Book
Swordpoint
First published 1980
The ruined monastery and mountain of Monte Cassino continue to block the Allied advance towards Rome in 1944. After repeated frontal attacks fail, Brigadier Heathfield proposes an ambitious outflanking operation intended to break the German position. The plan places soldiers in terrain where a single error could turn an already costly campaign into disaster.
The story is set during the Italian campaign’s prolonged battle for Monte Cassino, where mountain terrain and fortified German positions repeatedly stopped the Allied advance. Its outflanking plan reflects the tactical pressure created by costly frontal assaults and the need to open the road to Rome.
Monte Cassino’s geography makes manoeuvre exceptionally difficult. Steep ridges, narrow roads and prepared German positions channel attackers into exposed routes, while the destruction of the abbey does not remove the defensive problem. The novel’s proposed flanking movement reflects the continuing search for a way to break the Gustav Line without repeating the losses of earlier assaults.
Historical Periods
Genres
More from this period
5 more top-rated novels about Italian Campaign of World War II
Ranked by rating and voting volume; books already shown on this page are omitted.
More by the author
Other books by Max Hennessy
Discover more
Authors similar to Max Hennessy
Recommended from shared genres and periods.
Christopher Nicole
49 books
Malcolm Archibald
54 books
James R. Benn
26 books
Hilary Green
19 books
Colin Falconer
22 books