Michael Barthorp's entertaining and authoritative study includes key commanders such as (India 1837-56) Charles Napier; Hugh Gough; Harry Smith; (Crimean War) Lord Raglan; James Scarlett; George Cathcart; John Pennefather; (Indian Mutiny) John Nicholson; Henry Havelock; Hope Grant; Colin Campbell; (India 1860-98) Frederick Roberts; (Africa) Robert Napier; Garnet Wolseley; Herbert Stewart; Evelyn Wood; Redvers Buller; Hector Macdonald and Herbert Kitchener – among others.
#2288339 in Books 2014-06-19 2014-07-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.30 x 1.00 x 6.20l; .0 #File Name: 1783462604240 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Kenneth GillA very good read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I rate this book four stars and a fine addition to a military historian’s libraryBy S. Martin SheltonEvans relates the large-scale accomplishments of the Royal Air Force in the Cyrenaica; Sicilian; and Italian campaigns in World War II. His matter-of-fact style; presents the Desert Air Force’s (DAF) campaigns in a chronological; military style order. I would suggest that this book is for the military aficionado—clearly not for the casual reader. It’s a dry recitation; laced with a few personal tidbits.He offers several maps; however; not enough of them and not annotated in pertinent detail enough—making it nettlesome to follow his narrative. Such especially is the case in his narrative of the Eight Army’s campaign in southeastern Tunisia. For example; on page 73 he discusses the Army’s capture of the strategic Tebaga Gap in March 1943. Unfortunately; Tebaga Gap is not spotted on the relevant map.The RAF’s command of the sky over Cyrenaica and its perfected close air support technique were the deciding factors in the Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery’s British Eight Army’s successful breakout at El’ Alamein in December in 1942. The key to victory was the DAF’s total quashing of supplies for Field Marshall Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps’ Panzeramee. In particular; it was the sinking of the two Italian supply ships in the harbor at Tobruk; Proserpina and the Tergestea that was the death knell for the retreating Afrika Korps. Allied air power had won the air war over El’ Alamein.Following; it was the DAF’s supremacy of the air that enabled allied armies to crack the Nazi’s Gustav strategic defensive line at Monte Cassino in May 1943; and the Gothic Line in the Po Valley in April 1945.Overall; I rate this book four stars and a fine addition to a military historian’s library.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Recommended!By JimAn excellent and very readable summary of the activities and structure of the Desert Air Force. Recommended!
