BY SEA AND BY LAND: The Story of the Royal Marine Commandos

by Robin Neillands, Major General Julian Thompson (Foreword)

This is a story of a fighting force. In the words of the marines themselves, Robin Neillands, formerly of 45 Commando RM, describes what it is really like to wear the legendary green beret, in peace and in war. This vivid and authoritative account charts the story of the Royal Marine Commandos from their bloody baptism on the shell-swept beaches of Dieppe in 1942 to the final yomp into Stanley at the end of the Falklands War in 1982.

The forty years between cover the fighting in Yugoslavia, Burma, Western Europe and the D-Day landings. Here, too, are tales of conflicts in the dying days of the British Empire, in Palestine, Malaya, the Canal Zone at Suez, Aden, Cyprus, Borneo and Northern Ireland. Wherever there were campaigns to be waged or battles to be won, the Marines were there.

"The best account of the Royal Marines Commandos"... Globe & Laurel, Journal of the Royal Marines

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Military History

445 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 1987

About the author

Robin Hunter Neillands was a British writer known for his works on travel and military history. A former Royal Marine who served in Cyprus and the Middle East, he later became a prolific author, publishing under multiple pen names. His military histories, often featuring firsthand accounts from veterans, challenged revisionist narratives, particularly regarding Bernard Montgomery, the Dieppe Raid, and the Allied bombing campaign in World War II. Neillands also authored numerous travel books inspired by his extensive journeys across Europe. His works, both popular and scholarly, earned him a nomination for the Royal United Services Institute’s Military Literature Award.

Reviews

[John Somers · Rating 3 out of 5]

13/20.