Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 56:17-58:23

Finding books on the Italian Navy at war

Suggested English-language reading covers Calabria, Cape Spada, Spartivento, and the Mediterranean convoys, but often from a British viewpoint.

Battle Of CalabriaConvoy WarfareItalian NavyMediterranean TheatreNaval Books
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Question

What are good books on the Italian Navy during the Second World War?

Short answer

Mediterranean Fleet Actions in 1940 and Between Hostile Shores are useful, but both lean British and the Italian side remains poorly covered in English.

Notes

Mediterranean Fleet Actions in 1940 and Between Hostile Shores are useful starting points. Both contain worthwhile Italian material, although their perspective is substantially British. The first covers Calabria, Cape Spada, and Cape Spartivento, while the second follows the convoy battles of 1941 and 1942. Accessible English-language coverage of the Italian Navy remains uneven.