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Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel Paperback – May 1, 2017

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 231,388 ratings

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Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, the USA Today and #1 Amazon Charts bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours.

Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager―obsessed with music, food, and girls―but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.

In an attempt to protect him, Pino’s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier―a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich’s most mysterious and powerful commanders.

Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share.

Fans of All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, and Unbroken will enjoy this riveting saga of history, suspense, and love.

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Popular Highlights in this book

Editorial Reviews

Review

A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist, Historical Fiction

A 2017 Goodreads Top 20 Most-Read Book

A Goodreads Best Book of the Month

“Exciting…taut thriller…
Beneath a Scarlet Sky tells the true story of one young Italian’s efforts to thwart the Nazis.” ―Shelf Awareness

“Meticulous research highlights this World War II novel of a youth growing into manhood…a captivating read…”
―RT Book Reviews

“An incredible story, beautifully written, and a fine and noble book.”
―James Patterson, New York Times bestselling author

“Sprawling, stirring, like the richest of stories, and played out on a canvas of heroism and tragedy,
Beneath a Scarlet Sky is like one of those iconic World War II black and white photos: a face of hope and tears, the story of a small life that ended up mattering in a big way.” ―Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of The One Man

“Action, adventure, love, war, and an epic hero―all set against the backdrop of one of history's darkest moment―Mark Sullivan's
Beneath a Scarlet Sky has everything one can ask for in an exceptional World War II novel.” ―Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Playing with Fire

“This is full-force Mark Sullivan―muscular, soulful prose evincing an artist’s touch and a journalist’s eye.
Beneath a Scarlet Sky conjures an era with a magician’s ease, weaving the rich tapestry of a wartime epic. World War II Italy has never been more alive to me.” ―Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author of The Nowhere Man

Beneath a Scarlet Sky has everything―heroism, courage, terror, true love, revenge, compassion in the face of the worst human evils. Sullivan shows us war as it really is, with all its complexities, conflicting loyalties, and unresolved questions, but most of all, he brings us the extraordinary figure of Pino Lella, whose determination to live con smania―with passion―saved him.” ―Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Suspicion and The Switch

About the Author

Mark Sullivan is the acclaimed author of eighteen novels, including the #1 New York Times bestselling Private series, which he writes with James Patterson. Mark has received numerous awards for his writing, including the WHSmith Fresh Talent Award, and his works have been named a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. He grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Hamilton College with a BA in English before working as a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa. Upon his return to the United States, he earned a graduate degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and began a career in investigative journalism. An avid skier and adventurer, he lives with his wife in Bozeman, Montana, where he remains grateful for the miracle of every moment.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lake Union Publishing; Later Printing edition (May 1, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 523 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1503943372
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1503943377
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 231,388 ratings

About the author

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Mark Sullivan
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Mark Sullivan is the acclaimed author of eighteen novels, including the #1 Kindle bestselling Beneath a Scarlet Sky, and the #1 New York Times bestselling Private series, which he writes with James Patterson. Mark has received numerous awards for his writing, including the WHSmith Fresh Talent Award, and his works have been named a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Book of the Year. He grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Hamilton College with a BA in English before working as a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa. Upon his return to the United States, he earned a graduate degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and began a career in investigative journalism. An avid skier and adventurer, he lives with his wife in Bozeman, Montana, where he remains grateful for the miracle of every moment.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
231,388 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story captivating and action-packed. They describe it as an important read that they couldn't put down. The writing quality is praised as well-crafted and literary. The book is described as inspiring, thought-provoking, and touching. Readers mention that the emotional content is heart-wrenching, tragic, and sad. They appreciate the bravery and resilience of the young man's character.

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13,747 customers mention "Story quality"13,399 positive348 negative

Customers find the story gripping and suspenseful. They appreciate the true-to-life events and the well-written historical novel based on actual facts. The book is described as an amazing, never-before-told story that is well told by Mark Sullivan.

"Loved the writing style. Loved the history. The hero of the story was a very courageous young man...." Read more

"...This is a novel recounting the truly remembered adventures & feelings of teenager Pino Lella as told by the 90+ year-old survivor of those last 2..." Read more

"This book was great! The story was so beautiful and I loved Pino and everything he stood for. The perspective was so unique and perfect...." Read more

"...Full of action and suspense which will keep you on the edge of your seat for the duration. Most highly recommended...." Read more

10,899 customers mention "Readability"10,729 positive170 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They say it provides valuable insights into life and experiences. The book is praised for its quality, even though some parts are challenging.

"...This was a riveting book." Read more

"...This one's a keeper, very well done!" Read more

"This book was great! The story was so beautiful and I loved Pino and everything he stood for. The perspective was so unique and perfect...." Read more

"...and harrowing Kindle First selection which I feel is the best one I have read...." Read more

5,220 customers mention "Writing quality"4,648 positive572 negative

Customers praise the book's writing quality. They find it well-written, literary, and engaging. Readers appreciate the simple yet compelling storytelling and vivid descriptions of the war.

"Loved the writing style. Loved the history. The hero of the story was a very courageous young man...." Read more

"A Kindle First selection that is masterfully written with complex characters and heart-pounding scenes...." Read more

"...No spoilers here, but the end game in the book is extremely well-written, and through both tragedy and the joy of finally freeing Italy of the Nazis..." Read more

"...I’m SO glad I chose to listen to it in audio format. The authors rendition was impeccable ." Read more

4,746 customers mention "Enlightened"4,746 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring, thought-provoking, and interesting. They say it's touching and fills them with hope and joy. The story is educational and exciting, making it an enjoyable read.

"...The supporting cast of characters were well developed and fascinating in their own right...." Read more

"...This was an all-round rousing read: held my breath a lot; chuckled some & wept up a storm...." Read more

"...The perspective was so unique and perfect. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was it read a little too easy for me...." Read more

"...The climbing scenes through the mountains gave me a real shot of adrenaline. I felt as though I was one of the climbers and not a reader...." Read more

3,057 customers mention "Emotional content"2,741 positive316 negative

Customers find the book gripping and emotional. They describe it as heart-wrenching, revealing the suffering and difficult choices faced by Italians during World War II. The book explores themes of courage, faith, and love in the face of adversity.

"...is a novel recounting the truly remembered adventures & feelings of teenager Pino Lella as told by the 90+ year-old survivor of those last 2 crazy..." Read more

"...that is masterfully written with complex characters and heart-pounding scenes...." Read more

"...It had every human emotion possible. Pulled me right in" Read more

"...The characters are easy to picture, I could feel the emotion of the people and what they were going through." Read more

3,000 customers mention "Courage"2,994 positive6 negative

Customers find the book inspiring and gripping. They appreciate the young man's courage and tenacity to never give up. The story shows the impact of one young man's courage, resilience, and majesty of the human spirit. Readers meet several key figures in WWII Italy. Pino's abilities save his life in war-torn Italy as well as others' lives. It is a powerful message about the real persecution that happened to the Jewish.

"...Loved the history. The hero of the story was a very courageous young man...." Read more

"...survivor of those last 2 crazy years of The War when he was young, healthy, a brilliant skier & mountain climber who then had to enlist only to get..." Read more

"...It is a gripping story of resilience, the indomitable spirit of a young man that knew no boundaries and courage that sustained him during dark..." Read more

"...A remarkable story about a truly courageous man living through a brutal time in history." Read more

2,117 customers mention "Character development"2,011 positive106 negative

Customers find the characters engaging and easy to picture. They appreciate the book's historical accuracy and depiction of WWII heroes. The story highlights Pino, a brave man during the war.

"...The supporting cast of characters were well developed and fascinating in their own right...." Read more

"A Kindle First selection that is masterfully written with complex characters and heart-pounding scenes...." Read more

"...It was written in a way that allowed the reader to absorb the main character, Pino, and feel his emotions and angst of what he was going through at..." Read more

"...It grieves me so much - especially considering this is based upon real heroes - but I can neither continue this nor recommend it to others...." Read more

1,343 customers mention "Based on facts"1,234 positive109 negative

Customers appreciate the book's accuracy. They find it based on true events and people, with some fiction to make it entertaining. The first part of the book is fully credible, providing details about the time period.

"...I read it & the fact that it was based on a true story made it human & real...." Read more

"...mystery all wrapped up into one fantastic package, and best of all, it is true!..." Read more

"...This is a great read and story for an aspect of WWII that nobody really accounts for or cares to consider. Refreshing and inspiring...." Read more

"...The book weaves a fabulous tapestry of a family, who showed courage in different ways, resisted in a thousand different acts, and persisted despite..." Read more

ENGAGING
4 out of 5 stars
ENGAGING
4.5/5 stars"Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, the USA Today and #1 Amazon Charts bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours."A young Italian boy is tasked with guiding Jews safely to Switzerland through deadly mountains passes in Italy at the request of a Catholic Priest. He is then forced to join the Nazi Organization Todt as a driver for the second most powerful Nazi in all of Italy. He is working as a spy but friends and family think him a traitor and he is unable to tell them otherwise.This story reminds us that even in our darkest hours we can find love, keep faith, and carry on."The best thing is to grieve for the people you loved and lost, and then welcome and love the new people life puts in front of you.”"When we’re apart, I feel like all the music stops.”“To be young and in love. Isn’t it remarkable that something like that can happen in the middle of a war? It says something about the inherent goodness of life, despite all the evil we’ve seen.”"By opening our hearts, revealing our scars, we are made human and flawed and whole."
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2024
    Loved the writing style. Loved the history. The hero of the story was a very courageous young man. The supporting cast of characters were well developed and fascinating in their own right. Really enjoyed how the author summarized the lives following WWII in the Afterward. This was a riveting book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2018
    The Preface is enough to still your speeding modern mind to get how this author needs to fill you in on the circumstances about his life when the tattered outline of this odyssey was shown to him & how researching this true-to-life memoir swallowed him whole & saved his own life.

    In 1944 the hero of this tale was on the brink of manhood, ready to leave school & get on w/his life when the German army finally invaded his home town & their lives, their law & order, their ruler Il Duce & everyone's dreams & hopes came to a standstill.

    Caught between the proverbial rock & hard place, ordinary working Milanese & their children were waiting the stalled Allied advance north from Sicily as told over forbidden wirelesses via the BBC. They were also learning how to survive when Nazis & their attending Wermacht Army rolled in & co-opted all living places, food & supplies. Along with all the dramas in hotels & apartments with mistresses & maids, parents & siblings there were the ever-present spies & collaborators.

    This is a novel recounting the truly remembered adventures & feelings of teenager Pino Lella as told by the 90+ year-old survivor of those last 2 crazy years of The War when he was young, healthy, a brilliant skier & mountain climber who then had to enlist only to get wounded on his first foray & while on medical leave Fate chose him to become a German general's driver in a world gone mad as the Allies pounded their way north forcing the Germans into a destructive retreat.

    This was an all-round rousing read: held my breath a lot; chuckled some & wept up a storm. I have a feeling this will be Mark Sullivan's best-remembered tale cuz he brings Pino Lella to life in a poetic, heroic fashion; a lad in love w/music, cars & girls who gets to hear the most sorrowful of dirges & the most uplifting of arias; he falls in love w/a fleeting stranger & then starts mid-winter mountain climbing & skiing to take city Jews to freedom, & the music follows him there too. He learns to drive his car mechanic friend's loaner Italian autos; his heart breaks as he watches his family & friends struggle & his city crumble & his life tumble into a pit of despair.

    The real adventure is that in his travels with his general Fate is giving him all the information he needs to pass on via his uncle to Partisans up in the mountains who harass & confound the invaders at the end of their tether, resources & reign.

    On these travels all over northern Italy Pino bears witness to hidden tunnels filled with a host of grey ghost slaves preparing underground factories, munitions dumps & wonders for which he has no names, all of which he will pass on once back in Milan. All one breathless blink from discovery.

    It was hard enough being in the company of a German general who praised his work, his mastery of the automobile, who trusted his translations of Italian into French it was, however, far worse watching his compatriots scrabble to survive, always endangered & his lifetime friends shunning him as a coward for not picking up a weapon.

    This young man must have burned out his adrenal glands well B4 he was 19 while guiding Italian Jews over the Alps to freedom & then still a year-and-a-half B4 VE Day go on, never sleeping regularly, the emotional roller-coaster never stopping: finding courage, seduced by excitement, warned by memories of horrific slaughters... & then he meets the maid to his general's mistress & that first love becomes his sacred oasis of music & joy & sensuality as the pace of his general's inspections as the Allies & Germans battle over his homeland demolishing untold castles on hills, ancient cities & monasteries filled with great art.

    In that final Spring of The War a fever overtakes everyone: the sights, sounds, smells, tastes of war fill Pino up as his general orders repeated drives to one particular place on the border along the Brenner Pass into Austria & Pino suspects his general is shipping gold bars out for his escape.

    The End of this fine saga reaches its climax amid mis-information & bad timing. All falls B4 Pino's eyes & his heart & spirit are broken when he learns he has been played by both sides: his general & his country.

    I'm so glad Sullivan gave us an update as to where everyone we met were by the turn of this century cuz it leaves the reader knowing an eager beaver of a spirit had not worked in vain, had grown immeasurably & gone on to live as ordinary life as anyone who lived thru such times could.

    A profoundly validating account of one teenager's Coming of Age in a Time of War.

    I was thrilled, entranced, filled with amore & doused with sorrow & all through I could hear the music to Pino Lello's life. This one's a keeper, very well done!
    25 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2024
    This book was great! The story was so beautiful and I loved Pino and everything he stood for. The perspective was so unique and perfect. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was it read a little too easy for me. I like a little bit more of a challenging read and this book wasn’t that, but that’s my fault not the book. Also, I loved the ending and I love that some things in this book were unexpected.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2017
    A Kindle First selection that is masterfully written with complex characters and heart-pounding scenes. It takes place in Italy -'the forgotten front'- during WW II and the reader is drawn into a web of intrigue. Pino Lello, 17 years of age, is wise beyond his years and intelligent, as well. It is a gripping story of resilience, the indomitable spirit of a young man that knew no boundaries and courage that sustained him during dark hours.

    When reading the first portion, I was wondering if (and how) this intense pace would continue. The climbing scenes through the mountains gave me a real shot of adrenaline. I felt as though I was one of the climbers and not a reader. This is also when the echoes of 'Nessun Dorma' were played with such passion. For me, this is one of the underlying themes in the story - 'none shall sleep'. And, Pino Lello has taken that to heart for the remainder of this story.

    The action intensified throughout the remainder of the book, and one is allowed a rare glimpse into the mind of Il Duce - Benito Mussolini - plus the inner workings of the German High Command. Becoming a driver for Major General Hans Leyer allows Pino access to a man that is two steps from the Fuhrer. Pino Lello witnesses atrocities he wishes he could forget but keeps soldiering on...wisely...

    Just a gripping and harrowing Kindle First selection which I feel is the best one I have read. Full of action and suspense which will keep you on the edge of your seat for the duration.

    Most highly recommended.

    Please note that this is my Kindle First selection for April 2017.
    952 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Oscar
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating reading.
    Reviewed in Mexico on January 5, 2025
    A good and fast reading to a well paced history. I fully recommend this book for a good read.

    I'm not sure if it's an historical acuarate book but surely it's a good tale.
  • Kindle Customer g.little
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 9, 2024
    Based on fact and author's, imagination, well written, plenty of action fascinating storyline, leaves you wondering, well worth the read
  • prasee
    5.0 out of 5 stars A book not to be missed
    Reviewed in India on September 4, 2024
    Avid readers like me read many books, and not all are remembered and treasured. This book is not one of them, the story touches your heart, It makes you wonder how lucky you are to be born in this beautiful world where many beings have sacrificed in their own way to make this word liveable. Gratitude is what you feel towards everyone who contributed their little bit and made this planet a better place to live
  • Françoise Marignan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Bajo un cielo escarlata
    Reviewed in Spain on February 17, 2023
    1943 en Italia era una parte de la guerra mundial que no conocía tanto. Este libro basada en la historia real de Pino Lelo es increíble ..El libro engancha desde el principio , y aprendí muchos datos sobre esta parte de la historia..
  • Christine Boos
    5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful true story
    Reviewed in Germany on February 6, 2021
    A true story!! I was impressed with this 17 year old young man, Pino who rescued many Jewish people during WWII and also acted as a spy. However what is even more remarkable lies in the fact that he got involved in rescuing and spying without deciding to do so in the first place. Chance did! First, he was sent 9 months in the Alps with his brother and children to escape Milan bombing. He lived there with a priest who trained his physical condition in order to be able to cross the Alps. He did not know then that the ultimate aim was to get refugees over to Switzerland! But he did it willingly and for months, winter included, not only did Pino have to overcome the dangers of the Alps themselves, but also the threat of being discovered by the Germans. At 18, called back to Milan by his father, Pino had to enlist and became a General's driver totally by chance! Pushed by his uncle to spy on the General, he did it as a matter of fact!!! The author met Pino(as well as other witnesses) who told him his story. This makes the events told here very reliable. A great read!