Friuli and the Alto Adige:  Books and Video

The White War by Mark Thompson is a fascinating look at the newly-founded Italy’s role in World War I.  It was, in short, a disaster, with more men shot for desertion than in the line of battle. It’s a good read and very appropriate for our trip to Friuli, where much of the flighting took place.

For a highly personal, fictional account, try A Farewell to Arms, the 1929 Hemingway novel, or one of the movie adaptations:  with Gary Cooper in 1932 or Rock Hudson in 1957.   (Cooper gets my vote.)

A more recent novel, Mark Helpern’s A Soldier of the Great War chronicles how the life of a young and privileged Roman is upended with the outbreak of war.  A good read for sure.

I note that opera critic and epicurean Fred Plotkin has a Friuli cookbook:  La Terra Fortunata. I have not looked at this, but the cuisine of this area is quite unique, so I imagine the cookbook could be interesting.

This is a very slim list! I welcome additions and suggestions.