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The Fall Of Crete
The epic story of one of the most bitter and dramatic battles fought between German and Allied forces during the whole of the Second World War. The decisive action took place within five days, and twice its outcome hung in the balance. By the third day, the number of German dead exceeded their losses in all other theatres since the outbreak of hostilities. The German parachutists were confined for supply and reinforcements to a single airstrip at Maleme, yet on this one foothold they managed to land over eight thousand men, who defeated an Allied army nearly five times as numerous. With its vivid and compelling description of the battle for Crete, Clark confirmed his reputation as a military historian first recognised with The Donkeys, his account of the British Expeditionary Force in France in 1914.
Paperback
First published August 1, 2000
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About the author
Alan Clark
124 books21 followersAlan Clark was an English Conservative MP, historian and diarist.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 7, 2017
In what could be called a brief history of an airborne attack of Crete, this battle was fought in just over 2 weeks with this book covering the area of contention mainly around the north western side of the island at Maleme and surrounds. After several hard fought incidents mostly involving Australian and New Zealand troops various issues of command and lack of air support eventually took their toll with an evacuation of the island taking place. A worthy subject to anyone with an interest in WW2.
So with me personally never having read an in-depth book on the fall of Crete this was interesting to read for long periods but the faults were far too overt and in the end they became annoying. Occasionally, military personnel appear without reference as to who they are. The lack of detailed maps. One of the entire Mediterranean theatre and a useless map of Crete are all we get. If describing a battle surely a localised map is not too much to ask. The index helped most of the time but even then fell down occasionally. Australian politician Menzies gets a mention at one point with no explanation as to who he is but then has no reference in the index. The writing gives the impression of an atrocity committed on NZ wounded in a captured hospital but the NZ Official history and a newspaper cutting from later hardly give that impression. The author gave a sycophantic write up on the prowess of the Australian soldier that is too ridiculous for words. A fairly useless epilogue with a few little escape tales from those left behind after the evacuation.
To be fair to the author he has used both the Australian and NZ official histories and an interesting bibliography. He has also used the footnotes well. I would not tell anyone interested in this event to not read this book, the pickings seem to be slim in terms of a book focused on the entire campaign with Beevor the only one coming to mind at this point in time. But in the end it just lacked polish for me.
So with me personally never having read an in-depth book on the fall of Crete this was interesting to read for long periods but the faults were far too overt and in the end they became annoying. Occasionally, military personnel appear without reference as to who they are. The lack of detailed maps. One of the entire Mediterranean theatre and a useless map of Crete are all we get. If describing a battle surely a localised map is not too much to ask. The index helped most of the time but even then fell down occasionally. Australian politician Menzies gets a mention at one point with no explanation as to who he is but then has no reference in the index. The writing gives the impression of an atrocity committed on NZ wounded in a captured hospital but the NZ Official history and a newspaper cutting from later hardly give that impression. The author gave a sycophantic write up on the prowess of the Australian soldier that is too ridiculous for words. A fairly useless epilogue with a few little escape tales from those left behind after the evacuation.
To be fair to the author he has used both the Australian and NZ official histories and an interesting bibliography. He has also used the footnotes well. I would not tell anyone interested in this event to not read this book, the pickings seem to be slim in terms of a book focused on the entire campaign with Beevor the only one coming to mind at this point in time. But in the end it just lacked polish for me.
August 6, 2012
I caught this Bookcrossing book in the peaceable environment of the local vegetarian café. Alan Clark was such a well known colourful character of the British political scene (and my brother once did ditch digging work at his castle) so I thought I'd give this military history a go to see what his writing was like (having no appetite for ploughing through his infamous diaries) It was an interesting book - I don't think I have got the bug for military history from it, I find the detailed accounts of battle and strategy hard to follow (though not dull, as I had feared), but it was a humbling read about what happens in war. I most enjoyed, if that's the right word, the epilogue which had accounts of what happened to a number of soldiers after the defeat and I found myself wondering if modern day soldiers, especially conscripts, could ever be as resourceful as these. It was also 'interesting' to read Clark's snide analyses of German character at various points.
Most notable quotation, from a soldier's account of killing two German soldiers: "It wasn't cricket but there it is".
Most notable quotation, from a soldier's account of killing two German soldiers: "It wasn't cricket but there it is".
December 8, 2008
I read this after a holiday in Crete and with a vague interest in a much forgotten part of early WW2 history. Much like the War in Norway, it's a part of the British getting the crap kicked out of them stage of the War which is much glossed over.
If you know much about Alan Clark, or have chuckled your way through some of his diaries, you will know that he's the kind of writer to call a spade a spade, indeed probably something considerably more offensive. So I thorough expected him to, historically speaking, put the boot in.
Clark gives a very detailed account of the battles on Crete and catalogues disaster after disaster made by both the German Paratroopers and the Island's defenders. The detail gets a bit oppressive and I could have done with some detailed maps. Weirdly though Clark seems to hold his punches. Despites his frequent questioning of tactics and decisions he makes no concluding summary of events in Crete no real challenge of the senior commanders. He chooses to conclude his study by narrating various accounts of soldiers individual escapes or capture, and whilst sometimes interesting you feel a bit short changed of a decent conclusion.
If you know much about Alan Clark, or have chuckled your way through some of his diaries, you will know that he's the kind of writer to call a spade a spade, indeed probably something considerably more offensive. So I thorough expected him to, historically speaking, put the boot in.
Clark gives a very detailed account of the battles on Crete and catalogues disaster after disaster made by both the German Paratroopers and the Island's defenders. The detail gets a bit oppressive and I could have done with some detailed maps. Weirdly though Clark seems to hold his punches. Despites his frequent questioning of tactics and decisions he makes no concluding summary of events in Crete no real challenge of the senior commanders. He chooses to conclude his study by narrating various accounts of soldiers individual escapes or capture, and whilst sometimes interesting you feel a bit short changed of a decent conclusion.
May 4, 2016
I have heard from my father a number of times the story of my Granddad's time fighting in ww2. Crete was always a huge part of that and we are going soon as a family to Crete to see the places in which he fought and was captured. Prior to going I thought I should probably read a bit more about the battle of Crete. It was a really pleasant surprise to find mention of my Granddad, albeit a very vague mention on pages 64-65 when it talks about the Germans forcing hospital patients out of their beds and using them as a screen in their advance. It was surreal to see the story I had heard so many times written down.
As a whole the book was very informative, although I feel that a map of Crete would have been hugely beneficial as I didn't always know where Clark was referring to. I also found there were often long passages which dragged on and I didn't find particularly interesting. For me the best part was the epilogue, reading the real life stories of the allied soldiers that tried to evade capture.
A really useful and interesting book.
As a whole the book was very informative, although I feel that a map of Crete would have been hugely beneficial as I didn't always know where Clark was referring to. I also found there were often long passages which dragged on and I didn't find particularly interesting. For me the best part was the epilogue, reading the real life stories of the allied soldiers that tried to evade capture.
A really useful and interesting book.
February 13, 2019
This gives quite a good account of the invasion of Crete.
It always baffled me how the Allies lost this one-sided battle.
This book goes some way to explain some of the reasons why.
It gives very good accounts of the battles and puts numbers to the massive casualties the Germans suffered.
A lot of attention is focused on the Allied commanders and the political aspects that shaped the battle which I think is vital to understanding what happened.
At the back section are accounts from Allied soldiers who survived the initial battles and ran wild around Crete, which are interesting and often novel.
On the downside the book gives no conclusion of the battle in a wider sense of the war.
The map supplied is tiny and pretty unreadable.
It amazes me how many books like this provide a map that doesn't show areas quoted in the text.
It always baffled me how the Allies lost this one-sided battle.
This book goes some way to explain some of the reasons why.
It gives very good accounts of the battles and puts numbers to the massive casualties the Germans suffered.
A lot of attention is focused on the Allied commanders and the political aspects that shaped the battle which I think is vital to understanding what happened.
At the back section are accounts from Allied soldiers who survived the initial battles and ran wild around Crete, which are interesting and often novel.
On the downside the book gives no conclusion of the battle in a wider sense of the war.
The map supplied is tiny and pretty unreadable.
It amazes me how many books like this provide a map that doesn't show areas quoted in the text.
August 9, 2011
A comprehensive history of the Battle of Crete, and the bravery and sacrifice of the British and Commonwealth troops, and the Cretan civilians during this critical assault during the Second World War. It also illuminates on the fatal mistakes made by British and Commonwealth commanders in both before and during the battle, in allowing the German paratroopers gain a foothold on the island.
October 8, 2016
One doesn't hear a lot about the battle to Crete. It was extremely interesting and eye opening to see how it unfolded the way it did and why. Second to none research and well written. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
September 1, 2020
Having read some other histories and accounts of the conflict, including Beevor and Fermor, I wasn't expecting much from this book, but I was surprised both on the detail of the battle and of his obvious disdain for Freyburg's handling of the defence of the Island, after the fall of Greece, which th3e evidence suggests, could quite easily have become an allied victory, if the threat from the sir had been acted on, and the taking of Maleme airport being either prevented, or once lost, re-taken. An interesting addition to the history of that conflict IMHO.
July 21, 2020
An interesting read with detail on the fierce fighting that occurred on Crete. The NZ forces were brilliant in both defence and attack. I don’t think I would like to see a Maori coming at me with a fixed bayonet no wonder the Germans cut and ran. Well worth reading if you have any interest in the Mediterranean war.
October 23, 2022
An excellent book detailing the political and military reasoning and needs for the defence of Crete from a former politician. He concentrates on the big picture and not the minor detail, albeit details of units from all participants is given, which results in a fascinating insight to the importance of Crete to all sides.
March 18, 2018
This is a quick little book that is unsparing in its views of the errors by both sides. The epilogue is a sad but stirring account of the travails of some of the soldiers following the islands fall.
June 12, 2022
Very thorough treatment of the defense of Crete. Competent and courageous soldiers again done in by poor leadership. A detailed read could have used a few maps.
December 23, 2024
A good short story, completed by some very interesting accounts of escaped soldiers and their exploits.
June 7, 2016
A decent overview of the battle for Crete. Clark does a good job of presenting the opposing plans of the Germans and the British, and how a lack of good command structure on Crete doomed the Allied forces there. Great descriptions of the opening battles and how the Germans came close to being wiped out, but Clark glosses over the second half of the battle with an unsatisfying ending. The book ends with an interesting collection of stories from mostly New Zealand soldiers who attempted to escape the island after the main Allied force had surrendered.
July 30, 2013
Started off ok but to be fair it's old stuff that's just been re written! Still it's better than the previous book I read about the escape from Crete! Just seemed a little flat and towards the end as though he couldn't be bothered with writing!
It does however tell the whole story of the Crete debacle and how under prepared we where in defending it! Yet another case if lions lead by donkeys!
It does however tell the whole story of the Crete debacle and how under prepared we where in defending it! Yet another case if lions lead by donkeys!
July 26, 2011
OK - clearly written in 1962 and therefore a little too close the events to be tottaly balanced. Definately needs more maps to supplement the text
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews