Introduction

In 'Love and War in the Apennines' (1971) the author, Eric Newby, gives an account of his personal experiences as a British prisoner of war and later an escaped prisoner in Italy during WWII. Newby recounts in detail his life as an escapee who evades his captors and seeks protection high up in the mountains of northern Italy.

His underlying message is to convey the heroism and selflessness of the landowner/peasant community who, despite the risks of reprisals and personal danger, unselfishly and secretly work together to shelter and protect the English soldier.

Newby creates an unforgettable record of the resilience of human nature in the face of despair, and forcefully reminds us of the futility of war. In this hostile and dangerous environment, he meets Wanda and their love flourishes.

The range of Newby's descriptions in this book--the landscape and conditions, the individuals who shelter him and the sometimes frightening, sometimes boring, sometimes beautiful atmosphere of the mountain in which he hides--are equal parts memoir, war story and travel documentary.

The Italian Apennine mountain chain--where Newby fled to avoid capture during WWII

Key elements of the Plot

After the failed 'Whynot' operation, on 12 August 1942 a number of officers, including Newby, are imprisoned in an orfanotrofio (orphanage) near Parma, which had been converted into a prison camp. A main road runs in front of the prison camp where girls from the village pass by on bicycles, but the prisoners are not allowed to look out onto the road, and if caught, are fired upon.

With the Armistizio, the Italians decide to let the English prisoners escape, Newby, who has a broken ankle, makes his escape on horseback, comes to grief when he is thrown off the horse and is separated from the other escapees. He is hidden in a farmer's hay loft until an Italian doctor takes him to the maternity ward of a hospital run by nuns. It is here that he is visited by Wanda, the daughter of a Slovene teacher. During their visits they exchange language lessons: Wanda teaching him Italian, whilst he teaches her English. Their romance soon blossoms...

The Germans become aware that he is in the hospital and arrange to post Italian guards outside his room. Despite this, he makes a daring escape, aided by the doctor who has treated his broken ankle. He is taken to a more isolated location where he seeks help from the Baruffa family. Bur they are afraid, suffering from 'paura' and the repercussions if found to be harbouring an enemy. They tell him to climb further up into the mountains to Pian del Sotto where he meets Luigi and Agata. Together with their son Armando, their daughter Rita, and Dolores, the buxom servant, they live a harsh life.

Newby spends the winter with the family and in exchange for food and shelter, is given the job of clearing the surrounding fields of stones--back-breaking and never-ending work.

As part of the a big rake up or rastrellamento, German soldiers raid a dance being held at the home of a family in the village. Newby, however, manages to make his escape. He works his way back to the farmhouse and waits in the woods until Luigi finds him. With things now getting too dangerous, Luigi tells him to make his way further up the mountains to stay with a shepherd.

He eventually finds the sheep in the Castello del Prato - a natural rock enclosure that acts as a their pen--and is welcomed by Abramo into his baracca or shepherd's hut where he spends the first three days recovering from a high fever. Some of the local farmers decide to build him an isolated cave that is camouflaged by the dense forest. It is the month of October and he is given provisions and firewood to help see him through the coming winter.

Whilst in hiding Wanda manages to get messages to him and they even arrange a short meeting when Wanda gives him a package containing maps, a compass and other items to help him get to the coast, which will then take him south in order to meet the advancing allied forces.

He manages to make the difficult day's journey but, on returning, becomes lost and ends up at the house of a very old man whom he recognises as the person who had travelled with the doctor. Here he is housed and fed and the next morning the old man accompanies him to the path that will take Newby back to the cave. On arriving at the cave he finds James, and escapee who has been living in a nearby valley. Soon, however, their cave location is revealed and they are forced to flee to escape the milizia. They seek shelter in a hay barn but are eventually captured by a detachment of Fascist milizia.

Conclusion

Newby tenderly recounts his wartime experiences and in relating the timeless constancy of life in the Italian mountain community, provides proof that man's sense of humanity can endure during times of conflict. Following the Armistice and Italy's surrender in 1943, Newby found himself finally free from his POW camp, yet still in danger of falling prey in occupied territory to the retreating German forces. The Fascists were also a threat both to 'enemy' soldiers and Italian civilians aiding escaped prisoners.

Newby reveals the true heroes of the story to be the numerous Italian farmers and families who risk their lives to help shelter him and many other escaped prisoners.

About Eric Newby

(December 6, 1919 - October 20, 2006)

George Eric Newby was born and grew up near Hammersmith Bridge, London, and was educated at St Paul's School.

After a comfortable, middle-class English upbringing, Newby left home at 18 to join the crew of one of the world's last commercial sailing ships the 'Moshulu', which hauled grain from Australia to Ireland. A few months later, World War II broke out and Newby volunteered for the Special Boat Section and Operation Whynot--the opening chapter of 'Love and War in the Apennines'--when on a mission off the coast of Italy on 12 August 1942, he is unable to return to his submarine after attempting to attack a German airfield and is captured by the Germans. However, he survives the war.

After surmounting every kind of obstacle, he and Wanda are married in 1946, and return many times to Italy restoring 'I Castagni', a run down farmhouse they purchased in northern Tuscany on the border with Liguria. 

After the war his world expanded still further--into the fashion business and book publishing. Whatever else he was doing he always travelled on a grand scale, either under his own steam or as Travel Editor of the 'Observer'.

He died, aged 86, in Guildford, Surrey.