Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #991616 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Synopsis
A paperback edition of this first-rate telling of the naval war in the Mediterranean up until Italy's Armistice in September 1943. This is the first English-language book on the subject to fully utilise all the recent research in the various languages of the combatants and to give full accounts of all the fighting on, under and over the sea. It is far more than an operational history, however. The authors explain why all the various warship classes were built and how they were employed; the role of the Italian Air Force at sea is analysed; and the successes of the German planes and U-boats in the Mediterranean are described. The new material on the Axis side of the struggle, with particular emphasis on the Italian contribution, is of particular interest to readers. Specially commissioned maps give a clear understanding of events, while the photographs, many not seen before, paint a vivid picture of the reality of war at sea. This is a very valuable addition to the shelves of anyone with an interest in the naval dimension of the Second World War.

Customer Reviews

Does what it says on the tin
A through-going review of the war in the Mediterranean. Its insight into the Italian perspective is helpful in revealing issues not necessarily explored in English historiography. It will tell you everything that happened, with a good level of detail and illustrations.

Why only four stars? At the risk of nit-picking, this good book could be better. Firstly, the narrative itself is ponderous, and rarely seems quite to 'take off'. All the facts appear to be there, but the presentation isn't that fluent. Use of quotations and other sources is sometimes a little odd too. A number of interesting themes are addressed, such as the frictions between the Italian Navy and air force and their German allies, and the Italian use of XMAS miniature submaries, but the dead hand of chronological narrative means all is subsumed by 'telling the story'; perhaps a thematic approach would have allowed the issues to be dealt with more effectively.

All in all, however, an informative and comprehensive volume, both for the newcomer to the Mediterannean War, and the more informed reader.