Synopses & Reviews
At its peak the Italian Army contributed 2.5 million troops to the Axis war effort of World War II (1939-1945). English-speaking readers tend to think of this army in terms of the North African campaign; but far more Italian troops served in other theatres. They invaded, and later bore the major burden of occupying, the Balkan countries; and Italy sent 250,000 troops to fight on the Russian Front. In this, the first of a three-part study, Philip Jowett covers the European theatre - including Russia - from 1940 to Italy's armistice with the Allies in 1943. Many interesting uniforms, a number of them new to most readers, are meticulously illustrated by Stephen Andrew.
Synopsis
The Italian Army fought on every major front of the European and North African theatres. From the 1939 invasion of Albania, through France, Greece, Yugoslavia, Libya and the Russian Front, Italian units were almost constantly engaged. They fielded a stunning variety of colorfully uniformed units, particularly in the war against the partisans in the Balkans -- in Russia they even raised their own Cossack units! This is the first of three volumes on the Italian Army, one of the major combatant forces of WWII.
About the Author
Philip Jowett is a ‘small wars enthusiast who has developed a reputation for primary source research and previously unseen material. His first book for Osprey MAA 306 Chinese Civil War Armies 1911-49 received excellent reviews for precisely these qualities. Having moved on to cover ‘bigger conflicts, Philip has maintained the quality of his research and information.