Monte Cassino: A German View

by Rudolf Bohmler

As a German battalion commander Rudolf Bohmler fought in the front line during the fierce battles fought at Monte Cassino. After the war he wrote this remarkable history, one of the first full-length accounts of this famous and controversial episode in the struggle for Italy. His pioneering work, which has long been out of print, gives a fascinating insight into the battle as it was perceived at the time and as it was portrayed immediately after the war. While his fluent narrative offers a strong German view of the fighting, it also covers the Allied side of the story, at every level, in graphic detail. The climax of his account, his description of the tenacious defence of the town of Cassino and the Monte Cassino abbey by exhausted, outnumbered German troops, has rarely been equalled His book presents a soldier's view of the fighting but it also examines the tactics and planning on both sides. It is essential reading for everyone who is interested in the Cassino battles and the Italian campaign.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Military Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

Reviews

[Deckmaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really nice account on a lesser known battle (nowadays it's just Moscow, Kursk and Stalingrad or Normandy and the Bulge), but still quite important one. The author, who was a battalion commander at Cassino, describes the various allied blunders, of which the most glaring was the destruction of the monastery. But also he mentions why the Germans couldn't capitalize on them. The most interesting chapter was about the defenders of the abbey and town of Cassino. The men of the German 1st Paratrooper division went above and beyond the call of duty. They were truly the best of the best.

All in all I highly recommend the book.

[Andrew Parnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too properganderist for my taste. Although I had high hopes for this book it seemed that the author was excusing the German side and casting the allies as blundering fools, which may have some truth to it, but not to the extent that is suggested.