In this work Richard Lamb tells the full story of the conflict in Italy, from Mussolini"s fall and the Germans" race to occupy the peninsula up until the final surrender. He draws on recently released British, Italian and Vatican archives, the captured Mussolini papers and first-hand sources. In particular he reveals the infamies of German behaviour in occupied Italy: how surrendering Italians from the Aegean garrisons were massacred in cold blood, how Italian soldiers were used in German labour camps, how Jews were deported and civilians slaughtered. Had it not been for Mussolini"s puppet government, Italy would have suffered the same fate as Poland. Evidence at post-war trials made nonsense of Alexander"s claim that Kesselring was an "honourable opponent". Richard Lamb also explores the controversies of the war in Italy. Why did the Allies not land unopposed in Italy before German divisions poured over the Brenner Pass? Would an immediate airborne landing around Rome have been a success?