The first victory : the Second World War and the East Africa Campaign / Andrew Stewart.

Author
Stewart, Andrew, 1970- [Browse]
Format
Book
Language
English
Published/​Created
New Haven ; London : Yale University Press, [2016]
Description
xvi, 308 pages, 12 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Availability

Available Online

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Location Call Number Status Location Service Notes
Firestone Library - Stacks D766.84 .S74 2016 Browse related items Request

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    Subject(s)
    Summary note
    "A riveting new account of the long-overlooked achievement of British-led forces who, against all odds, scored the first major Allied victory of the Second World War. Surprisingly neglected in accounts of Allied wartime triumphs, in 1941 British and Commonwealth forces completed a stunning and important victory in East Africa against an overwhelmingly superior Italian opponent. A hastily formed British-led force, never larger than 70,000 strong, advanced along two fronts to defeat nearly 300,000 Italian and colonial troops. This compelling book draws on an array of previously unseen documents to provide both a detailed campaign history and a fresh appreciation of the first significant Allied success of the war. Andrew Stewart investigates such topics as Britain's African wartime strategy; how the fighting forces were assembled (most from British colonies, none from the U.S.); General Archibald Wavell's command abilities and his difficult relationship with Winston Churchill; the resolute Italian defense at Keren, one of the most bitterly fought battles of the entire war; the legacy of the campaign in East Africa; and much more."--Publisher information.
    Bibliographic references
    Includes bibliographical references (pages 249-292) and index.
    Contents
    • Introduction: A forgotten campaign
    • Strategic miscalculation
    • Hoping for the best
    • War comes to East Africa
    • Imperial defeat: the surrender of British Somaliland
    • Preparing for the counter-offensive
    • The advance from Kenya
    • Second front: striking from the Sudan
    • Triumph in the mountains: the Battle of Keren
    • A third front: the Patriots
    • Winning the war, worrying about the peace
    • Conclusion: The British empire's first victory.
    Other title(s)
    Second World War and the East Africa campaign
    ISBN
    • 9780300208559 ((cloth ; : alk. paper))
    • 0300208553 ((cloth ; : alk. paper))
    LCCN
    2016031009
    OCLC
    945946546
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