Very interesting to do a deep dive in to one city’s experience during and after WW II. Well researched and detailed, but perhaps too much so for me as I found my mind wandering at times.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the author for the ARC

This book offers a vivid and unflinching portrayal of a city teetering on the edge of chaos after World War II. As someone who appreciates historical narratives, I found the descriptions of Naples' contrasts—opulent palaces amidst dire poverty, and beloved cuisine against widespread hunger—particularly compelling. Lowe’s detailed recounting of the Allied soldiers' impact on the city, from their relative wealth to their role in fueling the black market, paints a stark picture of post-war realities.

However, while the book is undeniably informative and the historical context is rich, I felt that the narrative occasionally dragged, making it a bit challenging to stay fully engaged throughout. The chaotic and corrupt atmosphere of Naples is well-documented, but the repetitive emphasis on violence and disorder sometimes overshadowed the human stories at the heart of the city’s transformation.

“ I said, war, huh, good God, y'all, What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, just say it again " The Temptations (written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong)

I wanted to read this book, Naples 1944: The Devil's Paradise at War, because I found the concept of concentrating on the toll WWII took on one specific city intriguing, and even more so because that city is in Italy. Of the participants in WWII, Italy is the one I know the least about beyond just knowing that Benito Mussolini was greedy, incompetent, and murderous.

Mussolini was Prime Minister during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in the late 1930s, where they unleashed fire and brimstone (and mustard gas) upon the Ethiopian people for the audacity of not wanting to be colonized by Italy. This campaign ate through a huge investment of Italian resources that left the country in a precarious economic position as Hitler was saber-rattling in Germany.

Initially declaring that Italy would not participate in the war, Mussolini later threw his lot in with Hitler when it appeared that Germany was headed for a decisive victory. Mussolini could not resist the riches he thought he would gain by joining the winning team. As the father of fascism in Italy, he didn’t bother to ask the Italian people what they thought about that.

Mussolini made one bad decision after another in rapid succession. One of those was the attack upon Greece through Albania. The Italian troops were defeated, and Germany was left to save their Axis mate from total disaster. Hitler knew that Italy was financially and domestically on the edge of collapse, and sure enough, Mussolini was ousted. Germany was already prepared to occupy Italy as they had foreseen this probability.

So, now Italy is persona non grata with Hitler, and the German troops go completely scorched earth in southern Italy as they retreated north. At the same time, the Allies were chasing them and pounding away. Things got so dire for Naples, Italy, during WWII that even Vesuvius erupted in 1944 and rained down on them.

This book does focus on Naples, but also includes just enough of the broader history and timeline of the war itself to flesh out those pages. That is not to say the pages needed much fleshing (?) because what the people of Naples went through really is a book on its own, I promise. Nazi occupation, the Neapolitan uprising against said Nazis, Nazi scorched earth, no food, no water, no electricity, Allied occupation, volcanic eruption.

This is my first book by Keith Lowe, but it won’t be the last. I say that because sometimes books tend to stick too closely to the facts without giving me enough of the human element. I am the type of person who can’t stay focused if someone is just regurgitating facts at me. My mind will wander to whether or not I started the dryer or if it’s too late for a glass of wine.

This book had just the right balance of facts and human elements, and I am a sucker for a lot of citations. I got a little lost a couple of times as to where we were on the timeline of events in the broader scope of WWII, but that is a small gripe.

My many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for allowing me to read this early copy. This book will be released in March of 2025.

Side Note: I was today years old when I found out that Neapolitan ice cream originated in Naples. I had never put any thought into it before. lol