WIREDGOV

The board members for the Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History have decided to award this year’s medal to John Gooch for his book ‘Mussolini’s War’.

John Gooch’s Mussolini’s War (Penguin Books) details Italy’s war experience, from the invasion of Abyssinia via its military campaigns in Europe and elsewhere in Africa, until Mussolini’s arrest. The book places Italy at the centre of the war and allows the reader to delve into a detailed account of its armed force’s initial successes and dramatic fall.

Endowed by the Duke of Wellington, the medal aims to reward on an annual basis the best English language writing on military history, interpreted widely to include the role of the armed forces, the conduct of wars, and the impact of conflict on nations and societies, over any period up to the present day. Members of the board are His Grace the Duke of Wellington, Professor Michael Clarke, The Right Honourable Lord Sumption, Sir Hew Strachan and Professor Beatrice Heuser.

Sir Hew Strachan stated, that while the book made a huge contribution to its field, the award also highlighted a lifetime’s contribution to military history as a whole and, most recently, to that of Italy in particular.

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