Outlining the Allies series of campaigns in 1944 which were designed to force the Germans out of the almost impregnable fortress of Monte Cassino, this book analyzes an assault that some commentators have said was a needless waste of life. The book asks why the battles, in which thousands of lives were lost, were fought, and discusses whether there can be any justification for them. With photographs and first-hand accounts of the campaign, the book is a useful contribution to the continuing debate.