His remarkable knowledge of Europe and its leaders is based upon his experience as a correspondent and in the Italian diplomatic service. In 1941 he was sent to cover the Eastern Front as a correspondent for "Corriere della Sera". The articles he sent back from the Ukrainian Fronts, many of which were suppressed, were collected in 1943 and brought out under the title "Il Volga nasce in Europa" ("The Volga Rises in Europe"). The experience provided the basis for his two most famous books, "Kaputt" (1944) and "The Skin" (1949).