Naples 44: a World War Ii Diary of Occupied Italy Pdf, Epub, Ebook

NAPLES 44: A WORLD WAR II DIARY OF OCCUPIED ITALY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

I am not surprised to learn that he was a contemporary of Graham Greene having read and listened to his voice through the words recorded here. Berendt throws out all the not very interesting events of his time there and concentrates all his pages on a few select characters and events, and uses the murder trial of Jim Williams as the book's arch Lewis could've done the same thing with the bandits marauding all over Naples or his friend's relation with the Italian woman. The days of Benito Mussolini must seem like a lost paradise compared with this. What makes this book special is the style of writing: laconic, subdued, detached. This is an excellent account of post-war Naples though at times it can be heartbreaking to read. It is just the treatment of the Italians by the Allies, but how one British man viewed everything. More information about this seller Contact this seller. But the real reason to read this diary is to see how the Allies interacted with the Italians, once German allies but who are liberated by the Americans, British and Canadians. Captain Cartwright, the Field Security Officer, badly smashed up in a car crash the day before we embarked, was presumably still in hospital in Oran. Time to find more Norman Lewis. As the sun began to sink splendidly into the sea at our back we wandered at random through this wood full of chirping birds and suddenly found ourselves at the wood's edge. The problem is the format of a diary, which isn't up to the conveying all the incredible experiences Lewis has in his year in Naples. Review : "One goes on reading page after page like eating cherries. Almost seventy years later, my personal perceptions and observations of Naples are strikingly similar - like looking in a mirror across time. Condition: Brand New. I thanked him profusely, and we shook hands and parted. After a near-disastrous Allied landing at Salerno, Italy, Lewis was stationed in the newly liberated city of Naples. This, somewhat damaged, is under repair by a team of British engineers, and it is assumed that sooner or later we shall cross it to advance. I spoke to one of these and gave him a few pieces of cheese salvaged from K ration packs jettisoned by the thousand after the candies they contain had been removed. One comes away from his work with knowledge, sadness, and hope. A warm, calm, morning. Lewis takes a different point of view. Lewis, Norman. Most of the wealthy inhabitants, with the exception of a few eccentrically attached aristocrats beautifully described by Malaparte, had fled, leaving the poor behind. Both of them describe terrible things. We crouched in our slit trench under the pink, fluttering leaves of the olives, and watched the fires come closer, and the night slowly passed. It is necessary but it is evil nevertheless. Published by Da Capo Pr Williams called its own Transparent Liar, a man who reigned in pubs and farmhouse kitchens, the fun being derived from the fact that his audience knew, and he knew they knew, that he was lying. Collins, Hardcover. This happy situation did not apply in the case of some of the American HQ troops we encountered, who were utterly raw and had been shipped out here straight from the eternal peace of places like Kansas and Wisconsin. This is a very interesting read that certainly shows a reality from certain mainstream works. It is still a dangerous place, bombs have been left as booby traps, and in the chaos that happens as one authority changes to another, there is space for the rise of the organised crime to fill the gaps once again. The account takes place after the invasion of Sicily and before the liberation of Rome. As stated some of the realities and lack of justice appalled me. People were starving and would do anything in their power to get food and protect their families. Confusion is still intense. We had been given no briefing or orders of any kind, and so far as the Americans were concerned we might as well not have existed. Imagining that they were calling the shots, these soldiers were in fact regarded as a valuable commodity, providing access to the black market army stores essential for survival. But the issues that concerns this officer the most and the issue that is most disquieting to readers several years removed is the obsession women. Armed hillbillies were constantly jumping out from behind a hedge to point their rifles at us and scream a demand for an answer to a password that nobody had bothered to give us. The persons reporting to German security, snitching on their neighbors, were the same ones who reported to Norman Lewis. View all 3 comments. He died in Saffron Walden, Essex, survived by his third wife, Lesley, and their son, Gawaine, and two daughters, Kiki and Samara, and by a son, Gareth, and daughter, Karen, from his second marriage with Hester, and by a son, Ito, from his first marriage. When the Allied troops arrived in Naples the population was starving, and a large proportion of the female population was forced into at least part time prostitution, simply to obtain food. Lists with This Book. The narrative then moves on to the Allied occupation of Naples. This was a good read but I'm not sure I would recommend it if you are not traveling to Naples. Almost matter-of-fact descriptions of truly terrifying scenes make them stand out even more, creating a cinematic effect. So, an unpleasant and somewhat dishonest book by a nasty man. Naples 44: A World War II Diary of Occupied Italy Writer

His most descriptive work in the diary is there. In this capacity he sees little combat, but witnesses firsthand the detritus of war and the effect it has on the city of Naples and environs. We started up our motor bikes, kept as close as we could to the armoured car that had brought the news, and by God's mercy avoiding the panic-stricken fire directed from cover at anything that moved, reached this field with its rabble of shocked and demoralised soldiery — officers separated from their men, and men from their officers. The most popular of Lewis's twenty-seven books, Naples '44 is a landmark poetic study of the agony of wartime occupation and its ability to bring out the worst, and often the best, in human nature. This was the greatest invasion in this war so far — probably the greatest in human history — and the sea was crowded to the horizon with uncountable ships, but we were as lost and ineffective as babes in the wood. Book Description Da Capo Press. Armed hillbillies were constantly jumping out from behind a hedge to point their rifles at us and scream a demand for an answer to a password that nobody had bothered to give us. He faithfully documents the hopelessly Byzantine maze of vendettas, grievances, machinations, and even the ubiquitous tentacles of organized crime. Why would one want to read it? He wrote books on the Sicilian mafia totally separate Neapolitan organized crime, the Camorra and about his travels throughout Southeast Asia. Other Editions In view of the general confusion, and the absence of precise information of any kind, Sergeant-Major Dashwood decided to send four members of the Section on their motor cycles to Salerno tomorrow, using a narrow track running along the shore. The story was that there had been a breakthrough by the 16th Panzer Grenadier Division, which struck suddenly in our direction down the Battipaglia road, with the clear intention of reaching the sea at Paestum, wiping out the Fifth Army HQ, and cutting the beachhead in half. Or when a woman is raped because there are army blankets in her apartment. The corpses of those killed earlier in the day had been laid out in a row, side by side, shoulder to shoulder, with extreme precision as if about to present arms at an inspection by death. Here are two examples: "A number of buildings including a bank had been pulverized by a terrific explosion that had clearly just taken place. At the same time, he manages to develop a genuine affection and respect for the venal, superstitious, and devious Neapolitans. Synopsis About this title From the author Graham Greene called "one of our best writers, not of any particular decade but of our century," comes a masterpiece about a war-ravaged city under occupation As a young intelligence officer stationed in Naples following its liberation from Nazi forces, Norman Lewis recorded the lives of a proud and vibrant people forced to survive on prostitution, thievery, and a desperate belief in miracles and cures. Not what I expected at all. At some time during the night I awoke in absolute darkness to the sound of movements through the bushes, then a mutter of voices in which I distinguished German words. To ask other readers questions about Naples '44 , please sign up. Most entries are dry, slow-moving accounts of the author's work. As the sun began to sink splendidly into the sea at our back we wandered at random through this wood full of chirping birds and suddenly found ourselves at the wood's edge. A passage through time and space; like any great travel book, journal or documentary - without leaving your own chair. His second son Gareth has recently had a novel published called 'Deceit Almost seventy years later, my personal perceptions and observations of Naples are strikingly similar - like looking in a mirror across time. A scratch and sniff book that arouses all your senses. I am quite sure that I will be reading it again. Just before he disembarked from the Duchess of Bedford they were given a lecture by the intelligence corps who could have saved everyone a lot of time by just saying that they knew nothing about what was happening… Passing the corpses of those that had died earlier that were laid out neatly was an eyeopener for him. I must share one more quote that does come towards the end of the book. Italian soldiers who had walked away from the war were plodding along the railway line in their hundreds on their way to their homes in the south. Naples 44: A World War II Diary of Occupied Italy Reviews

Norman Lewis — was one of the greatest English-language travel writers. So, an unpleasant and somewhat dishonest book by a nasty man. He had a sharp eye for hypocrisy and called out injustice when he encountered it, but he never failed to see the decency in people. Published by Da Capo Press. His job was aimed at providing security for British troops. At this point his emotional defences break down and distress overwhelms him. Lewis is an intelligent and tender-hearted citizen of the world thrust reluctantly into a wartime situation where he sees little actual warfare. Condition: New. Boatloads had been going ashore all day after a dawn shelling from the ships and a short battle for the beachhead. Unhappy animals mooch about looking for water. He writes of the chaos of wartime occupation and the sufferings of the Neapolitan people. Norman Lewis died in at age ninety-three. Every entry offers a bracing corrective to dimwitted American notions of "the good war," yet each is suffused as well with a respect for Naples and the Neapolitans, all the more genuine for how its thoroughly informed. Switch to the audiobook. Much of the populace was far from grateful, stealing anything they could, not only from each other but also from those sent to help them. Have you ever read the transcripts from the Titanic inquiry? From the author Graham Greene called "one of our best writers, not of any particular decade but of our century," comes a masterpiece about a war-ravaged city under occupation As a young intelligence officer stationed in Naples following its liberation from Nazi forces, Norman Lewis recorded the lives of a proud and vibrant people forced to survive on prostitution, thievery, and a desperate belief in miracles and cures. Almost seventy years later, my personal perceptions and observations of Naples are strikingly similar - like looking in a mirror across time. More than that, the book illuminates by demonstrating a light that failed: it presents an early test case for how the dewey-eyed belief in Anglo-American rightness leads to such murderous and pointless horror as Vietnam and Iraq. These men I have known little more than one week have been through the North Africa campaign together, and whatever their original incompatibilities, they have long since shaken down to form their own little closed society. In return he presented me with a tiny scrap of tinselly material torn from a strip he pulled from his pocket. The persons reporting to German security, snitching on their neighbors, were the same ones who reported to Norman Lewis. Frankly, this book is a classic. Published January 3rd by Da Capo Press first published Every entry offers a bracing corrective to dimwitted American notions of "the good Harrowing, unsparing, penetrating -- yet throughout profoundly humane -- this reminiscence restores the good name of memoir. At meal times, when the Sergeant-Major tries to talk to any of the HQ staff, he is waved away, so we are free to come and go exactly as we please, and occupy ourselves as we think fit. In this capacity he sees little combat, but witnesses firsthand the detritus of war and the effect it has on the city of Naples and environs. Malaparte was an Italian liaison officer, hanging out with American forces, an independently wealthy, highly cultured ex-fascist supporter of Mussolini who after the war joined the communist party with a cynical and somewhat deranged, fantastical view of life, fuelled perhaps by his traumatic experiences as a news reporter with German forces in Russia in the period preceding his switch of sides to the Allies. A very informative account with lots of astonishing anecdotes. We had been given no briefing or orders of any kind, and so far as the Americans were concerned we might as well not have existed. We had been issued with a Webley pistol and five rounds of ammunition apiece. The information that they did gather sent them on various wild goose chases and they came to realise that a lot of the information being provided was personal vendettas and grudges being played out on an official level. Lewis, too, documents the operations of the black market in Naples, which assumed gargantuan proportions, presided over by Vito Genovese, a Mafia boss who the Americans, madly, had appointed to a key position of responsibility within their regime, with an estimated one-third of all military supplies finding their way into the hands of the civilian population, including, it was rumoured, a tank stripped overnight for its parts and a ship disappeared one night from the harbour.

Naples 44: A World War II Diary of Occupied Italy Read Online

He had frequent dealings with deserters and bandits often one and the same , prostitutes, gangsters, and black market smugglers. He captures the proud Neapolitans at their very worst, when starvation, prostitution, and chicanery are at their apex. But he also, in many ways, is disquieted by the women. Books by Norman Lewis. It came as an illumination, one of the great experiences of life. Armed hillbillies were constantly jumping out from behind a hedge to point their rifles at us and scream a demand for an answer to a password that nobody had bothered to give us. We appreciated the contrasts involved and no one experienced alarm. Seller Inventory S Jul 16, Nicholas Grace rated it it was amazing. Thanks for telling us about the problem. The problem is the format of a diary, which isn't up to the conveying all the incredible experiences Lewis has in his year in Naples. Reviews Review Policy. I am quite sure that I will be reading it again. People were starving and would do anything in their power to get food and protect their families. New arrivals. The experience was on the whole an exhilarating one. We saw the twinkle of white houses in orchards and groves, and distant villages clustered tightly on hilltops. Or when a woman is raped because there are army blankets in her apartment. Seller Inventory M The cannonading has been going on all day but the din is lessening. We were lectured by an Intelligence officer who told us, surprisingly, that despite all the agents we had assumed to be working for us in Italy absolutely no information had come out regarding the situation. I am not surprised to learn that he was a contemporary of Graham Greene having read and listened to his voice through the words recorded here. The actual war events take second stage, are mentioned in passing if mentioned at all; the focus is on people, on individual and collective tragedies, on hunger, on humiliation, on senseless loss of lives. Unfortunately Montgomery is still a hundred miles away. Norman Lewis. It is just a faithful record of an eye witness that is so powerful it evokes such passion in his readers. Born in England, he traveled extensively, living in places including London, Wales, Nicaragua, a Spanish fishing village, and the countryside near Rome. Published by Da Capo Pr It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are. A very informative account with lots of astonishing anecdotes. Fifteen miles or so away to the north a greyish bruise on the otherwise faultless sky indicates a conflict of which we see or hear nothing, and which in our perfumed Arcadia seems remote and unreal. This essential World War II book is as timely a read as ever. https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/b84a9892-4973-4b4f-a0a1-1abf8a1e0f56/that-man-5-the-wedding-story-part-2-822.pdf https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/2c3855a8-05ea-4108-bb4e-3dd8b6fc0c7f/world-war-3-illustrated-1979-2014-630.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9584697/UploadedFiles/FB61B59F-EB07-D483-9BDA-D3A065DBB664.pdf https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/65aabbc5-8d98-475a-a457-a308d55e8144/the-rise-of-carry-the-dangerous-consequences-o.pdf https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/601ad7d5-10f1-40c8-ac6c-616fd06c55e3/business-essentials-10th-edition-775.pdf https://cdn.starwebserver.se/shops/carolindahleh/files/covert-wars-and-breakaway-civilizations-the-secret-space-program-celestial-psyops-and- h.pdf https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/119e527b-8696-4140-8f08-db0add7fb8be/grimsdon-466.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9585094/UploadedFiles/9D0D4A14-992F-851C-07E8-3F1D47799523.pdf