When the Italian dictator Mussolini saw that Hitler was conquering Europe he decided that he too, would have a share of the plunder. He declared war on the Allies, vowed to control the Mediterranean, & with his 300, 000 troops stationed in Libya, take Egypt & the Suez Canal. But he knew that this could not be accomplished while the strategic island of Malta remained in Allied hands. For the next two years Malta & its people suffered for almost continuous bombardment, but never gave in. In North Africa, because of stubborn Allied resistance, the Italian ambitions where not realised & the Germans led by General Rommel, joined them in campaign. Following months of bitter fighting Rommel's Afrika Corps were only halting just 150 miles from Cario. But after the Allies' victory at El Alamein, General Montgomery's 8th Army drove the Italians & Germans back to Tunisia where, strengthened by the British first army & the U. S. Second corps the Axis troops were driven from North Africa. This opened the way for the Allies to invade Sicily & eventually the Italian mainl&. ...

When the Italian dictator Mussolini saw that Hitler was conquering Europe he decided that he too, would have a share of the plunder. He declared war on the Allies, vowed to control the Mediterranean, & with his 300, 000 troops stationed in Libya, take Egypt & the Suez Canal. But he knew that this could not be accomplished while the strategic island of Malta remained in Allied hands. For the next two years Malta & its people suffered for almost continuous bombardment, but never gave in. In North Africa, because of stubborn Allied resistance, the Italian ambitions where not realised & the Germans led by General Rommel, joined them in campaign. Following months of bitter fighting Rommel's Afrika Corps were only halting just 150 miles from Cario. But after the Allies' victory at El Alamein, General Montgomery's 8th Army drove the Italians & Germans back to Tunisia where, strengthened by the British first army & the U. S. Second corps the Axis troops were driven from North Africa. This opened the way for the Allies to invade Sicily & eventually the Italian mainl&. ...

The Imperial War Museum holds a vast archive of interviews with soldiers, sailors, airmen & civilians of most nationalities who saw action during WW2. As in the highly-acclaimed Forgotten Voices of the Great War, Max Arthur & his team of researchers spent hundreds of hours digging deep into this unique archive, uncovering tapes, many of which have not been listened to since they were created in the early 1970s. The result will be the first complete oral history of the war. We hear at first from British, German & Commonwealth soldiers & civilians. Accounts of the impact of U. S. involvement after Pearl Harbour & the major effects it had on the war in Europe & the Far East is chronicled in startling detail, including compelling interviews from U. S. & British troops who fought against the Japanese. Continuing through from D-Day, to the Rhine Crossing & the dropping of the Atom Bomb in August 1945, this book is a unique testimony to one of the world's most dreadful conflicts. One of the hallmarks of Max Arthur's work is the way he involves those left behind on the home front as well as those working in factories or essential services. Their voices will not be neglected. ...

The Imperial War Museum holds a vast archive of interviews with soldiers, sailors, airmen & civilians of most nationalities who saw action during WW2. As they did for the highly acclaimed Forgotten Voices of the Great War, Max Arthur & his team of researchers spent hundreds of hours digging deep into this unique archive, uncovering tapes, many of which had not been listened to since they were created in the early 1970s. The result is the first complete oral history of the Second World War.

We hear at first from British, German & Commonwealth soldiers & civilians. Accounts of the impact of the U. S. involvement after Pearl Harbour, & the major effects that this had on the war in Europe & the Far East are chronicled in startling detail. Including compelling interviews from U. S. & British troops who fought against the Japanese, & accounts from D-Day, to the Rhine Crossing & the dropping of the Atom Bomb in August 1945, this book is a unique testimony to one of the world's most dreadful conflicts. One of the hallmarks of Max Arthur's work is the way he involves those left behind on the home front as well as those working in factories or essential services. Their voices will not be neglected.

...

The 1942 raid on Dieppe was an attempt to test the enemy readiness, & take some pressure off the Russian front. It was a costly disaster, but lessons learned there were of the utmost importance to the D-Day planning. After a massive build up of men & materials the D-Day landings finally took place in Normandy on 6th June 1944. Despite vicious battles & stubborn resistance, within 12 weeks the Allied invaded Paris. To compound the enemy's problems, the allies invaded the South of France & rapidly advanced northwards. In desperation Hitler released his 'secret weapons' the V1 & V2 over Britain. Slowly but steadily the Allies advanced through Belgium & Holl&, & despite setbacks at Arndem & in the Ardennes, finally reached the shores of the Rhine. After a hazardous crossing they finally advanced to meet the victorious Russian Army. Hitler, Mussolini & their cohorts were all dead or captured, & the war was over, at the cost of millions of human lives. ...

In 1939 Britain & her allies were completely unprepared for total war. In the spring of 1940, after months of inactivity, the powerful highly trained German Army smashed it's way through neutral Holland & Belgium & into northern France. The Allies had no choice but to retreat to the costal areas, where the ' Miracle of Dunkirk' took place. Half a million men were finally evacuated to Engl&. Hitler, anxious to invade Britain, ordered the Luftwaffe to destroy the Royal Air Force. The Battle of Britain started. A climax was reached on September 15th when, following a great raid over London, the RAF shot down 175 raiders. Hitler relentlessly bombed Britain hoping to break the British people. Many were killed or wounded & countless home where destroyed but the British spirit never broke. The British people defied the enemy until May 1941 when much of the Luftwaffe were moving away to fight on the Russian front. ...

In 1939 Britain & her allies were completely unprepared for total war. In the spring of 1940, after months of inactivity, the powerful highly trained German Army smashed it's way through neutral Holland & Belgium & into northern France. The Allies had no choice but to retreat to the costal areas, where the ' Miracle of Dunkirk' took place. Half a million men were finally evacuated to Engl&. Hitler, anxious to invade Britain, ordered the Luftwaffe to destroy the Royal Air Force. The Battle of Britain started. A climax was reached on September 15th when, following a great raid over London, the RAF shot down 175 raiders. Hitler relentlessly bombed Britain hoping to break the British people. Many were killed or wounded & countless home where destroyed but the British spirit never broke. The British people defied the enemy until May 1941 when much of the Luftwaffe were moving away to fight on the Russian front. ...

The first British major success of World War two was when Royal Navy forced the preying pocket Battle ship the Graf Spee, to scuttle at sea Hitler had ordered a blockade of the British Isles & for some months German U-boats & warships caused havoc among allied merchant shipping carrying vital supplies. In 1941 the one sided battle of the Atlantic became more even, when the Royal Navy started moving ships in convoy with escorts using radar, & information from British scientists who had cracked the Kreigsmarine version of the Enigma Code captured by the Royal Navy. The perils of the Atlantic were only equalled by the Convoys on the run to northern Russia. Sub-zero temperatures, pack ice & appalling weather conditions plus the menacing Luftwaffe & the German Navy based in Norway, made it one of the most hazardous actions of the entire war. Meanwhile, in the air, bomber planes of the RAF & US air force were incessantly bombarding German Industries & cities. Casualties on the ground were devastating & the life expectancy of the aircrew was alarmingly short. The destruction of communications & armament factories was the main contribution from the bombing campaign. ...

The first British major success of World War two was when Royal Navy forced the preying pocket Battle ship the Graf Spee, to scuttle at sea Hitler had ordered a blockade of the British Isles & for some months German U-boats & warships caused havoc among allied merchant shipping carrying vital supplies. In 1941 the one sided battle of the Atlantic became more even, when the Royal Navy started moving ships in convoy with escorts using radar, & information from British scientists who had cracked the Kreigsmarine version of the Enigma Code captured by the Royal Navy. The perils of the Atlantic were only equalled by the Convoys on the run to northern Russia. Sub-zero temperatures, pack ice & appalling weather conditions plus the menacing Luftwaffe & the German Navy based in Norway, made it one of the most hazardous actions of the entire war. Meanwhile, in the air, bomber planes of the RAF & US air force were incessantly bombarding German Industries & cities. Casualties on the ground were devastating & the life expectancy of the aircrew was alarmingly short. The destruction of communications & armament factories was the main contribution from the bombing campaign. ...

' The Gestapo kept me three days in this interrogation house. They especially wanted to know what I did after my escape, & precise things on the organisation of the SOE. & just for fun I suspect, because I had really not much to tell them, they pulled one of my toenails out...'
- Robert Sheppard, SOE agent

The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British organisation created early in the Second World War to encourage resistance & carry out sabotage behind enemy lines: in Winston Churchill


...