The Aegean Mission: Allied Operations in the Dodecanese, 1943

(Hardback)

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Description

This study explores an enigmatic aspect of World War II - the nature of 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. This book will be of particular use to students of military history and international relations - particularly those who are concerned with the exercise of power and the resolution of political conflict. It should also appeal to the general reader interested in the history of World War II.

Reviews

"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
. . . 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
." . . 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

Author Bio

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. He is a member of the Special Air Service Regiment and the Special Forces Club.