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Hitler's Raid to Save Mussolini: The Most Infamous Commando Operation of World War II Hardcover – August 23, 2005

by Greg Annussek (Author)

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The Allied invasion of Italy pressed on through the summer of 1943, the strutting dictator, Mussolini, was overthrown and imprisoned by his own people in a remote mountaintop resort. Furious at the turn of events, Adolf Hitler, Il Duce's sworn ally, promised to rescue Mussolini and restore the Rome-Berlin Axis. On September 12, a small convoy of glider aircraft suddenly began crash-landing near the hotel-prison where Mussolini was held and German commandos poured out of the half-wrecked planes. The soldiers quickly overwhelmed the hotel and seized Mussolini, who had watched the drama unfold from a second-story window. "I knew my friend Adolf Hitler would not abandon me," said a grinning Mussolini to his rescuers. Hitler's rescue of Mussolini was one of the most famous commando operations of the twentieth century and shocked a war-weary world. It was also the dramatic culmination of the bizarre relationship between Hitler and Mussolini-a relationship that had disastrous consequences for the globe. In this vivid and lively narrative filled with drama, intrigue, action, and some of history's most notorious characters, author Greg Annussek recounts the dramatic story of Germany's secret six-week operation to find and rescue the prisoner Mussolini and restore him to power.

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Print length

352 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Da Capo Press
Publication date

August 23, 2005
Dimensions

6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches
ISBN-10

0306813963
ISBN-13

978-0306813962

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fine book on the lengths to which Hitler's loyalty took him after Mussolini's fall from power...Worth the read." -- The Roanoke Times, 1/24/06

"A lively and action packed account of one of the boldest and most notorious commando missions of [WWII]." -- WWII History 1/2006

"An insightful study of the relationship between Hitler and Mussolini." -- Military History Online 9/28/05

"An interesting and well written book." -- Axis History Factbook 10/6/2005

About the Author

Greg Annussek is the author of several books and a lifelong student of history. He lives in New York City.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Da Capo Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 23, 2005
Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0306813963
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0306813962
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #4,877,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8,655 in German History (Books)
- #20,898 in World War II History (Books)
Customer Reviews:
(36)

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Greg A. Annussek

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36 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers appreciate the book's detailed historical context and description, with one noting its comprehensive 8-page bibliography. The content receives positive feedback, with customers describing it as a very good read. The story receives mixed reactions, with some finding it quite engaging while others note that the ending comes abruptly.

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8 customers mention detailed, 8 positive, 0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's detailed historical context and vivid descriptions, with one customer noting its comprehensive 8-page bibliography.

A fantastic story that describes vividely the decadence of the fascist regime in Italy....Read more

...Good historical account with strong sources and attribution. I enjoyed it very much!Read more

This is a fantastic account of one of the forgotten missions of the Axis during World War 2....Read more

...much of the available material to deliver a very readable and useful account of this landmark operation....Read more

7 customers mention content, 6 positive, 1 negative

Customers find the content of the book very good, with one describing it as a superb tome and another noting it is very readable.

A good read and very thorough on details but I would like more pictures....Read more

The content of the book is good, but in my 69 years of age I have never read a book from back to front....Read more

...This would make a great movie.Read more

...has clearly combed much of the available material to deliver a very readable and useful account of this landmark operation....Read more

5 customers mention story, 3 positive, 2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the story of the book, with some finding it quite engaging, while one customer notes that the ending comes abruptly.

good story that adds detail but not the complete story a lot of holes left in the tellingRead more

...My lone disappointment with this book is that the ending comes abruptly, and is somewhat unsatisfactory....Read more

A fantastic story that describes vividely the decadence of the fascist regime in Italy....Read more

good story that adds detail but not the complete storyRead more

Top reviews from the United States

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Antonino
Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This is a fantastic account of one of the forgotten missions of the Axis during World War 2.

My lone disappointment with this book is that the ending comes abruptly, and is somewhat unsatisfactory. That being said, for any WW2 scholar (amateur or otherwise) this is a great book.

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R. Forczyk mit frau
A Balanced and Detailed Account of One of the Great Raids
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2008
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Although it was one of the most melodramatic moments of the Second World War, when Hitler sent a German commando group to rescue the deposed Italian dictator Mussolini from his mountaintop prison on 12 September 1943, this raid has usually been covered by other histories only in passing and has not received much attention in its own right. For years, the standard account of the raid has been based upon the post-war memoirs of SS special forces leader Otto Skorzeny, who gave full credit to himself and largely ignored the participation of others. In Hitler's Raid to Save Mussolini, author Greg Annussek provides the first full-scale treatment of the events surrounding the raid and seeks to provide a far more balanced version that incorporates the actions of the Luftwaffe fallschirmjäger (paratroopers) who actually planned the raid. The book is written in a lucid, straight-forward style and the author has clearly combed much of the available material to deliver a very readable and useful account of this landmark operation. Indeed, this was one of the raids that set the standard for many of the future hostage-rescue missions of the later 20th Century. Overall, a very good book.

Hitler's Raid to Save Mussolini consists of 14 chapters and 263 pages of text, as well as 42 pages of endnotes, two sketch maps and 34 B/W photos. The author also provides a very detailed 8-page bibliography. The chapters begin with Mussolini's fall from power on 25 July 1943 and Hitler's determination to mount a rescue mission as soon as practical. The next several chapters then slow down a bit, as the Italians holding Mussolini transferred him around the country in order to evade the German search efforts, while Hitler dealt uneasily with the post-Mussolini Italian government. The author does get a bit sidetracked here at times, spending a bit too much on the covert negotiations between the Badoglio regime and the Allies in Portugal, while saying virtually nothing about the formation and organization of Skorzeny's SS Freidenthal Battalion. In a book about a special forces operation, more attention could have been given to the special forces members, rather than peripheral diplomatic intrigues. The later chapters cover several missteps, where the Germans spotted Mussolini on several islands and tried to mount hasty raids, but the Italians moved him first.

It is not until the 13th chapter (page 199) that the author actually gets to the development of the actual raid plan, which was put together in just two hours. As he makes abundantly clear, this was a Luftwaffe-planned and run show and Skorzeny and his handful of SS men were merely walk-ons. The raid itself is covered in the final chapter, which is but 24 pages long - a bit short. By chance, Skorzeny found himself at the spearpoint of the operation rather than in the van and he gladly took charge, as well as all the credit, which provoked a long-standing feud among the participants. The author covers the attack rather quickly - quicker than some other accounts I've read - although it should be sufficient for most readers. In short, this hastily-planned operation came off spectacularly with Mussolini being rescued, although Skorzeny nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory with a ridiculous decision to fly the prize off the mountain in a light aircraft. This book succeeds in putting the raid in context and highlighting the events surrounding the mission planning, although it is a bit light on the coverage of the raid itself. Nevertheless, a good addition to any Second World War library.

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5 people found this helpful

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TRISH HART
Knowledge is good
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
If you want to know the relationship between these 2 dictators, this is your book.

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loconcabeza
A very good read
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2012
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
If you asked 10 people if Hilter ever tried to save Mussolini they would think you went nuts as this event is not taught in hitory classes. What is amazing is the bravery it took and the fact that the Germans pulled it off. It's interesting to see the war "from the other side". This would make a great movie.

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A reader from Maplewood
A fantastic story that describes vividely the decadence of the fascist ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2016
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
A fantastic story that describes vividely the decadence of the fascist regime in Italy. A great mix of historical context description and an action story. We learn so much from it that we get interested in knowing more. At finishing, I was left with the want to learn more about Italy history and read more books like this.

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ohsolomia
good story that adds detail but not the complete story
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2016
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
good story that adds detail but not the complete story
a lot of holes left in the telling

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One person found this helpful

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franklin c. white jr.
Marvelous Contemporary History Analysis!
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Superb tome. The passionate and so intense historic prose brings to life a quite engaging story of very complex lives.

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David J. Moore
Hitler's Raid to Save Mussolini
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
A good read and very thorough on details but I would like more pictures. Also it would be nice to have more detail and biography on the various players. "Rescuing Mussolini - Gran Sasso" would be a better recommendation.

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Top reviews from other countries

Jocko
Exemplary historical writing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 17, 2007
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is popular history at its best. Every detail and conversation is carefully sourced, conflicting evidence judiciously weighed and the events in question placed in wider context. Add a robust, often wry, writing style to the authors' impeccable knowledge and the result is a powerful narrative that explodes many myths, provides new insights and clarifies a confusing series of events. Indispensable to any student of the period, this is a fascinating and enjoyable book - although why the raid should be "infamous" escapes me!

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Hitlers Raid to Save Mussolini
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2013
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Fleshes out the raid to rescue Mussolini. If like me you knew about the raid but weren't too familiar with the details you will find this book interesting. Well written in an easy style it makes a good holiday read.

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alan dennis berridge
Daring rescue
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2018
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Quit a tale . A real feat of arms

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Hitler's Raid to Save Mussolini: The Most Infamous Commando Operation of World War II Hardcover – August 23, 2005

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5.0 out of 5 stars Exemplary historical writing

4.0 out of 5 stars Hitlers Raid to Save Mussolini

5.0 out of 5 stars Daring rescue

Exemplary historical writing

Hitlers Raid to Save Mussolini

Daring rescue