Unauthorized Action: Mountbatten and the Dieppe Raid

by Brian Loring Villa

On August 19, 1942, a mainly Canadian force left England in an attempt to seize the German-occupied French port of Dieppe--a mission that has been described as the largest raid in history. The result was a complete disaster. Here Brian Villa unravels all the complexities that led to it: the political interests in both Britain and Canada; the pressures placed on Churchill and the British Chiefs of Staff; and especially the vagaries of Lord Louis Mountbatten, who was ultimately responsible as Chief of Combined Operations. As the first thorough examination of the disaster, the book is an important contribution to the literature on World War II.

Genres: History

314 pages, Paperback

First published November 16, 1989

Reviews

[Michael Dorosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book with a chilling additional chapter in the updated edition.

Very scholarly work, examines in detail the supposition that Mountbatten launched the Dieppe Raid without permission or authorization. The claim is supported by evidence, though it may take several readings to fully grasp the intricacies of the argument being presented.

Focuses entirely on politics and thus will not satisfy those looking for the military details of this action, nor the planning issues. A well focussed, well written, and - if one reads the final chapter added to the first edition - chilling story of how this disastrous raid came into being and who may have been finally responsible.