THE ITALIAN ARMY IN THE BATTLE OF THE ALPS 1940

THE ITALIAN ARMY IN THE BATTLE OF THE ALPS 1940
By Massimiliano Afiero 


In the days before the French Armistice in 1940, a short battle between Italian and French forces took place on both country's border. Rarely covered in previous books, the fighting took place in different locations from near the Mediterranean Coast in the South, to the slopes of Mount Blanc.
As readers will learn, despite it  being June the weather was often described as 'atrocious'. The Italian airforce could only offer limited assistance to the attacking ground forces, who not only faced an enemy inside defensive fortifications, but also had to fight the effects of frostbite.

As the book provides a lead-up to the fighting and the battles themselves, it does so mostly from the Italian point of view. Whilst it is described as an Italian victory which lead to a second French Armistice, incredibly the Italian's casualty figures were much higher.

Packed throughout with useful maps, and many fabulous photographs and illustrations, I have found this a most enlightening read on a second world war battle that has been too often ignored.

The hardback book is available now and published by Helion & Company. 
I thank Helion for this review copy. 

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