A Spy in Rome

This is a fascinating account of the adventures of a young U.S. intelligence officer in Italy during the last year of WWII.

There are a number of factors that make this book special. Tomkins is an excellent writer, highly intelligent, politically savvy and mature well beyond his 25 years. With his fluency in Italian and insider knowledge of the city of Rome and local norms and customs, he is able to give us an authentic slice of life experience from the Nazi-occupied city.

Italy's political landscape at the time is diverse and complex. Tomkins shares his struggles, thought process and strategies as he is quickly able - after a rough start, to establish an information gathering network that provides the allies with vital insights on Nazi strongpoints and movements.

He is mostly fortunate in his choice of work colleagues from the italian underground. He describes a diverse range of characters from a variety of occupations from urban police, political ambassadors, vatican officials, doctors, tailors and domestic help.

On the political front Tompkins gives us a first-hand account as he rubs shoulders with fascists roaming the streets and pose a double threat with the threat of violence while some are Nazi collaborators who might turn one in to the SS.

Tompkins is left leaning politically and gives us an open and honest account of how the allies, once they took the city of Rome, eventually shunned socialists and others on the left who fought with them as part of the underground and instead favored the same people on the right that collaborated with the enemy.

With all that going on Tomkins still manages to have fun as he and his gang throw frequent parties to “maintain cover” as care free, high society youths. And at one point has a close call when he ends up partying with a high-level German officer.

There's nothing else I've seen like this book. It's genuinely one of a kind.