Kirjahaku

The British army emerged from World War I as the world’s premier fighting force. This same army, following two decades of government neglect, entered World War II pitifully small compared to its main rivals and wholly unprepared for the tasks at hand. Despite its sorry state of readiness, the army dutifully went forward to confront enemies of the British realm as it had done so many times before. Soon, it would be fully engaged in a global conflict against three powerful adversaries—the armed forces of Germany, Italy and Japan. During the war, the British army, along with its Imperial and Commonwealth counterparts, expanded from a force of only a few hundred thousand men to a cumulative strength of over eight million men and 110 field divisions, of which 70 saw combat during the conflict. Suffering a number of early defeats—including in France, Greece, Malaya and at Tobruk—this collective force slowly turned the tide against its Axis assailants. Fighting over an immense area that included Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Southwest Pacific, the British and Commonwealth armies eventually scored a string of stirring victories that avenged their earlier defeats and helped facilitate the demise of the Axis powers. The sheer scope of this accomplishment is reflected in the fact that, during the duration of the war, the British and Commonwealth armies inflicted a staggering four million casualties upon their Axis opponents for a cost to themselves of less than a quarter of this number. In this groundbreaking new book, Brian E. Walter provides a complete, balanced and detailed account of the contributions made by the British and Commonwealth armies during World War II. The product of over 30 years of meticulous research and analysis, the book is the quintessential, single-volume source on this topic. It provides a comprehensive history of all the major actions in all theatres carried out by the British and Commonwealth armies, both well-known and obscure, and provides unique analysis regarding the effectiveness and relevance of the army’s performance.

A complete and balanced account of the maritime struggle in the Atlantic theater._x000D_ _x000D_ For four centuries the British realm depended upon sea power to defend its interest and independence against a myriad of threats both military and economic. During this time the Royal Navy established itself as the "Sovereign of the Seas," helping transform England, and later Great Britain, from an unassuming island nation perched on the edge of the European continent to the center of a global empire. Yet the advent of World War II presented Britain's maritime services with their greatest challenge to date. At stake was the survival of the nation. The Longest Campaign tells the story of this epic struggle and the indispensable role that British sea power played in bringing about the victory that shaped the world we live in today. It is a complete, balanced and detailed account of the activities, results and relevance of Britain's maritime effort in the Atlantic and off northwest Europe throughout World War II. It looks at the entire breadth of the maritime conflict, exploring the contribution of all participants including the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and British merchant marines and their Commonwealth equivalents. It puts the maritime conflict in the context of the overall war effort and shows how the various operations and campaigns were intertwined. Finally, it provides unique analysis of the effectiveness of the British maritime effort and role it played in bringing about the final Allied victory.

"...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 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 theater. In turn, these actions facilitated multiple Allied victories that helped secure the defeat of the European Axis.