the end of it

The End of It by Mitchell Goodman (Horizon, 1961)

An amazing book.  Spectacular.  A gorgeously written account of the American/Allied invasion of Italy, beginning in Naples and moving north through Rome, Umbria, and Tuscany.  The descriptive writing of Italy rivals Salter’s impressionistic depiction of France in A Sport and a Pastime, and Mitchell brings a formidable sensitivity and intelligence — and decency — to this story of men at war.  There is something frighteningly essential about the concerns and attitudes of this book that make for a scintillating and profoundly moving read.