This classic of war literature is the story of Guglielmo Petroni--not only his experiences in the hands of Fascist police and the Gestapo, but a meditation on the survival and growth of his compatriots and his nation. Terror, uncertainty, the fear of death, and the brutality he encounters at nearly every turn are all described in concrete terms, but the author's restrained tone, informed by a sense of paradox and the absurd, conveys a depth of feeling that makes this memoir all the more remarkable.

The World Is a Prison is Guglielmo Petroni's story of survival and growth, an account of his experiences and a meditation on their meaning for himself, for his compatriots, and for an entire country. Terror, uncertainty, the fear of death, and the brutality he encounters at nearly every turn are all described in concrete terms, but the author's restrained tone, informed by a sense of paradox and the absurd, conveys a depth of feeling that makes this prison memoir all the more remarkable.