For many years, historians have argued that the war in the Mediterranean was merely a sideshow to the big events that took place in Russia and Northern Europe during the Second World War. This new and extremely accessible study of the conflict turns that argument on its head. For Douglas Porch, the Mediterranean theatre was absolutely central to the success of the Allies. This book covers every aspect of the Mediterranean conflict, from the Italian attack on Greece in 1940 right through to the advance on the Gothic Line in northern Italy towards the end of the war. While concentrating on the major battles in North Africa and Italy, the author also covers the less well-documented aspects of the war, some of which have produced strong echoes in our own time: the 1941 civil war in Yugoslavia, Churchill's pre-emptive invasion of Iraq, and the continual threat of an Arab uprising in Palestine.

Author Biography

Professor Douglas Porch is Professor of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.