The White War

by Mark Thompson

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  Acknowledgements

  This is a narrative history, not based on methodical research into primary sources. Rather, it draws on original work by generations of scholars and writers. For all kinds of facts and figures, as well as for some interpretations, I am deeply and gratefully indebted to books and essays by René Albrecht-Carrié, Bruna Bianchi, Richard Bosworth, Mark Cornwall, Andrea Cortellessa, Cesare De Simone, Antonio Gibelli, John Gooch, Irene Guerrini, Mario Isnenghi, Ivo J. Lederer, Giorgio Longo, Denis Mack Smith, Piero Melograni, Alberto Monticone, Paul O’Brien, Piero Pieri, Marco Pluviano, Giovanna Procacci, Gianni Rocca, Giorgio Rochat, Gian Enrico Rusconi, John Schindler, Antonio Sema, David Stevenson, Hew Strachan, Petra Svolšak, Fabio Todero, Angelo Ventrone, Fritz Weber, Eileen Wilks, John Wilks, John Woodhouse and Dragan R. Zivojinovic. While the endnotes suggest the scale of this debt, they do not – could not – wh
olly contain it.

  Ivo Banac, Cathie Carmichael, Miha Kovač, Lyn Macdonald, Paul O’Brien, Giovanna Procacci, Hew Strachan and John Woodhouse kindly answered questions and sent information. Noel Malcolm, Peter Morris, Paolo Pollanzi, the late Antonio Sema, Petra Svolšak, Roberto Todero, Angelo Ventrone, Eric Beckett Weaver and Mark Wheeler did the same, and sent books as well. Željko Cimprič provided the diary of Virgilio Bonamore. Vesna Domany-Hardy made available the memoir of her ancestor, Aleksandar Grlić. Bob Doneley and other contributors to the online Great War Forum (accessible at http://1914-1918. invisionzone.com/forums) discussed the incidents on the Italian front that are mentioned in my Introduction. The staff at the Bodleian Library (Oxford), the British Library (London), and the Biblioteca Civica ‘Attilio Hortis’ (Trieste) make those places a delight to work in. Tiziano Bertè at the Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra, Rovereto, went out of his way to help with the illustrations, as did the patient staff at the Photograph Archive of the Imperial War Museum, London. Mirjam and Ervin Hladnik-Milharčič took me up and down the Isonzo valley, some 20 years ago, telling stories about the First World War as we went. My title was suggested by the name of a fine website, devoted to the Italian front, http://www.guerrabianca.org, which is published by the Società Storica per la Guerra Bianca.

  I am grateful to Richard Bosworth, Andrew Puddephatt and Hew Strachan for reading and commenting on one or another draft of the book, and to Paul Anderson, Patrick Burke, Cathie Carmichael, Jim McCue, Paul O’Brien, Alasdair Palmer, Paolo Pollanzi, Glenda Sluga and Ian Thomson for doing the same with chapters. Discussions with Alasdair Palmer and Mark Ellingham were heartening as always. Jamie McKendrick clarified my thoughts about translating Ungaretti, and let me use his fine version of ‘Vigil’. Donald Sommerville’s editing improved the draft in many ways. András Bereznay took great pains over the maps (the best that I have seen in any book about the Italian front). At Faber, Anne Owen and Kate Murray Browne were the kindest of shepherds, herding everything towards publication.

  Giani Cabrera, Richard Huckstep and Paolo Pollanzi added immeasurably to the pleasure and benefit of visits to Trieste and the old front lines between Mount Hermada and Trento. I am sure they influenced this book in even more ways than I realise. Peter Morris, generous companion, led the way up Mount Krn and Mount Mrzli; I’m sorry he could not stay to look down from Mount Rombon at the rainbow shimmering over the valley, like an arch to the Julian Alps. Paolo Rumiz, an excellent journalist, put me in touch with the late Carlo Orelli. Christine and Ronnie Bishop gave timely refuge and support. Without their and Divna Malbaša’s help, the book would have taken another year to finish. Neil Belton had the idea in the first place; appreciation of his trust and acuity is surpassed only by my debt to the dedicatees.