Fear

On the front line in World War I, six soldiers face a suicide mission.
 
A classic of Italian literature, Fear is often compared to All Quiet on the Western Front.

At a hot mountain outpost during World War I, Lieutenant Alfani wishes something would break the tedium of the day. Within hours he will regret that wish as he and his men will face a deadly, terrifying suicide mission. Alfani must send his men through an unprotected stretch of land to reoccupy a critical lookout position, but a Hungarian sniper is picking them off one by one. Brave Gusmaroli, family-man Zocchi, religious Ricci, and the great war hero Morana—each will be forced to face the agonizing nature of war.

A gripping tale, filled with superb description, and revealing psychological and cultural details, Fear is a devastating war story told by one of Italy’s great realists. It calls to mind the All Quiet on the Western Front or Paths of Glory in its unadorned look at the The Great War.