NAPLES 1944 EB
About this book
An Aspects of History Best Book of the Year; An Engelsberg Ideas Best Book of the Year
'A rigorous, myth-busting look at the city's chaotic recovery in the wake of war and fascism' Financial Times
This is the first major history of wartime Naples to appear in the English language. It fills a glaring gap in the British and American historiography of the war and shares a hoard of new stories – some of them truly shocking – that have never yet been published in any language.
When the Allies arrived in late 1943, Naples had already suffered a brutal German occupation and suffered reprisals from the city's heroic resistance and uprisings. This did not save it from the merciless Allied bombing. The city was on its knees with widespread suffering and squalor. Criminal gangs prospered, as did typhus, starvation and soaring prices on the black market. Much of the female population was forced into part-time prostitution simply to obtain food. Then Vesuvius erupted.
Lowe's gripping and powerful book places Naples right at the heart of Italian history. What happened in this city was not a mere sideshow to bigger events taking place further north, it was central to the story of the country as a whole. Neapolitans resisted Fascism just as the Florentines, the Bolognese, and the Milanese did. They suffered just as northerners did, and they longed as much for constitutional rebirth. The heroism and sacrifice that took place in Naples were harbingers of what would later happen throughout Italy – as were the compromise and corruption of ideals that came after the Allies took control.
Naples 1944 is original and humane history at its very best, and a book which shows that Neapolitan story is the Italian story.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Note to Readers
- Dedication
- Contents
- Maps
- Introduction
- PART I – Beautiful Monsters
- 1 Dreams of Naples
- 2 Salerno
- 3 Liberation
- 4 The Destruction
- 5 Underground
- 6 Allied Military Government
- 7 City of Pleasure
- 8 Epidemic
- 9 Hunger
- 10 Prostitution
- 11 Africans
- 12 A Brief History of Resentment
- PART II – Uprising
- 13 Dreams of Revolution
- 14 Queen of the Mediterranean
- 15 Descent to War
- 16 The Forty-Five Days
- 17 The Germans Seize Control
- 18 The Terror Begins
- 19 Countdown to Revolution
- 20 The Four Days of Naples
- 21 Parting Shots
- 22 The Price of Myth
- PART III – Compromises and Betrayals
- 23 Vesuvius
- 24 The Epurazione
- 25 A New National Politics
- 26 Political Corruption
- 27 Organized Crime
- 28 The Last Crisis of the War
- Conclusion: Legacy
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
- Index
- Picture Section
- Also by Keith Lowe
- About the Author
- About the Publisher