The Aegean Mission: Allied Operations in the Dodecanese, 1943 (Contributions in Military Studies) [Hardcover]

Jeffrey Holland (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313262837 | ISBN-13: 978-0313262838 | Publication Date: August 24, 1988 | Edition: 1st Ed.

This well-researched study explores a virtually unknown and largely enigmatic aspect of World War II--the nature of amphibious operations in the Aegean Sea in 1943. More than an historical account, it is designed to interpret and reassess the crucial decisions which influenced the outcome of what has become known as the "Dodecanese Disaster." The British operations in the Aegean at that time present many parallels with the recent conflict in the Falklands in terms of scale and order of battle, the critical difference being that operations in the Aegean resulted in tragic failure. The author leads the reader through a web of intrigue, incompetence, fantasy, and cover-up to find the truth. He vividly portrays the tensions between American and British perspectives in the strategy for the war against Germany.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“. . . Mr. Holland's clear and concise analysis of the intrigue, incompetence and fantasy which cost the Allies a complete infantry brigade and a third of the Mediterranean Fleet makes fascinating reading. The Aegean Mission is the 77th in the Greenwood Press's Contributions in Military Studies series. The presentation of the book comes as a slight surprise, but the transcript-like print style is very readable and clear and somehow gives the contents a feeling of immediacy and urgency.”–The Journal of the Royal Artillery

“In recent years, American historians have begun, belatedly, to focus on the Dodecanese campaign of late 1943 and to evaluate its significant political and strategic ramifications. Progress in understanding the campaign has been made, but basic questions remain. . . . Jeffrey Holland, in the The Aegean Mission addresses these questions anew and combines the broader issues with an important and revealing study of the Kos and Leros battles themseleves. Holland's analysis is objective and fresh. While he suggests no answers to controversies which essentially cannot be answered, he significantly enlarges our understanding of this obscure but vital subject. I could not put this book down, and I predict that The Aegean Mission will stand as a prime reference on the fateful controversy it covers for many years to come.”–David Eisenhower

About the Author

JEFFREY HOLLAND is a member of the family that founded Holland & Holland, the gunmakers. In World War II he served in France, Malta, the Dodecanese, and Germany and was mentioned in dispatches for gallantry on the island of Leros.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press; 1st Ed. edition (August 24, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313262837
• ISBN-13: 978-0313262838
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,211,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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