Fighting with the Enemy: New Zealand POWs and the Italian Resistance

by Susan Jacobs

When Italy capitulated during the Second World War, the Germans retaliated against their former ally with brutal force; almost overnight the Italian Resistance was born. Over 450 Kiwi prisoners-of-war saw escape as their only hope. A pathway to precarious safety was provided by the partisans, who were still fighting German and Italian Fascists, and by ordinary Italian families. Many were captured again, and some were tortured and killed. The relationships forged between these New Zealanders and their Italian helpers are keenly remembered and honoured by both sides today. Their stories provide an insight into the Italian Resistance itself, its heroism, sacrifice and impact. Moving and exhilarating, Fighting with the Enemy shows the human side of war.

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Susan Jacobs grew up in Auckland, New Zealand and received a BA in Italian from the University of Auckland. She worked for a year in London before heading to Italy and studying at the University for Foreigners in Perugia. She remained in Italy for several years, teaching English and living in rustic cottages in the Umbrian and Tuscan countryside. She returned to New Zealand with her Italian husband and daughter in the early '80s. The next decade she spent immersed in academic studies and motherhood, emerging with an MA and a PhD in Italian literature, and a high school teaching diploma. Change occurred on the domestic front during these years and her family increased to four beautiful daughters, the last two with her Kiwi partner.
She has tutored at the University of Auckland, lectured at a private tertiary institute and taught English in schools. She continues to teach, writes the occasional book review and article and is interested in oral history. Her books reflect her passion for Italy and World War Two, particularly in exploring connections between New Zealand soldiers and the Italian people they encountered during the Italian Campaign.