The code name for the massive Anglo-American invasion of Italy was Operation Avalanche. Its first target was the capture of Naples. With the greatest concentration of men and ships yet mobilized in the war, it was hoped that this Allied effort would indeed sweep like an avalanche over a demoralized country, drive the Germans from Italy, and win a hold on the Continent. But the allied planners had made one grave error. They had overlooked the tenacious and skilled resistance of the Nazis and the rugged mountain terrain of Southern Italy. The Salerno landings on September 8, 1943, marked the first stage in a twenty-month battle that was to rage up the Italian boot on V-E Day. Here is a lively picture of British and Americans in action against the Germans, which describes the heartbreak of mountain warfare. -- From the book jacket.

The background : Italy, 1922-1943 -- Operation Avalanche : the preliminaries, July-September, 1943 -- Code word : Orkan : Paestum, Italy, Wednesday, September 8, 1943-Thursday, September 9, 1943 -- Operation Avalanche : Assault, Thursday, September 9, 1943- Saturday, September 11, 1943 -- Operation Avalanche : Ebb and flow, Sunday, September 12, 1943-Monday, September 20, 1943.