... meticulous research and eye for human detail.

... [a] gripping story.

... the book has a huge supporting cast: some are familiar because of later literary exploits (Primo Levi, Natalia Ginzurg and Oriana Fallaci), but even the minor characters—like the stubbornly kind nun of the city’s gruesome prison—are memorably portrayed.

Dramatic, heartbreaking and sweeping in scope, Ms. Moorehead’s book charts the experiences of these women in the wider context of the war in Italy.

The book is sweeping in its scope.

Moorehead tries not to sensationalise this story; she recognises the importance of ordinary things. She appreciates that what made these women special was their resilience and fortitude. This is a sensitive and perceptive book founded on an appreciation of the role women play in any society, at any time. It is sober and serious, but still an easy read. Those looking for sensational tales of lascivious female warriors who fight and fornicate will be disappointed..

It doesn’t have the tragic drama and driving narrative of A Train in Winter; instead, it’s chiefly a character piece, a collection of vignettes about these women going about a serious business, and relying on one another for their very lives.

Based on extensive archival research, this is a fine history that centers women in the story of the Italian resistance.

Moorehead paints a wonderfully vivid and moving portrait of the women of the Italian Resistance.

... [a] deeply moving, beautifully told history.

... [an] exciting narrative.

... an overly dense account.