Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #859472 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Synopsis
Concentrates on the military actions between the first German paratroop landing on 20th May and the final defeat and evacuation on 30th May. As well as studying the strengths, tactics, leadership and weapons of both sides, this book contains numerous graphic personal anecdotes by participants, be they German, Allied or Cretan.

Customer Reviews

A Reasonable Introduction But.....
I feel a little better disposed towards this book than the original reviewer, however, would agree that there is little new here. If you'd read the secondary sources cited in this book, then there is no need to bother with this book but, if you haven't, well there are worse ways of getting an introduction to the subject of the German invasion of Crete.

What would have made for a more easily understood and better-rounded account would have been a) more use of primary accounts, which are relatively easily available (not least from shops in Crete itself!); b) maps of the main actions; and c) a little more about what happened outside of Maleme. Yes, the battle was decided there but there was much more going on than in and around Maleme.

This was a soldier's battle and it really was one that was messed up by the senior commanders (treated gently on both sides by the author, rather puzzingly for me - I think they both performed poorly).

For the German perspective, read, "Heaven and Hell"; the Australian, try "The Flowers of Rethymnon"; New Zealander, go for, "Dare to be Free"; and for the British, try "To Have and to Lose". The author of the latter account, a soldier in the York & Lancasters, couldn't believe they were being evacuated to Egypt (he was in the garrison at Heraklion) because they had beaten the Germans!

The German account, cited above, makes it clear that they never were the same after Crete and that the men on Crete were the best soldiers he ever faced. Quite an accolade from a man who saw service throughout the war on all the main battle fronts. I think the author, although writing from an allied perspective (and one day we'll get more from the Greek side - they were there you know!), does acknowledge just how well they Germans performed. It is not quite THAT partisan.

Spend your money elsewhere
This book was touted as seeing the battle from all sides. It is unfortunately a rehash of the Allies' experience. Nothing new or orginal in it. Worse still, it seems to take the view that all the Allied soldiers did was win the fighting, but because of the commanders from battalion level up, they were pulled out and and so lost the battle. What is striking is how often the Germans are described as being defeated time and again. You wouldn't know who won the battle in the end from this unbalanced view.

The Germans did land in an unorganised way and were very lightly armed and still suffered casualties, but that is what can happen to parachute operations. The thing is, that despite all the reverses, they came through and won. Yes, more troops had to be brought in by glider. So what? The author has missed the essential point, I think. Large scale drops are risky and it takes elite troops to keep fighting under harsh conditions and when things were looking grim, the Germans still came through. The author didn't acknowledge this.

Furtermore, the author contends that the Allied troops on the ground were full of fighting spirit and it was only the higher echelons of command that misread this and pulled them out. The author doesn't explain why there was this decision. Perhaps the commanders really did have a handle on the morale and concluded that the Allied troops had had enough? I don't know, but it would be interesting to find out.

Time and again 'Jerry' is put to flight in a fight. It seems that Tommy didn't lose a single skirmish from this narrative. Clearly, there was something in the fighting skills of the Germans that lead to the outcome of the battle and the author would prefer to talk about the battle in a one-sided way that still leaves the reader wondering why the Germans carried on, how and why.

Little credit is given to the Germans who fought through impossible odds and won.