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Isle of the Displaced: Italian-Scot's Memoirs of Internment During the Second World War by Joe Pieri (Hardcover, 1997)
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Joe Pieri was arrested in Glasgow in June 1940 because he was an Italian. He was neither a Fascist, nor a Nazi, nor a dangerous war criminal, but due to government error, he was shipped to a Prisoner of War Camp in Montreal, Canada, where he remained until the end of 1943. Born into a poor rural family in Tuscany in 1919, his family emigrated to Glasgow when he was two, where his father found work as a fish fryer. Joe grew up to daily taunts of Wee Tally at school, but ironically often had to fight alongside his tormentors against rival gangs of boys on the way home. At home, Joe spoke only Italian and observed the traditions of Italian family life. In a society characterized by division and daily battles, Joe's easy talent for languages helped him master the skills necessary for survival in this hostile place. In June 1940, when the family had begun to attain a certain level of prosperity, Mussolini declared war on Britain. Winston Churchill nurtured fears of a Fifth Column of enemy nationals living in the UK, and uttered his famous collar the lot command. Most of the Italians arrested were sent to internment camps on the Isle of Man, some were torpedoed and killed on the ill-fated Arandora Star , and some were transported to Australia. Joe's fate was different; owing to a governmental blunder he was shipped 3000 miles and spent the next three years in a POW camp on St Helene's Island, in the shadow of the Jacques Cartier bridge spanning the St Lawrence river in Montreal. His longing for freedom and home, his sense of displacement and injustice - heightened by the fact that his brother was serving in the British Army - his help with attempted escapes, and the vital bonds he formed with other prisoners are all records of one man's struggle for survival. But it was to be a struggle which left him with a sense of statelessness. This biography of his internment and its effect on him reveals the conflict Joe feels, between his love of Scotland and his instincts as an Italian.Product Identifiers
PublisherNeil Wilson Publishing
ISBN-139781897784570
eBay Product ID (ePID)91967603
Product Key Features
Book TitleIsle of the Displaced: Italian-Scot's Memoirs of Internment During the Second World War
AuthorJoe Pieri
FormatHardcover
LanguageEnglish
TopicHistory
Publication Year1997
TypeTextbook
GenreBiographies & True Stories
Number of Pages164 Pages
Dimensions
Item Height216mm
Item Width138mm
Additional Product Features
Title_AuthorJoe Pieri
Country/Region of ManufactureUnited Kingdom
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Most relevant reviews
- 01 Nov, 2023
A must for Scots Italians
This is one of only a few books that covers the history of Italia emigres and in particular Scots Italians. Though their war time treatment is recognised as harsh and disproportionate, partly owing to Churchill's humiliation at Mussolini's axis allegiance, there is little of consequence and lots of erroneous references in some books. Most Scots Italians were not fascists but may have served Italy in WW1 ( my grandfather) others were born here and keen to enlist for UK but were treated as a threat to the state. Joe Pieri was born in Italy but raised in Glasgow and had first hand knowledge of the Arandora Star tragedy (my uncle) and the abuse and imprisonment (and ultimate shame) of Canadian based internees (my father). His writing style is easy and natural and he went on to pen several books on Scots Italians that are often a reference for PHDs and various documentaries.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
