Hitler's island war : the men who fought for Leros / Julie Peakman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Peakman, Julie, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Leros, Battle of, Greece, 1943.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (382 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

London, [England] ; New York, [New York] : I.B.Tauris, 2018.

Summary:

"In September 1943, at the height of World War II, the Aegean island of Leros became the site of the most pivotal battle of the Dodecanese campaign as the British tried, in vain, to retain control of the island. Over the course of two short months - from 15 September 1943 to 17 November 1943 - almost 1500 men lost their lives and hundreds more ended up in Prisoner-of-War camps. In this book, Julie Peakman, a modern-day resident of Leros, brings to life the story of the men caught up in the battle based on first-hand interviews and written accounts including diaries, letters and journals. She tells of the preparations of the soldiers leading up to the battle, the desperate hand-to-hand fighting, and the suffering endured from continual bombings. She also shows the extent of the men's despair at the allied surrender, the many subsequent daring escapes as well as the terrible years of incarceration for those who were captured and imprisoned. Many of the heart-rending accounts of the battle are told here for the first time, providing a unique eyewitness take on this forgotten corner of World War II." --Publisher's website.

Contents:

In the beginning

The Italian capitualation

Troops to Leros

Digging in

Fall of Kos

Making preparations

Waiting under bombs

The first day of battle

Central collision

And the fight goes on

Tired, hungry and lost

Final day of the battle

Surrender or escape

The rescue parties

Prisoners of war

The German POW camps

Aftermath considerations.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (EBC, viewed January 25, 2018).

ISBN:

9781786722997

1786722992

9781786732996

1786732998