Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Ghosts of Ortona: Reckoning with the Traumas of Canadian World War II Veterans

Ghosts of Ortona: Reckoning with the Traumas of Canadian World War II Veterans

Cosh, Ian

Hardcover

Military BiographiesCanadian HistoryWorld War II

Publisher Price: $40.00

ISBN10: 1998365964
ISBN13: 9781998365968
Publisher: Sutherland House
Published: Apr 28 2026
Pages: 564
Weight: 2.11
Height: 1.45 Width: 6.28 Depth: 9.39
Language: English

'The general gave us a talk. He said the more Germans you kill, the quicker you're gonna get home.'

As a young anthropologist, Ian Cosh set out to document the memories of a little-known but costly World War II battle fought over Christmas in the Italian town of Ortona. His research took him across western Canada, and to Italy and Germany, interviewing veterans and civilians. In their stories, he encountered puzzling details--hints of things unspoken and unresolved. Sam was obsessively mapping a minor skirmish on graph paper. Mel kept mentioning an Indigenous sniper he'd never met. Ted was haunted by the ghost of a church. Bill recalled nothing of Christmas dinner, though his comrades swore he was there. When the project ended, Ian tried to leave it behind. Now returning to his field notes and interview transcripts, he's determined to understand what was missed.

Also in

Military Biographies

View All