"Engaging and readable.... Carafano uses the battle of San Pietro to examine the often-overlooked Italian campaign and the global coalition that brought victory to the Allies."--G. Kurt Piehler, Institute on World War II and the Human Experience, Florida State University Italy. December 1943. Allied troops from some twelve nations are amassed at the foot of the Apennine Mountains in a narrow corridor that they would recall as "Death Valley." Soon they would fight a grueling battle named after a small village tucked there, San Pietro Infine. In his day-to-day account of the often overlooked, yet significant, San Pietro battle, James Carafano paints a vivid picture not only of the hardships and challenges posed by an unforgiving terrain, but also of the complexity of coalition warfare--from language and logistical issues to discipline and morale. Equally important, his narrative reveals the key dynamics that led the Allies to break through to Rome and prevail. CONTENTS: Prologue: Home of the Gods. Eve of Battle: December 7, 1943. Forward into Battle: December 8, 1943. An Uphill Fight: December 9, 1943. Mountain War: December 10, 1943. Brothers in War: December 11, 1943. A Hard Day's Lesson: December 12, 1943. Unrest and Reset: December 13, 1943. Suffering, Healing, Death: December 14, 1943. The Last Stand: December 15-17, 1943. A Shared Hope: December 25, 1943. Epilogue: Aftermath.