Overview

A complete history of the maritime struggle in the Mediterranean and Middle East during World War II. For three millennia the Mediterranean Sea served as the center of western civilization and the scene of many colossal wars and naval battles. In the early summer of 1940, this ancient body of water again played host to a new and extensive conflict as the Kingdom of Italy challenged Britain for dominance within the region. With France on the verge of collapse and Britain facing the prospect of imminent invasion, the Italians hoped to re-establish control over the Mediterranean. The only thing standing in their way was the heavily outnumbered British Mediterranean Fleet and the equally outnumbered British ground and air forces present in the region. Together, these forces would determine whether the Mediterranean reverted back to Italian control or whether the Allies would prevail and retain supremacy over this great body of water for themselves. This book tells the story of this epic struggle. This was a prolonged and colossal conflict waged at differing times against the combined forces of Italy, Germany and Vichy France over a wide area stretching from the coastal waters of Southern Europe in the north to Madagascar in the south and Africa's Atlantic coast in the west to the Persian Gulf in the east. Utilizing a variety of weapons including surface warships, submarines, and aircraft along with sizable merchant fleets, the British and their subsequent American partners maintained vital seaborne lines of communication, conducted numerous amphibious landings, interdicted Axis supply activities and eventually eliminated all semblances of Axis maritime power within the theatre. In turn, these actions facilitated multiple Allied victories that helped secure the defeat of the European Axis. AUTHOR: Brian E. Walter is a historian and the author of The Longest Campaign, Britain's Maritime Struggle in the Atlantic and Northwest Europe, 1939–1945. He is a retired army officer from a combat arms branch with a BSc in Political Science and International Relations. A distinguished military graduate and recipient of the Excellence in Military History Award from the U.S. Army Center for Military History and the Association of the United States Army, he has been a student of the British military during World War II for more than 30 years. 32 illustrations

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9781636246604

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Reviews

""...a comprehensive book covering the various campaigns and engagements of the Mediterranean while also providing the relevant intersections with operations in the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, and the Horn of Africa.""-- ""Journal of Military History"" ""...provides a complete, balanced and detailed account of the epic maritime struggle in the Mediterranean throughout World War II and analyzes the role the maritime effort played in facilitating the eventual Allied victory. Well written, it is an excellent narrative history.""-- ""SirReadaLot.org"" ""This is an excellent volume that shines a searchlight on a part of World War II that is often overlooked.""-- ""A Wargamers Needful Things"" ""Those looking for a general reference to the Second World War in the Mediterranean will find Walter's book extremely useful.""-- ""The Northern Mariner"" ""Walter highlights the British contribution to the war via its Mediterranean theater, while also placing it in the context of the strategic disagreements over campaigns in North Africa, Italy, and southern France. A strong piece of analysis, this book underscores why the Mediterranean was always more than just an Allied lake or secondary consideration to the war effort.""-- ""Naval History""

Author Information

Brian E. Walter is a retired army officer from a combat arms branch with a BSc in Political Science and International Relations. A distinguished military graduate and recipient of the Excellence in Military History Award from the U.S. Army Center for Military History and the Association of the United States Army, he has been a student of the British military during World War II for more than 30 years and is the author of The Longest Campaign, Blue Water War and Forgotten War.

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