- Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Picador; New edition edition (10 May 1996)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0330280244
- ISBN-13: 978-0330280242
- Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 13 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 62,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'His masterpiece' Spectator
'Superbly funny … as civilizing, generous and affecting as “Vivere in Pace”, and the men, women and children, weather and woodsmoke are as fresh as yesterday' Observer
'A vivid description of Italian village life, full of notable characters … and the reactions of one sensitive man to being out of the war in the middle of one' Daily Telegraph
'It is necessary to state with emphasis that this is a very good book indeed' Times Literary Supplement
'An exciting story, superbly told. And wisdom, courage and generosity illuminate it' Punch
--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.Product Description
Eric Newby tells of his time spent in Italy after the 1943 armistice. He describes the kindness of the peasants and the beauty of the landscape. It is here that he also met the girl who was to become his wife.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful evocation of love, freedom and Italy,
By
This review is from: Love and War in the Apennines (Picador Books) (Paperback)
A tender and enormously inspiring little book about his experiences in Italy during World War 2, this is Eric Newby reflecting on his loss of innocence, twenty-eight years after the event. Newby would leave soldiering behind and go on to become a first-rate travel writer, a man capable of portraying passion, excitement and mystery in a calmly sophisticated prose style. In "Love and War in the Apennines" we get a mature account of his Italian exploits rather than a contemporary journal or diary.Newby makes no apologies for transforming his memories into a seemingly seamless narrative. He delivers an enriching and thrilling account of his experiences: life is experienced as a continuum, not as edited highlights, and life in the face of danger, in prison, or on the run from recapture is one long stream of conscious awareness of what might happen next day or next moment. Newby was captured after an abortive attempt to play a rather amateurish 'special forces' role and blow up German bombers on a coastal airfield in Italy. He describes himself as a failed soldier, and the lack of planning, blundering ineptitude of the exercise, and the humiliation of capture still, evidently rankled twenty years later. His captivity by the Italians would not last - Mussolini was deposed shortly after his incarceration and he was liberated before the Germans could take over his prison. There then followed a period of evading recapture, dependent on the good will and courage of the locals. The war is the backcloth against which this tale is told, but its subject is liberty, the freedom of people to maintain their humanity and their cultural integrity, and ... of course ... love. Newby fell in love with the Italian girl with whom he shared an exchange of language - she taught him Italian, he taught her English. It's a sweet, almost coy observation of the emergence of a burning love. It's also an evocation of the way of life of the people who sheltered him and the emergence of his love for the simple honesty of their peasant economy and lifestyle. This, you imagine, is where Newby learned his compassion and his willingness to understand other people. This is a delightful commentary on war from the perspective of a man who sees nothing he does as heroic, but who sees heroism in everyone around him. It's also a useful corrective to fictional accounts of what it's like to be a prisoner of war - . A very human, humble, yet passionate work which will thoroughly entertain.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating wartime account of escaped POW in Italy,
By A Customer
This review is from: Love and War in the Apennines (Picador Books) (Paperback)
My initial fears that this was going to be a "Boy's Own" story of military escapades proved unfounded. In fact this book is a marvellous blend of escape story, adventure, travelogue, autobiography and love story. More than anything it describes the timelessness of rural life in the Italian mountains and the self-sufficiency of such communities. It is as entertaining as it is thrilling, and the author's admiration and affection for those who assisted him is very evident. One criticism, it could have done with a more maps, and a glossary.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enthralling Tale,
By Pat Cat "pathuba" (Albany, NY United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Love and War in the Apennines (Audio Cassette)
This audio version of Eric Newby's tale of his experiences during WW II after the invasion of Italy is enthralling. Richard E. Grant is the perfect choice to read Newby's story. He reads the book with great passion and a fondness of a wonderful tale of survival and love. The vividness of his voice, the loving descriptions of the countryside and the people Newby came to know, the voices used for the people and the tale itself had me listening to the whole three hour book in one sitting. Well worth a evening curled up in a comfortable chair relaxing. Will undoubtling listen to again and again.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
