Product Description

Today many of the Greek islands of the Dodecanese are popular tourist resorts. However in 1943 they were the scene of the last successful German invasion of the Second World War. The islands had been occupied by the Italians since 1912 but this was to change with the Italian Armistice of September 1943. With the downfall of Il Duce, Benito Mussolini, Winston Churchill seized the opportunity to open a new front in the eastern Mediterranean, thereby adding to the pressure being applied against Germany by the Soviets and at the same time providing encouragement for Turkey to join the Alliance. Rejected by the Americans, it was a proposal fraught with difficulties and, ultimately, one that was doomed to failure. Spearheaded by the Long Range Desert Group and Special Boat Squadron, British garrison troops occupied territory with the assistance of naval forces, but with little or no air cover. They were opposed by some of Germany's finest, including units of the esteemed Division Brandenburg, with ample air and sea support. Men and materiel were sacrificed in three months of operations which ended in a British defeat and with the Aegean under German occupation until the end of the war. The author has drawn on British, German, and Italian sources and uses graphic eyewitness accounts to provide a detailed retelling of the struggle for possession of the Dodecanese and the battles for Kos and Leros in particular. His work is illustrated with more than fifty photographs, including many rare images reproduced here for the first time.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #786817 in Books
• Published on: 2003-06-12
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Review
LIVING HISTORY magazine has included a review of CHURCHILL'S FOLLY in its recommended titles (July 03): 'When Churchill ordered an invasion of the Greek Dodecanese islands in 1943, he hoped for a quick victory that would lead Turkey to join the Allies. Instead it was a resounding defeat for the British and

About the Author
Anthony Rogers grew up in Malta where he later served in the Royal Marines Commandos. As a freelance photojournalist in the 1980s and 1990s he covered wars on three continents. More recently, an enduring interest in the Second World War has resulted in the publication of Battle over Malta (2000) and the writing of Churchill's Folly.

Customer Reviews

Great book about a little-known drama in 1943
When I picked up this book I thought it odd that here was an affair I had never heard something about, despite my long interest in WW2 British military affairs. Upon reading it became clear that the reason for this must be the dismal performance of British strategy in this operation - presumably something that one does not like to dwell on when there were magnificent victories to be told about at the same time.

The author has gone to very great length to capture both sides of the battle, by using not just British but also German unit records, and interviewing survivors on both sides. Because of this he is able to piece together a detailed picture of the chaotic events in the Dodecanese that led to the loss of so many British soldiers in the pursuit of a foolish goal. The author manages very well to mix personal accounts with operational detail, and check accounts against each other to establish the facts.

Congratulations on an extremely well-researched and very interesting book are due. Definitely worth reading.

Better Maps Please!
I came to this book from a slightly different angle, I am resarching the History of 47 Sqn RAF who where heavly committed to operations over the Agean at the time of this action, however I did very much enjoy this book, it is an area often ignored by military historians, probably because the official histories tend to skip this area.

My main problem with this book was a lack of maps. It is vital to be able to get an understanding of a campaign to provide the reader with decent maps that they can refer to. In this type of confused action where fighting was going on at several points at the same time involving scattered parties of troops from diferent units, it is so helpful to have a clear map to a larger scale as possible. It makes everything much easier to grasp.

This is not just a problem with this book which was very well resarched and written, the author has gone to great lengths to find personal and official accounts of the action, and provide a readable account, but this is a appeal to all authors dealing with action in the past BETTER MAPS PLEASE!