The Gothic Line cover art

The Gothic Line

Canada's Month of Hell in World War II Italy

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The Gothic Line

By: Mark Zuehlke
Narrated by: Mark Ashby
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About this listen

Stretching like an armor-toothed belt across Italy's upper thigh, the Gothic Line was the most fortified position the German army had yet thrown into the Allied forces' path. On August 25, 1944, it fell to Canadian troops to spearhead a major offensive: to rip through that fiercely defended line. This gripping chronicle tells, through the eyes of the soldiers who fought there, of the 28-day clash that ultimately ended in glory for the Canadians.

©2003 Mark Zuehlke 2003 (P)2013 Audible, Inc. Military War Italy

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Editor reviews

The participation of Canadian military forces in World War II is often overlooked in most popular records, which makes The Gothic Line an undeniably enticing and revealing historic account for anyone desiring to gain a greater understanding of the Italian front and the Canadian soldiers who punched a hole through the famed Gothic Line, thus unhinging one of the greatest Axis defenses.

Clarity and historic resonance abound as Mark Ashby recounts battles of astounding odds, strategic movements across enemy terrain, and the great significance to the Allies that this month-long battle through northern Italy had in the European theater.
All stars
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I had finally got around to reading about the substantial Canadian Contribution to the pushing back of Nazi Germany and I had started with Normandy and the Netherlands. And then halfway through the book the Canadians from Italy [re]join their comrades. And so I decided to go back to Italy (having just read James Holland’s brilliant Sicily) and follow these famous Canadian Regiments through the Gustav and Gothics lines. All British like me should be aware of how much a bloody slog this was (in temperatures we’ve been recently experiencing in our record breaking Summer) and one will conclude - as often when reading about the last 18 months of the European war - that much of it was in vain. If only Roosevelt and Churchill had been savvy enough to discuss ‘conditions’ with the German resistance. Nowhere as much loss of Canadians far from home (and US and British, and Poles, Greeks and French) who fought hard and brutally for every last inch. Or perhaps no Italian recapture or Southern France landings? Thank you Canada. Thank you Mark. Back to the Netherlands to resume the ‘forgotten’Canadians there, but this brilliant account has seared a new memory into my brain. Stuart

Gone but not forgotten-part two

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I don't know anything about this particular campaign at the end of WW2. And most histories sweep through the late '44 onwards, timeliness. Focusing on Ardennes, race for Berlin, etc. I'd recommend this. initially slightly annoying voice. But I was rewarded for my perseverance.

Enjoyable, detailed account of a WW2 Cul de Sac

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Just thank you Canada. For your sacrifice in two worlds wars. From a humbled Yorkshire man.

Awe of what happened.

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Informative but a love letter to the Canadian Corps, whilst missing insights from other perspectives

Informative but one sided

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