of the Italian anti-fascist resistance during World War II, told through the stories of four spectacularly courageous women fighters

From underground soldiers to intrepid spies, Women of War unearths the hidden history of the brave women who risked their lives to overthrow the Nazi occupation and liberate Italy. Using primary sources and brand new scholarship, historian Suzanne Cope illuminates the roles played by women while Italians struggled under dual Nazi invaders and Italian fascist loyalists.

Cope’s research and storytelling introduces four brave and resourceful women who risked everything to overthrow the Nazi occupation and pry their future from the fascist grasp. We meet Carla Capponi in Rome, where she made bombs in an underground bunker then ferried them to their deadly destination wearing lipstick and a trenchcoat; and Bianca Guidetti Serra who rode her bicycle up switchbacks in the Alps, dodging bullets while delivering bags of clandestine newspapers and munitions to the anti-fascist armies hidden in the mountains. In Florence, the young future author of Italy’s new constitution, Teresa Mattei, carried secret messages and hid bombs; while Anita Malavasi led troops across the Apennine Mountains. Women of War brings their experiences as underground resistance fighters, partisan combatants, spies, and saboteurs to life.

Essential and original, Women of War offers not only a reexamination of the elision of women from vital WWII history but also a valuable perspective on the ongoing fight for gender equality and social justice. After all, these were the women who launched a feminist movement as they fought for the future of their country, and what that could mean for its women, all while under Nazi and fascist fire.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Feminism, Womens, Biography, Italy

480 pages, Hardcover

First published April 29, 2025

Reviews

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, what about Italy?

There are numerous books about spies running around France in World War II, risking their lives, and doing amazing things. The invasion of Italy is often seen as a sideshow for the main event at Normandy. That's not even my interpretation. Many American leaders said almost exactly that. As such, there is precious little about this theater beyond some higher-level (but still excellent!) military books. Suzanne Cope is here to bring some forgotten stories to light with Women of War.

The book follows four female partisans in different parts of Italy as Mussolini's government falls and zee Germans show up in force. As expected, this is a sizeable book to follow all four women and clocks in at just a hair over 400 pages. Their experiences run the gamut from assassinations, couriering (just learned the verb of that word), and some light explosions. Just kidding, they got real big!

I learned quite a lot which I haven't found anywhere else. I would recommend to readers not to expect a deep psychological profile on each woman. Cope has so much ground to cover that it's just not possible from a book length perspective (and probably documentation perspective as well). This is certainly not a textbook style of writing, though. Cope knows when to take a quick detour to highlight how the choices of each women, which are brutal at times, leads to them changing as people. Her approach allows for the reader to have a much wider view of the war in Italy, and it is fantastic. I highly recommend it.

(This book was provided as a review copy by Dutton Books.)

[Jessica (Odd and Bookish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this book 4.5 stars which rounds up to 5.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Dutton) for promotional purposes.

This was an incredible look into the Italian resistance and the women involved!

Going into this book, I didn’t know a whole lot about what went on in Italy during WWII. That being said, I learned so much from this book, not just about these 4 courageous women, but also about the war in general.

The 4 women featured (Carla, Bianca, Teresa, and Anita) were awe-inspiring. They put their lives on the line every day in their fight towards freedom. The book gives them the recognition they deserve. Additionally, the book also mentions smaller ways Italians combated fascism, which also deserves acknowledgment.

History books can sometimes be intimidating but this book was very easy to read. The short chapters made the book fly by. Each chapter was labeled with which woman the chapter was about as well as the location and date, making it easy to follow. The writing style was accessible and engaging.

It was evident this book was well researched. At the end of the book there was a note on sources, a note on archives and museums, and a note on interviews. This was in addition to the bibliography and lengthy notes section. The author did a ton of research, both in the US and in Italy, and it showed.

I liked that the book had both an introduction and epilogue, which brought everything together nicely and acted as the perfect bookends to the story.

However, the one thing I would have liked to see was a more comprehensive map. The one map that is featured is from 1899 and doesn’t have much detail. These women traveled a lot so it would have been helpful to see a map detailing the places they went. I’ve never been to Italy so I don’t know the geography that well.

Overall, this was an informative read. If you want to learn about unsung heroes of WWII, pick this one up!

[Ceri 🍉]

I don't rate non-fiction*
I enjoy listening to books like this one as just reading it with my eyes can end up being a lot with all the information included. I feel like Italy is a country I haven't heard much about during the war time so it was nice reading about the women who worked hard to fight for their country's freedom

[Desirae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over here, in my tiny corner of the Internet, we do not forget the important and unsung roles that women have played, and will continue to play across history.

Women of War: The Italian Assassins, Spies, and Couriers Who Fought the Nazis by Suzanne Cope is a vivid and necessary contribution to World War II history, recovering the stories of women whose courage shaped the Italian Resistance yet have too often remained at the margins of mainstream historical narratives. Through meticulous research and engaging narrative storytelling, Cope reconstructs the lives and wartime actions of four young women who risked everything to fight fascism and Nazi occupation in Italy. The result is both gripping history and a powerful corrective to a male-dominated war narrative.

The book centers on four resistance fighters: Carla Capponi, Teresa Mattei, Anita Malavasi, and Bianca Guidetti Serra. Each woman operated in a different region of Italy, allowing Cope to illustrate the geographic and political breadth of the resistance movement. Their experiences reveal the variety of roles women undertook—from intelligence gathering and sabotage to courier work and armed operations.

Capponi, operating primarily in Rome, became directly involved in armed resistance, helping to manufacture and transport bombs for partisan attacks against occupying forces. Mattei, active in Florence, used her political and intellectual background to write for underground newspapers and carry intelligence between resistance leaders, all while enduring brutal repression from fascist and Nazi authorities. Malavasi worked with partisan units in the mountainous regions of northern Italy, guiding fighters and coordinating logistics in terrain where guerrilla warfare flourished. Guidetti Serra, meanwhile, acted as a courier in the Alps, transporting messages, supplies, and propaganda materials while evading German patrols.

Cope situates these women within the larger framework of the Italian Resistance between 1943 and 1945, when the fall of Mussolini’s regime was followed by German occupation and the rapid militarization of partisan groups. During this period, thousands of Italian women joined resistance organizations or supported them through clandestine networks, despite the constant threat of arrest, torture, or execution. Their work ranged from distributing underground newspapers and coordinating strikes to transporting weapons and sheltering fighters.

One of the book’s most important contributions is its insistence that the Italian wartime experience deserves greater recognition within broader WWII historiography. Public memory of the war often centers on the Holocaust, the Western Front, or the Eastern Front—catastrophes that undeniably deserve their attention. Yet Italy’s wartime history was also extraordinarily brutal: Nazi reprisals, fascist repression, torture, sexual violence, and the destruction of communities marked the occupation. By highlighting the lived experiences of resistance fighters, Cope reminds readers that the Italian struggle against fascism and Nazism was both violent and transformative, reshaping the nation’s political future.

Equally powerful is the book’s feminist perspective. Cope demonstrates that these women were not merely auxiliary supporters but active agents in the fight against fascism. Many also carried their wartime activism into postwar political life, advocating for democratic reform and women’s rights in the new Italian republic. In doing so, the book challenges a persistent historical pattern: the tendency for wartime narratives to foreground male soldiers while relegating women’s contributions to the background.

Cope closes by reflecting on how women’s stories from World War II have often been lost or overshadowed in traditional histories written by and about men. As a reader—and as a feminist historian—I found that observation both sobering and galvanizing. But I also felt compelled to answer back: not round here, partner. Works like Women of War ensure that these women’s bravery, ingenuity, and political vision remain firmly in the historical record, where they belong.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a feeling this wouldn’t be my type of book but I tried it out because of a Good Reads challenge. Just too much info and details for me. The author did a good job with facts and presentation, just not for me.

[Paige]

No rating cause nonfiction, BUT I thought this was really interesting. You never really hear about Italy during WW2 or the resistance that took place. It was great seeing strong women taking back their country in any way they could.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars – Informative but Emotionally Distant

Women of War by Suzanne Cope offers a fascinating look into the lives of brave women who played critical roles during times of conflict. I found the subject matter genuinely interesting, and I appreciated the research and attention to historical detail. However, the writing style felt more academic than narrative, which made it read more like a textbook. Because of that, I had a hard time staying emotionally connected to the stories. While I learned a lot, I wish the personal elements had been more deeply developed to help bring the women’s experiences to life.

[Jennifer Utech · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical book telling the true story of several Italian women during WWII. I typically love history but this book was tough for me. Hard to follow each woman’s story (jumps around between them) but still courageous true stories that are worthy to be heard.

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Women of War is Suzanne Cope’s () second published book and the 45th title I’ve completed reading in 2025.

I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence and mature situations, I categorize this book as R.

This nonfiction work tells the story of four courageous young Italian women who risked their lives to resist fascism during World War II. Each came from a different region of Italy: Carla Capponi from Rome, Teresa Mattei from Florence, Bianca Guidetti Serra from Turin, and Anita Malavasi from Reggio-Emilia. They were all united in their commitment to the partisan cause - fighting the Italian Fascists and Nazis.

In addition to looking at these girls in depth, the book also provides an overview of the war in Italy from mid-1943 through the end of the war. The actions of Mussolini’s Fascist regime and their impact on the populace are described. After Italy surrendered, Germany occupied Italy, making conditions even worse.

They were all single and in their early twenties. They believed in the social reforms advocated by the communists and socialists. The girls took various parts in the resistance movement. They carried messages, weapons, bombs, and supplies to partisan bands. They wrote and distributed publications informing Italians of the progress of the war and inciting them to resist. They were also involved with protests and strikes held by the Italian workers to contest their working conditions. Sometimes they even took up arms themselves using bombs or guns. Several short stories of their exploits and missions are included.

The Fascists and Nazis did not at first consider the young women much of a threat, so they were able to move about much more freely than men. What they often carried hidden under their dress or in their baskets would have caused them to be thrown into prison, if not executed on the spot, if caught. They were each stopped on several occasions, but often a flirtatious smile or word got them past the young German soldiers. On one occasion, one of the girls was arrested, interrogated, tortured, and repeatedly raped over several days - yet she never betrayed her comrades. The girls undertook audacious missions, often just barely evading death for their cause.

Despite their daring accomplishments and heroism, recognition was slow in coming. After the war, these women were often dismissed, even slandered, for their participation. The women who fought beside the partisans were often thought of as whores because they wore pants instead of dresses and and slept in the field alongside male fighters. Too much of Italian society gave little credit to the abilities of women. All of them fought in their own ways for women to get equal treatment during and after the war.

I enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 479-page WWII-era history. The book is full of historical information, but it is very readable. The cover art fits the period and the women covered in the book. I give this book a rating of 4.2 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

[skketch · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚🔫🍝NOVEL THOUGHTS🍝🔫📚

The women whom the reader will meet in this very well researched book, are heroes of WWII and it's only now that the world gets to know of them. What they did as their country was in flux between the fall of Fascism, when Mussolini was holding hands with Hitler in this puppet government of Italy and the end of WWII, was truly extraordinary. Their sacrifices both physically and emotionally, their courage needed to face extreme moments, their cleverness to get them out of sticky moments and just plain luck, blows the mind. And they did it for country and family.
These women took on the fight as resistance fighters, as reporters to get their fellow Italians enraged and engaged at what was going on and to fight behind the scenes and as spies who, because they were women and thought to be on the sidelines while the men did all the heavy lifting, got messages to and from those in the field who would then be able to sabotage the enemy. And this was an important point: prior to the war, women were homemakers, wore dresses, had babies, were always pretty to look at and considered silly and stupid by the men around them. And this they used to their advantage all the while, trying to break that stereotype once the war was over. Like many women during wartime, they step into the factories to build weapons of war, help put food on the table, and once the men come home, they are expected to return to the demure women they were before the men left. But that is impossible to do if the job held was to make bombs, run messages into hostile territory, build airplanes or tanks or guns and bullets. This feeling of power through the respect they earned with their war jobs, changed them profoundly and they were not going to give that up when the men came home. In the field, these "staffetti", or couriers, had some of the most dangerous jobs as they had to run between friend and enemy lines to get messages through putting their lives at risk all the time, so why would they want to go backwards?? This theme is a strong one that plays all the way through the book.
The women who are featured in the book are only 4 who performed valiantly during the war, often without their families knowing what they are up to and sometimes not seeing their families for many months at at time but there were so many through out Italy.
Suzanne Cope does such an amazing job building the relationships and backgrounds for these women and others as she takes the reader through the time of Mussolini's 20 year Fascist reign and the climate of the time and then as WWII makes it's way to Italy. It is a powerfully written book, full of first hand accounts as written or spoken by the women she features. There are some downright shocking moments and a few special moments as well. These are some of the strongest, most admirable women from history that will be sure to make the reader want to applaud after closing the last page!

[Stanley McShane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my full review on Rosepoint Publishing.

It’s obvious a ton of research went into this book, which features four women of the Italian resistance, Carla, Bianca, Teresa, and Anita.

It helps that the chapters were kept fairly short, but also created confusion as they alternated between the main characters. While each woman was amazing in their own right, it read much like a history book, not a novel, and became too easy for me to tune out.

I’ve read a number of books regarding the heroics of women during WWII. Those were encapsulated in thrilling fiction storylines. This is the first I’ve read regarding their Italian counterparts, and I must say was quite eye-opening.

This book was narrated by one of my favorite narrators, Ms. Maarleveld. She is always a pleasure to listen to, but couldn’t quite make the text-type book into a suspenseful novel.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

[Dominique Zawisza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into Women of War expecting gripping, untold stories of badass women… and to be fair, the women are incredible. Truly. We’re talking spies, saboteurs, resistance fighters risking everything during WWII - objectively, insanely badass.

But the storytelling? A little less edge-of-your-seat and more gently-nudging-you-towards-a-nap. It sometimes reads like a very thorough (very admirable!) history lesson that forgot to bring the drama. I wanted more emotion, more tension, more “just one more chapter” energy.

Also, I read this while in Dubai during the current Iran - US war situation (not comparable, I know… at all), but I will say the real-life background sound effects did add a certain ✨immersive quality✨. Not exactly the vibe the author intended, but here we are.

That said, I’m genuinely glad these stories are being told. These women didn’t just break rules, they blew them up (sometimes literally), and that deserves all the respect.

[Matt Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

In WWII, Italy surrenders to the Allies in 1943, which enables Nazi Germany to invade and occupy it. This is the story of the Italian Resistance through the lens of 4 women who took an active, often dangerous role in fighting the Nazis. Since the men were off fighting, the women of Italy were galvanized into action. They took advantage of the sanctioned sexism of the times in order to deliver information, supplies, and weapons to those same men. At one point, a woman is riding her bicycle carrying bombs hidden under laundry. She is stopped at a Nazi checkpoint, where the guard asks her "what's in the bag?" To which she replied, "bombs". They laughed and sent her on her way. This book is a tribute to the courage and resilience of those women, and all the women who took on the Nazi plague during WWII. Well worth reading.

[Nešo Shonery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knjiga o ženama koje su bile deo pokreta otpora u Italiji. Da, znam, sad će mnogi od vas reći "Znamo kako su se borili Italijani, svi dobro znamo kapetana Bartorelija" 😃
Jeste, radnja je bazirana najvećim delom na period od 1943 pa do kraja.
Zanimljiva knjiga i stanju u Italiji u tom periodu, o načinu na koji su sve te, i mnoge druge žene doprinele borbi protiv nacista.
A takođe, važno je što je njih borba protiv fašizma oslobodila od mnogih drugih okova
"Pitala sam se kako da se vratim starom životu, kad se završi rat, da mi brat i otac komanduju šta da radim?", reče jedna od učesnica

[Devin Trueman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating read! This book has 4 amazing accounts of often neglected perspectives of brave women fighting for their freedom. The beginning of the book detailed the rise of fascism in early 20th century Italy and I couldn’t but help notice some parallels to a certain country today. Reading about the eventual fall of fascism did instil some hope in me though.

Another striking part of the book was when they liberated Italy, a lot of the men looked down on the women that they fought with. A very bitter note to end an amazing book.

[BookBrowse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The shortness of the chapters that bounce between the women's stories can be jarring at times, and it's occasionally confusing to recall each location and guerilla band the women were working with. But the book's pace mirrors the high stakes they faced, making Women of War a surprisingly quick read despite its density.
-Rose Rankin

Read the full review at: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/review...

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long overdue

The stories of the heroic women who fought not only the Nazi- fascists but overcame the xenophobic and misogynist treatment of their male compatriots is inspiring. So little information is available about the contributions of women to the war effort that one can hope that this will serve as a starting point for researchers and writers. I am in awe of the women's courage and accomplishments.

[Theresa DePaepe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating account of Italian women of the Resistance during WWII. Well cited and interspersed with the history of Fascism and Mussolini in the 20 years leading up to the war and how the Italian Resistance led to a more unified, democratic, and egalitarian society after the war. Unfortunately, it took many decades for these women’s heroic work to be told.

So much of authoritarianism and how it affects people can be learned from studying history.

[Irene Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Most WWII narratives tend to focus on France or Poland, so it was refreshing to learn more about the resistance efforts in Italy. I came away with so much respect and admiration for the women featured here, and for the countless others who aren’t mentioned but played a vital role in the movement.

It was inspiring to discover that their courage helped spark real progress in women’s rights in Italy.

[Pat Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

although I've read a great deal about World War II I was very focused on other parts of Europe. so I learned a great deal about the war in Italy, but I learned even more about the resistance and the men and women of the resistance. I must admit that I enjoyed the focus she placed on four specific women in different parts of Italy and what their specific experience was throughout the course of the war. it was creative and it kept the pace moving quite well.

[Eliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/5 content, 2/5 writing
An incredibly interesting and well-researched book about the role of women in the Italian Resistance during WWII. I always enjoy reading about my country’s history from a foreign perspective, especially when it highlights the often underestimated role of women. Unfortunately, while the subject matter was excellent, the writing didn’t fully work for me and I found myself struggling through most of it

[Mattison Strom · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️: This was told through 4 separate narratives surrounding 4 separate women. Their chapters would be short and packed with information which made it interesting, but they tended to blend together because their chapters were in seemingly random order.

I think this would have benefited more by splitting itself into 4 sections focusing on each individuals contributions. It certainly made it harder for me to connect with the women. And their stories were amazing and real!

[Jquick99 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a huge WWII (European Theatre) + spy/espionage buff, so I am the target audience for this book. Sadly, I didn’t last long…DNF. I didn’t care for the author’s textbook writing style and kept wondering what Robert Caro/Stephen Ambrose/Ben Macintyre would have done with the source material to make this a real life thriller.

[Susan Kasza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially found this book a little confusing. And then I blasted through the last 350 pages in two days, and it was easier to keep track of everyone. I read quite a few WWII books, but I think this is the first one focused on Italy, and I realized that I didn’t know much about that part of the war.

[Matthew Toigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read, especially learning about the brave women in Italy and the huge role they played alongside the partisans. Their courage and determination were inspiring, and I loved how their stories were brought to life. On top of that, I learned a lot about the Italian campaign, which was an unexpected bonus and added great context to the history. A really engaging read.

[Millie Picker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting, but not as interesting as many other books about women in WW2. I think the writers style of jumping from character to character after a couple pages made it less interesting and harder to follow than if she had devoted large sections to each woman to make a more cohesive narrative.

[Natasha Jakac-Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are so many things about WWII I didn’t realize I didn’t know. This book was enlightening and I needed to pause now and then to really absorb the facts about the war I never knew and the stories of the four women. We always hear about the front line, but these women’s stories showed all the intricacies involved in war.

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how this book showcased the resistance efforts of Italian women during WWII by closing following four of them. Their stories showed how ordinary women were able to step up and accomplish work that was unimaginable before the war.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another topic I knew very little about, but I really enjoyed learning about it! I found these stories immensely fascinating, and the book itself incredibly well researched. I’m also looking forward to going to Italy soon to be able to see some of the places discussed in person!

[Karli Efron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it’s the time we live in, but I really needed to read the stories of women who saw what was wrong, and risked it all to fix it.
Cope did an incredible job weaving historical events we’ve read in our textbooks to the very personal experiences of four brave women.
Recommend to everyone!!