Cassino ’44

Join James Holland as he revisits the Second World War battles at Monte Cassino, bringing their dramatic scenes to life through the words of those who were there.

By the start of 1944, the Allies found themselves coming up against the Gustav Line: a formidable barrier of wire, minefields, bunkers and booby traps, woven into a giant chain of mountains and river valleys that stretched the width of Italy. At its strongest point perched the Abbey of Monte Cassino.

James Holland has drawn widely on diaries, letters and contemporary sources to write the definitive account of this brutal battle. The result is a compelling and often heart-breaking narrative, told in the moment, as the events played out, and from the perspective of those who lived, fought and died there.

About the speaker

James Holland

James Holland is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning historian, writer and broadcaster. He has a weekly Second World War podcast, ‘We Have Ways of Making You Talk’, with Al Murray, and is Chair of the Chalke Valley History Festival. He is a research fellow at St Andrew’s University.