Another amazing book on another little publicised battle area of WWII. The detail of the air operations in the central Mediterranean 1943 to 45 was intense and costly on all fronts, on the ground and in the air. The crass decision by Gen Mark Clarks to override his directed orders to crush the German Gothic line and instead to have a ceremonial parade in Rome, ultimately cost the allies many aircraft, crews and troops on the ground.
Despite this disaster and the high risk to the bomber, ground attack and fighter aircraft, the bravery of the aircrew and fortitude of the groundcrew, contributed immeasurably to the final successful outcome. The individual accounts of missions and sorties range from beating the odds to scary sad stories of the loss of fellow aircrew, provide sobering reading as to the bravery of these young men.
This book is another that provides another piece of the WWII jigsaw puzzle of the many theatres of war that hitherto have lacked this kind of detail.

Having read many books about the bloody Italian land battles in WW2, it was refreshing and fascinating to fully understand how the air campaign was a significant factor in ensuring the Allies' success.
The book delves into the day to day movements of the USAAF squadrons, both from a operational perspective, as well as the inclusion of many personal accounts. I always find the numbers of aircraft destroyed to be quite unbelievable and the seemingly endless resupply of aircraft from the US astonishing.
At times the book can seem quite repetitive, but the personal stories make the book a very compelling read.

Thomas McKelvey Cleaver adds another comprehensive work to his impressive histories of air warfare, on this occasion focusing on the lesser known exploits of the USAAF in the Mediterranean Theatre, with the Italian campaign taking centre stage. This account draws extensively from personal accounts and unit histories, but is also improved by the sections that remind the reader of both the strategic elements of the land campaigns that the American fighters and bombers were supporting, as well as the tactical pressures that determined the focus of the air attacks on a daily basis. There is no disguising the admiration that the author has for the pilots and aircrew involved, and - indeed - it will be a stone-hearted reader who does not share that sentiment.
An initial impression for a casual reader might be that there is almost too much detail of the daily operations and the exploits of individual pilots and crew. This would, however, be a mistake. Even with the detail provided, the reader has to use considerable imagination to bring to life the experiences of those involved in what was, in many ways, a forgotten theatre of operations.
This should be a must-read for anyone wishing to gain a good understanding of the scale and challenge involved in the air campaign in Italy from the invasion of Sicily to the end of the Second World War.
Strongly recommended.