Was the Allied invasion of Italy a strategic necessity or, as many at the time suggested, a sideshow? Consider both sides in this episode on Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, and two key battles (at Monte Cassino and Anzio) that illustrate the incredible tenacity of Allied soldiers, but also the uninspired generalship that led to an enormous waste of lives.

"An emotional, action-packed epic of love and justice, set during the rise of the Mafia in Sicily"-- "Loyalty can save a soul--or destroy one. Franco Fiorvanti is a handsome laborer toiling on the estate of a baron. He dreams of owning a lemon grove, but the rigid class system of Sicily thwarts his ambition. When the baron asks him to kidnap a little boy, Franco makes a decision that will change his life--and the history of Sicily... Gaetano Catalano...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “This is Jeff Shaara at his best, giving us another superb [and] historically grounded novel of one of the most dramatic struggles of World War II.”—George McGovern
Utilizing the voices of the conflict’s most heroic figures, some immortal and some unknown, Jeff Shaara tells the story of America’s pivotal role in World War II: fighting to hold back the Japanese conquest...

"Sicily, 1943. Three American women, all nurses in the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron, are determined to do all they can for their country. Vita is fun-loving, Dot shy and sweet-natured, and Evelyn practical and determined, but for all their differences, a life of military service pulls the three together as firm friends. When they're selected for a daring mission, the women are proud to play their part. But disaster strikes when their...

"A new novel, set in North Africa and Sicily at the end of World War II, by the author Julian Barnes called one of the best British writers to emerge in the last decade"--

In Rehearsal for a Sicilian tragedy, actor John Turturro (Barton Fink, Do the right thing) takes audiences on a haunting, intimate journey to his maternal homeland of Sicily. There, while exploring the island's vanishing traditions, he is taken under the wing of one of the puppet theater's few remaining practitioners, Mimmo Cuticchio, who instructs him in the distinctively Sicilian art of puppetry. Filmed during preparations for the Sicilian Day of...

"There's only one Auntie Poldi: bewigged, cursing in Bavarian, and knocking back a wee shot of grappa as a pre-breakfast aperitif . . . or is there? No one is as they seem (and sound) in this hilarious new mystery featuring Sicily's sultriest sleuth"--

Three classic radio productions from the BBC archives starring Hannah Gordon, Tim Pigott-Smith, Paul Scofield and a host of celebrated acting talent. These three legendary plays, performed by some of the best-known theatrical actors of the 20th century, are the perfect way to commemorate England's greatest dramatist. The Winter's Tale: one man's consuming jealousy threatens to destroy both himself and those around him, but his actions arouse a passionate...

"The brash kid from Southie is still open, direct and fearless in his manner. . . . But even amid the excitement of the spirited wartime storytelling, Benn allows Boyle's experiences to change him in ways both subtle and dramatic."--Marilyn Stasio, "The New York Times Book Review."