"Even before the fall of Mussolini, Naples was a place of great contrasts filled with palaces and slums, beloved cuisine and widespread hunger. After the Allied liberation, these contrasts made the city instantly notorious. Compared to the starving population, Allied soldiers were staggeringly wealthy. For a packet of cigarettes, even the lowest ranks could buy themselves a watch, a new suit, or a woman for the night. As the biggest port in Allied hands, Naples quickly became the center of Italy's black market and has remained so ever since. Within just a few months the Camorra began to reestablish itself. Behind the chaos and the corruption, there was always the threat of violence ... Naples was the first major European city to be liberated by the Allies. What they found there would set a template for the rest of Europe in the years to come"-- Dust jacket flap.
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