The Mediterranean Sea is the maritime crossroads where Europe; Asia and Africa meet. It was the most intensely contested body of water in World War II. More major naval actions were fought in the Mediterranean than in the Atlantic or Pacific. Its waters witnessed carrier strikes; battle-line shootouts; cruiser-destroyer engagements; convoy attacks; coastal actions; amphibious assaults; and bitter submarine campaigns. Despite the importance of the Mediterranean war; however; its recent literature is remarkably sparse and largely one-sided. The Struggle for the Middle Sea is a fresh study of the Mediterranean naval war. It analyses the actions and performances of each of the five major navies; the British; Italian; French; German; and American within a chronological; operational narrative of the entire five year campaign; and examines; without partisanship; the national imperatives that drove much of the action. The Struggle for the Middle Sea sidesteps the myths that haunt this campaign; like Great Britain enjoyed a moral advantage over Italy; or the French were Germans puppets; or the North African campaign contributed to the eventual Allied victory. The book documents how the British Royal Navy; despite brilliant victories; was bled white in a campaign with questionable strategic goals; how Italy followed its own coherent naval strategy; much to the frustration of its German ally; how the Marine Nationale was the strength of the independent French state and how it fought the Allies--and rejected the Axis--to maintain that independence. Finally; while the book concentrates on the 1940 to 1943 period; it also covers Germany’s improvised and remarkably successful fighting withdrawal at sea from 1943-1945.
#494100 in Books Routledge 2009-05-06 2009-03-24Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.26 x .85 x 6.25l; 1.14 #File Name: 1591027047287 pages
Review
40 of 42 people found the following review helpful. Defeating Political IslamBy Barry WebbI purchased this book primarily to learn the views on political Islam and Jihad from a "non-white" European/North American. As the author points out; India has been victimized by Islam perhaps more than any other country on the planet with the exception of Arabia itself. However; unfortunately; all too often during the past several decades or so; Indians have; in the name of political correctness and "non-aligned" movement solidarity stemming from the Nehru/Nasser aliance; white washed the centuries of ethnic cleansing perpetrated on them by Islam; as well as the more recent predations. So; it was quite refreshing to learn that at least some Indians are beginning to re-examine their past so as to better understand the threat to their future. Whether one agrees with the author or not; one should read this book for the sections on India if nothing else.His primary thesis is that militant Jihad can never be defeated unless the philosophical underpinnings of political Islam are discredited and eliminated. Unfortunately; he points out; that political Islam itself (and ultimately Jihad) can never be eliminated unless the theological underpinnings of Islam itself are discredited and proven to be false. Contrary to what certain intellectually challenged critics claim; he is not advocating the mass extermination of Muslims or any sort of persecution. In fact; he makes the point several times that military responses to Jihad are not the solution; though they may be needed from time to time to gain short term breathing room. Rather; his main point is that the only way to defeat political Islam and subsequently eliminate Jihad; is tosubject the Islamic trinity of Qur'an; Hadith; and Sunna to the same scientific and scholarly scrutiny that Christian doctrines have been subjected to over the last several centuries. Use science; he says; to first convince the westernized; intellectual Muslims of the errors of their religion; and then this will eventually trickle down to the masses in the third world countries. The Western powers could speed this process up by setting up TV and radio stations beamed to the Islamic world where their scriptures would be analyzed by experts and held up against the findings of science. In the process; the numerous contradictions and outright silliness of most of literatures in their holy trinity of Qur'an; Hadith; and Sunna; would become apparent to all leading to a mass defection from the religion. He warns; however; that such an effort would likely unravel Christianity as well as religion in general gets de-mythologized by science.I wanted to give this book five stars for the author's unique approach to dealing with Political Islam and for his invaluable recounting of the true (and very grave) situation in India. However there were a few issues that prevented me from doing so. One was his tendency to repeat himself rather often. Another issue was his tendency to accept the position of the apologist Steven Swartz that the virulent form of Sunni Islam sweeping the world today is entirely the fault of Saudi Arabia's Wahhabism. In so doing; the author undermines his own thesis that it is Islam itself that needs to be dismantled. By placing all of the blame for virulent Islam and Jihad on the shoulders of the Wahhabis (bad though they are); he is; in a sense; letting the MB and Sayyid Qutb off the hook. Then there is the matter of minor factual errors. For example; on page 69 he makes reference to "the Saudi tribes Muhammad was a part of." Historically; the Saudis did not appear until the 15th century; and then the ruled only one tiny village near Riyadh. They did not become major players until they wedded themselves to the Wahhabi doctrine in the 18th century. So; there were no Saudi tribes during the time of Muhammad. What the author should have said; was Arab tribes. Unfortunately he made that same mistake several times throughout the book; projecting "the Saudis" back into historical times and geographical areas when and where they did not exist.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. It must read for understanding WHY we must fight political ISLAM!By Midas747After you have read this book on the connection between Islam and terrorism; you will know that Muslims are the who; terrorism is the how; and Islam is the why behind the world's most heinous acts. But these will not be the only riddles you will solve as you read this. You will also know what lies behind America's political and media deceptions.2 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Defeating IslamBy DeanThis book would have been topical hundreds if not a thousand years ago (when the islamist arabs invaded Europe and India)It should be text book material in schools if there was any sense of survival (in India and actually around the world e.g. France where they have to resort to facile tactics like banning the veil - it's islam stupid)It highlights what I call the collective and universal Stockholm effect afflicting the world when it comes to islamic terror ( god know what would have happened if the followers of any other religion would have done the WTC bombings).It brings to the fore the selfish nature of democracies and their leaders (Indian vote bank politics; British too; American political leaders ingratiating themselves to muslim kings and political leaders for who knows what personal gain; miscellaneous western military leaders hobnobbing with moslem military leaders in the hopes of gaining some futile tactical advantage in the short term while dooming efforts to strategically remove a sworn (on the koran) enemy who will strike when he is stronger or you are weaker)It also highlights the materialistic nature of modern society that prefers to work months and years to gain a college education but do not find time to read about a threat that can strike anytime anywhere (a flight bombing; discomforting work environments where civil liberties are curbed by HR departments (ramadan so no office lunches please); children brainwashed by mindless liberal educators(Dad; not all moslems are bad? (try living with your classmate in pakistan); civil liberties diminished in towns in the US where islamists have large numbers(pork bans in school cafeterias); (You know pork is dirty!"etc.Wake up - giving up is not an option.
