England´s Last War against France - Fighting Vichy 1940-42

Zusatztext In this exemplary work! Smith displays a real knack for conveying time! place and pungent action. Informationen zum Autor Colin Smith is the acclaimed author of SINGAPORE BURNING and co-author of ALAMEIN: WAR WITHOUT HATE. Zusammenfassung Genuinely new story of the Second World War - the full account of England's last war against France in 1940-42. Most people think that England's last war with France involved point-blank broadsides from sailing ships and breastplated Napoleonic cavalry charging red-coated British infantry. But there was a much more recent conflict than this. Under the terms of its armistice with Nazi Germany! the unoccupied part of France and its substantial colonies were ruled from the spa town of Vichy by the government of Marshal Philip Petain. Between July 1940 and November 1942! while Britain was at war with Germany! Italy and ultimately Japan! it also fought land! sea and air battles with the considerable forces at the disposal of Petain's Vichy French. When the Royal Navy sank the French Fleet at Mers El-Kebir almost 1!300 French sailors died in what was the twentieth century's most one-sided sea battle. British casualties were nil. It is a wound that has still not healed! for undoubtedly these events are better remembered in France than in Britain. An embarrassment at the time! France's maritime massacre and the bitter! hard-fought campaigns that followed rarely make more than footnotes in accounts of Allied operations against Axis forces. Until now.

Product details

• Authors: Colin Smith
• Publisher: Weidenfelfd & Nicolson
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 24.06.2010
• EAN: 9780753827055
• ISBN: 978-0-7538-2705-5
• No. of pages: 512
• Weight: 501 g
• Subjects: Non-fiction book; England, Wales, European History, HISTORY / Military / General, 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000, HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / 20th Century, HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / Wales, Second World War, c 1938 to c 1946 (World War Two period), Battles & campaigns, Modern warfare, c 1939 to c 1945 (including WW2), Battles and campaigns, History / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / European Theater