130,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Naples '44

An Intelligence Officer in the Italian Labyrinth
4.25 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 2,517 ratings, 310 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Naples '44 by Norman Lewis is a captivating memoir that depicts the author's experiences as a British intelligence officer in war-torn Naples during World War II. As Lewis navigates the chaotic environment of post-liberation Italy, he encounters an intriguing mix of poverty, resilience, and recovery in local society. His keen observations and vivid storytelling bring to life the stark realities and unexpected humanity found amid the ruins.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Naples '44. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're intrigued by vivid, first-hand accounts of life in war-torn Italy during World War II. As a memoir, it captures the resilience and complexity of human nature amidst chaos, offering a unique perspective on the impact of war. If you appreciate detailed and empathetic storytelling with historical insights, this might be a captivating read for you.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Naples '44 follows Norman Lewis as he arrives in war-torn Naples as an intelligence officer in 1944. The city is a world where the starving population has devoured all the tropical fish in the aquarium, respectable women have been driven to prostitution, and the black market reigns supreme.

Lewis finds little to admire among his fellow soldiers, but he gains sustenance from the extraordinary vivacity of the Italians. The narrative introduces memorable characters: a lawyer who earns his living by bringing a touch of Roman class to funerals, a gynaecologist who "specializes in the restoration of lost virginity," and a widowed housewife who times her British lover against the clock.

"Were I given the chance to be born again," writes Lewis, "Italy would be the country of my choice."

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Naples '44 by Norman Lewis receives high praise as a masterful work by one of the finest British writers of the twentieth century, highlighting its significant literary contribution.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780907871729

Publisher: Eland Publishing Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 31 July 2002

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Eland Publishing Ltd

Edition: New edition

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Weight: 250g

Pages: 192

About the Author

Norman Lewis is Britain's greatest living travel writer, with a list of some 10 travel books and several books of collected journalism to his name. However Lewis regards his greatest achievement to have been the reaction to his article Genocide in Brazil, published in The Sunday Times in 1968. It led to a change in Brazilian law relating to the treatment of the Indians and to the formation of Survival International which fights for the survival of indigenous peoples everywhere.

Also by Norman Lewis

View all
  • Word Power Made Easy
    A time-tested classicβ€”first published more than sixty years agoβ€”that has helped millions achieve mastery of English, now in an Anchor mass market edition for the first time. The most effective English language vocabulary builder available, this time-tested classic has helped millions achieve mastery of English and improve their communication skills in business, the classroom, and in life. Word Power Made...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Jackdaw Cake
    Jackdaw Cake is Norman Lewis's account of the first half of his adventurous life, infused with his dry, infectious, and laconic wit. He takes us on a transformative journey from a stammering schoolboy to a worldly-wise, multilingual sergeant in the Intelligence Corps. In Auberon Waugh's words, Lewis was on the brink of becoming "the greatest travel writer alive, if not...
    Paperback
    $7700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • A Quiet Evening
    This book contains the very best of Norman Lewis's travel writing. If you already own The Changing Sky (Jonathan Cape, 1959), which was later expanded by Eland in 1986 with the addition of another eight pieces and given a fresh title, A View of the World, you will encounter stories you have already read. An additional source are the three...
    Hardback
    $10400
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Missionaries
    The Missionaries was intended to be the concluding trilogy of a series of autobiographical books, beginning with Voices of the Old Sea and Jackdaw Cake. However, it was instead transmuted into a deeply searing examination of the extermination of indigenous tribes by North American fundamentalist missionaries. This narrative is all the more powerful as it represents the distillation of a...
    Paperback
    $7700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Empire of the East
    Norman Lewis was eighty-three years old when, in 1991, he embarked on a series of three arduous journeys into the most contentious corners of Indonesia: into the extreme western edge of Sumatra, into East Timor, and Irian Jaya. He never drops his guard, reporting only on what he can observe, and using his well-honed tools of irony, humour, and restraint...
    Paperback
    $7700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • In Sicily
    In Sicily is a loving take on an extraordinary island, based on Norman Lewis's sixty-year-long fascination with all things Sicilian. Few places on earth have escaped the singular eye of Norman Lewis, but always, in the course of his long career, he has come back to Sicily. From his first wartime visit to a land untouched since the Middle Ages...
    Paperback
    $6700
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

More from Biography & Memoir

View all
  • New Release
    One Helluva Ride
    "This book is about where I came from, what I fought against, and what I chose formyself. Fame can blur the truth; this is my attempt to bring it back into focus." A legendary actor and Hollywood Icon whose five-decade career spans film, television,and producing, Michael Douglas has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, fiveGolden Globes, a Primetime Emmy,...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Book cover for 'Swan Song: Diana, my sister' by Charles Spencer, featuring a black-and-white portrait of Diana with white and gold text on a gray background.
    New Release
    Swan Song
    Beautiful. Beloved. Hunted. The extraordinary life and death of Diana, as told by her brother, Charles – available to pre-order now. β€˜When asked, β€˜What was it like, growing up with Diana?’, my first thought is always, But I don’t know what it was like not to grow up with her…’ In September 1997, Charles Spencer stood in Westminster Abbey before...
    Hardback
    $5499
    Elsewhere:
    $6500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Fictional Selves
    From the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Sex and the City comes a candid and deeply personal memoir. In this highly anticipated memoir, the beloved actor and star of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Sex and the City and more shares his utterly original account of his offbeat journey in Hollywood, his battles with fear and...
    Hardback
    $4799
    Elsewhere:
    $6000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    The Steps
    The long-awaited memoir from a true Hollywood icon. We know Sylvester Stallone as one of the most revered actors, writers, and directors of all time, yet his life story is every bit as dramatic, intense, and inspiring as his greatest creations on screen. Bringing together a no-holds-barred account of a fascinating life with messages of hope, positivity, and resilience, in...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed Copy
    New Release
    Home Again
    Join rock-legend, former Shihad frontman and lead singer of The Adults, Jon Toogood in this unflinching and no-holds-barred memoirΒ Home Again.This is more than a rock story.Β Toogood looks back on a 37-year career that helped define New Zealand rock music, and the personal cost that came with it.Β From a music-obsessed childhood in Wellington to the deafening roar of international stages, this...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Dogs, Boys and Other Things I've Cried About
    From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Famesick
    Chronicling the tumultuous decade between the premiere of Girls to her 2021 shotgunΒ wedding (minus the baby, because she has no uterus), Lena Dunham takes us through herΒ journey with her trademark mix of humor, unsparing honesty, and keen eye for detail. We peek behind the scenes - of her work, her family, her relationships, and her battle to reclaim her body...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • This Angry Pen of Mine
    This Angry Pen of Mine by Layne Staley invites you to dive into the untold creative world of Layne Staley, the legendary voice behind Alice in Chains. This extraordinary collection showcases his handwritten lyrics, deeply personal poetry, stunning original artwork, rare photos, fan tributes, and so much more. Step into the world of Layne Staley like never before. For the...
    Hardback
    $7299
    Elsewhere:
    $8999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed Copy
    Stakes
    Read our interview with author Noelle McCarthy! A darkly funny, sparkling follow-up to the author’s bestselling memoirΒ Grand. You have to invite him in. You have to want the vampire’s badness in the house with you. Growing up in Catholic Ireland, Noelle McCarthy is captivated by Bram Stoker’sΒ Dracula. The vampire is a risk-free fantasy, a suave alternative to the fraught realities...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Built for This
    Raised among strong women, butcher's benches, and hard ideas about what men are meant to be, Brad Poulter grows up knowing he's different long before he has the words for it. But in late '90s small-town New Zealand, 'different' isn't discussed, it's managed. Joining the Royal New Zealand Navy offers escape, certainty, and belonging. The rules are clear, the uniform...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Even the Good Girls Will Cry
    Thanks to a thrown beer bottle and a fan letter to a P.O. box, Melissa Auf der Maur's first band scored an opening slot for the Smashing Pumpkins in her bohemian home town, Montreal. Sensing Melissa's talent, Billy Corgan recommended her to Courtney Love. Whisked from her local scene, Melissa joined Hole just after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • An Ocean and a Day
    An utterly riveting, moving and poignant memoir of grief and loss that will speak to anyone who's ever lost someone they love. An Ocean and a Day is Hannah Richell's personal account of losing her husband, Matt, in a surfing accident on Tamarama beach in 2014. It is the story of the grief journey she travelled over the first two...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.