- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Phoenix; Mass Market Paperback edition (4 Nov 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 030436682X
- ISBN-13: 978-0304366828
- Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13.6 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
438,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6 in Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Naval Warfare > Italy
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Product Description
Book Description
The daring British air raid that inspired the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Product Description
In November 1940 Britain was isolated in its stand against Nazi Germany and its ally, Italy. The country could not afford to lose control of the Mediterranean, but the Royal Navy was already overstretched by the U-boat war and the threat of invasion. Italy's fleet of modern battleships presented a grave threat to our communications with Egypt and the Suez Canal. On the night of 11 November 1940, 42 members of the Fleet Air Arm took off in 21 obsolete 'Swordfish' biplanes, launched from HMS Illustrious. Their target: the Italian fleet anchorage at Taranto. Pressing home their attack in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire and searchlights, they torpedoed and sank three battleships. Incredibly, all but two of the biplanes survived. The Italian fleet was crippled and the world took note that Britain was far from defeated. No-one was more impressed than the Japanese, who noted how a fleet in harbour could be demolished by air attack. In this new account of the Royal Navy's most daring operation of the Second World War, David Wragg draws on British and Italian records as well as interviews with the aircrew, to tell the full story of a night that changed the course of the war.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
David Wrag is a well known author of aviation/military books and this one demonstrates his dedication to research although it is sub titled The story of the raid on Taranto it covers the war in the Mediterranean leading up to and after the raid. There is also background into the world of navel carrier aviation development and thinking.
As always David writes well without pumping out pages of statistics in the middle of chapters that although useful can make for a poor read, his use of anecdotes adds a human side to the operations carried out by the Swordfish and his descriptions are exciting without being Biggles (wizzo prang stuff). Indeed it gives a voice to the many service personnel for whom the Med was not a sunny sea but a place of death and destruction and to be their final resting place. Overall I think this is a well written and thoughly researched book that has increased my limited knowledge of the war in the Med and for those who have an affection for the old Stringbag a very useful addition to ones collection.
As always David writes well without pumping out pages of statistics in the middle of chapters that although useful can make for a poor read, his use of anecdotes adds a human side to the operations carried out by the Swordfish and his descriptions are exciting without being Biggles (wizzo prang stuff). Indeed it gives a voice to the many service personnel for whom the Med was not a sunny sea but a place of death and destruction and to be their final resting place. Overall I think this is a well written and thoughly researched book that has increased my limited knowledge of the war in the Med and for those who have an affection for the old Stringbag a very useful addition to ones collection.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book brings to life, with personal accounts, the attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto. It also records the Royal Navy's movements in the Med after Taranto, and likens the raid to Pearl Harbour. An excellent read, hard to put down. David Wragg is an excellent WW11 naval historian.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Very interesting account of the Taranto raid, a forgotten yet important event in WW II. Despite the fact that the books reads easily, it shoudl have been half as long. The buildup to the raid is indispensible, but a bit overdone in detail. It could have been slightly less rich in detail. But what is really overdone is the aftermath. This takes half of the book, in which the general course of events in the Mediterranean is described, as well as later engagements in which Swordfishes were involved, and a comparision with Pearl Harbour is made. To top it of, a general analysis of carrier development. I was a bit suprised to see the F4 Panthom appear in the last chapter of a book dealing with the Raid on Taranto. The writer should have made some basic choices here. Nevertheless, even though the story runs wild, it still makes easy and entertaining reading. And the charm of a story about biplanes taking on a much more modern fleet is too strong not to recommended this book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
an easy read
This book is a well written account of a battle whose significance was hardly recognised at the time, despite the strategic importance and the spinoff consequences. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Neil Carmichael
Gripping stuff
I picked up a copy of "Swordfish" just before a long train journey, and the hours sped by. I was actually looking forward to the long trip back, so I could finish it. Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2010 by AK
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