More Reading.....
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More Reading.....
I dont know if this book has been mentioned before but I read it on our recent, very rainy, visit to Italy. It is Pebbles From My Skull by Stuart Hood, about his experiences after leaving a prisoner of war camp in Italy. It differs from other books I have read on this subject by examining his own motives in the choices he made and why it took him so long to leave the partisans. I think it makes interesting reading.
la alma- Elder
- Posts : 102
Join date : 2013-06-19
Re: More Reading.....
Thanks Alma. I've just finished reading this as a result of your post. I got the re-published version "Carlino" which had some additional info.
Hood was a "leftie" and identified in Newby's book as someone whom his fellow PoW officers were wary of as a result. Makes him a jolly good chap in my eyes!
He died aged 95 in 2011 having been haunted forever by his wartime experiences. Interesting in particular was his agony over why he took so long to re-join the Allied Forces. Officers were supposed to make their way back to the lines asap after escaping, and it was considered bad form to shirk by laying low with the contadini.
Which is why I find the few books written by the "Other Ranks" much more interesting on the whole. Whilst they expected to have to rejoin their units at some point, they tended to wait for the Allies to reach them and therefore settled down with an Italian family and integrated wholly into peasant life. And frankly who can blame them. They had suffered appallingly fighting in Africa, being shipped across in the holds of ships likely to be torpedoed by their own side (the officers would be in cabins or even flown to Italy), then spent years in captivity in various camps which varied considerably in their brutality. (In comparison, the officers' camps were more "pleasant" - better food, no requirement to work, servants - ie their "batmen" - and not that far removed from the public school experiences of the officer class. See Eric Newby again)
Their books are therefore far more empathetic than the gung-ho nature of a lot of the Italian escape literature. I find both types fascinating, partly because of how different they are.
Stuart Hood does a bit of both in this book which marks it out as special. He went on to become programme controller of the BBC amongst many other things
Hood was a "leftie" and identified in Newby's book as someone whom his fellow PoW officers were wary of as a result. Makes him a jolly good chap in my eyes!
He died aged 95 in 2011 having been haunted forever by his wartime experiences. Interesting in particular was his agony over why he took so long to re-join the Allied Forces. Officers were supposed to make their way back to the lines asap after escaping, and it was considered bad form to shirk by laying low with the contadini.
Which is why I find the few books written by the "Other Ranks" much more interesting on the whole. Whilst they expected to have to rejoin their units at some point, they tended to wait for the Allies to reach them and therefore settled down with an Italian family and integrated wholly into peasant life. And frankly who can blame them. They had suffered appallingly fighting in Africa, being shipped across in the holds of ships likely to be torpedoed by their own side (the officers would be in cabins or even flown to Italy), then spent years in captivity in various camps which varied considerably in their brutality. (In comparison, the officers' camps were more "pleasant" - better food, no requirement to work, servants - ie their "batmen" - and not that far removed from the public school experiences of the officer class. See Eric Newby again)
Their books are therefore far more empathetic than the gung-ho nature of a lot of the Italian escape literature. I find both types fascinating, partly because of how different they are.
Stuart Hood does a bit of both in this book which marks it out as special. He went on to become programme controller of the BBC amongst many other things
Perlasca- Elder
- Posts : 74
Join date : 2013-05-22
Re: More Reading.....
I agree Perlasca and would appreciate it if you could give me any titles of books you recommend about the other ranks.
la alma- Elder
- Posts : 102
Join date : 2013-06-19
Re: More Reading.....
Looks fascinating, so I've ordered a copy today.
Incidentally the Hardback version of 'Carlino' is available on Amazon with a price range (+p&p) of £5:40 - £702:84!!
Incidentally the Hardback version of 'Carlino' is available on Amazon with a price range (+p&p) of £5:40 - £702:84!!
ghiro- Moderator
- Location : Massa-Carrara
Posts : 840
Join date : 2013-05-24
Re: More Reading.....
la alma wrote:I agree Perlasca and would appreciate it if you could give me any titles of books you recommend about the other ranks.
Certainly Alma:
Once a Hussar by Ray Ellis
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Once-Hussar-Memoir-Battle-Capture/dp/1628737298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414955946&sr=8-1&keywords=once+a+hussar
Always a Hussar by Ray Ellis - this is about Ray's "re-entry" into civilian life. He is quite candid about suffering a nervous breakdown on his return
I filmed an interview with Ray before his death which can be seen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSFAWxPZC4o&index=2&list=HL1402488079
In the Prison of his Days by Norman Davison
http://www.amazon.co.uk/In-Prison-His-Days-Captured/dp/0956007589/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414955894&sr=8-1&keywords=in+the+prison+of+his+days
There's a lot of info re Norman (and also his son John's journey to meet up with the descendants of those who helped his Dad) here:
https://camp59survivors.wordpress.com/2010/05/29/linfirmatore-on-the-davison-rescue/
Escape from Ascoli by Ken de Souza
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ESCAPE-ASCOLI-EVASION-ESCAPE-SIGNED/dp/B002L4L5PW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414955495&sr=1-1&keywords=escape+from+ascoli
There is a "Ken de Souza Trail" near Fermo where he was hidden. Ken has passed away but there is info about him on his son Ian's site here:
http://www.iandesouza.de/index.php?kat=64
Laughing We Ran by Len Dann might be available on Amazon but also has its own FB page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laughing-We-Ran-by-Len-Dann/120761901949?fref=nf
Enjoy!!
Perlasca- Elder
- Posts : 74
Join date : 2013-05-22
Re: More Reading.....
ghiro wrote:Looks fascinating, so I've ordered a copy today.Incidentally the Hardback version of 'Carlino' is available on Amazon with a price range (+p&p) of £5:40 - £702:84!!
Bonkers - which did you go for
Perlasca- Elder
- Posts : 74
Join date : 2013-05-22
Re: More Reading.....
Moi? You should know that money means nothing to me Perlasca!Perlasca wrote:Bonkers - which did you go for?ghiro wrote:Looks fascinating, so I've ordered a copy today. Incidentally the Hardback version of 'Carlino' is available on Amazon with a price range (+p&p) of £5:40 - £702:84!!
So I opted for a copy of the Paperback edition at £0.01 (+p&p)!
ghiro- Moderator
- Location : Massa-Carrara
Posts : 840
Join date : 2013-05-24
Re: More Reading.....
Thankyou for all those titles Perlasco. I haven't read any of them and will certainly add them to my list. I usually save the ones set in Italy for when I'm there as in England I usualy only have time for my book group book. At present it's The Luminaries by Eeanor Catton. I love it although I nearly gave up after 6 pages as it was too heavy (800+ pages in Hardback) to hold lying in bed! I'm now over halfway though and totally hooked.
la alma- Elder
- Posts : 102
Join date : 2013-06-19
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