In 1943, there were more than 60 prisoner of war camps throughout Mussolini's Italy. Behind barbed wire and under the guards' dark gaze were captive Allied soldiers. After the Italian Armistice thousands escaped as guards deserted their posts, but when German forces swept down the peninsula to regain control they were left stranded in enemy territory.

The Great Italian Breakout tells the remarkable stories of those men scattered across the Italian countryside, whose experiences have been all but forgotten. The luckiest made it to the safety of the Swiss frontier, the Vatican or the Allied Lines, some had a more arduous journey to France or Yugoslavia, and a handful escaped to Spain by boat. The unfortunate died in their quest for freedom, and many chose to stay and join the partisans, fighting a dangerous guerilla war against the German occupiers.

Rome was finally liberated by the Allies by 4 June 1944. Two days later, D-day unfolded, and this extraordinary period in World War Two faded from memory. The remarkable tales of Allied soldiers' survival against all odds in an unfamiliar, hostile landscape remain largely unknown. Using original research from archives and interviews with families, this book reveals the compelling stories of those on the run and celebrates men who, when it came to the Second World War, took a road less travelled.