LAURENCE REES: And what was the single most mistaken decision of the war?

SIR MAX HASTINGS: Although in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t that important, the most mistaken decision I think was the decision to expand the Italian campaign after the first phase. Up to the winter of 1943 it made sense; the Allies had to be doing something; the British and American Armies couldn’t be seen to be doing nothing while the Russians were fighting these colossal battles, but once it became plain just how tough Italy was going to be; once it became plain that the Germans were going to fight all the way, then I think Italy cost the Allies far more than it cost the Germans