Italian Books from the First World War period

This digital collection gathers poems and songs, war publications, educational books and war manuals. There are poems and songs of patriotic exaltation, entertainment and military marches, pain and suffering as well as of protest and anger.

Patriotic poetry written by several Italian literates Marinetti, Ugo Fancelli, Lorenzo Bettini, Onofrio Grottola, Gino Sottochiesa, Angelo Giov. Balestra, Venturino Camaiti etc. Included are several poems and songs by women writers as Rachele Ferrari, Simplicio Rosa, Carmela Fiorentino, Alda Ajassa etc, important sources that show women's roles in the World War. In addition to poems and songs, the collection offers war publications and educational books for children.

Furthermore, users can access works published by governmental institutions such as the Italian War Ministry, by the international humanitarian movement Red Cross or by several Italian authors to spread information or propaganda to influence public opinion. These books deal with laws, government acts, financial measures, “decreti luogotenenziali”, health care, war technologies, national savings and loans. Finally, the collection makes available military manuals, war technical manuals and officers' manuals, medical publications mostly about typhus.