Crete 1941: The Battle and the Resistance

Written by Antony Beevor

Narrated by James Langton

The bestselling author of Stalingrad and D-Day vividly reconstructs the epic WWII struggle for Crete - reissued with a new introduction. Nazi Germany expected its airborne attack on Crete in 1941 to be a textbook victory based on tactical surprise. Little did they know that the British, using Ultra intercepts, had already laid a careful trap. It should have been the first German defeat of the war when a fatal misunderstanding turned the battle around. Prize-winning historian and bestselling author Antony Beevor lends his gift for storytelling to this important conflict, showing not only how the situation turned bad for Allied forces, but also how ferocious Cretan freedom fighters mounted a heroic resistance. Originally published in 1991, Crete 1941 is a breathtaking account of a momentous battle of World War II.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 11, 2015
• ISBN: 9781501908279

Reviews for Crete 1941

[expatscot-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Exactly what you'd expect from Beevor, fulsome, slightly opinionated, eminently readable.

[miaculpa-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have become quite the fan of Antony Beevor, who has become an authoritative voice on the path to World War II and the key turning points of the war. I've thus far enjoyed his books on the Spanish Civil War, the Battle of Stalingrad and post-liberation Paris and so made reading "Crete" a priority."Crete" was an early book by Beevor and one can see that he was still in the process of creating the masterful turns of phrase and dialog that he has become famous for. Beevor charts the invasion of Crete, the surprising surrender of the Allied Forces and the resistance by the Cretans and random allied soldiers.Beevor seems to be quite taken with the New Zealand troops involved in the battle for Crete (in particular the Maori soldiers), while the Australian soldiers fare poorly by comparison (it makes one wonder whether Beevor ever got served a bad pint by an Australian bartender). And Beevor seems determined to show that all the key British figures were eccentrics, even when her evidence seems to suggest otherwise.While I didn't enjoy "Crete" as much as his other tomes, Beevor still has the ability to personalise the fatality statistics by leaving us with some haunting anecdotes which will stay with me always.

[claire5555 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am not trying to promote the authors work, I just think that this guy really does produce some wonderful historical 2nd World war books, that are perfect reads for anybody out there interested in the 2nd World conflict, this includes the airborne assault by the Germans to claims the Island from the British, In the first period of my library job, I am based in the historical section, and I am in close proximity to historical books and students reading historical under graduate degrees.

[encephalical · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not as engrossing as Stalingrad or D-Day. Seemed to assume that the reader was already somewhat familiar with previous historiography on the occupation.

[luftwaffe_flak · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book by Beevor, if you love his other works youll love this one. Excellent overview and in depth look at Crete by the men who fought it, and the subsequent reistance and liberation. The story of Crete plays out like a poorly written drama, but as they say truth is stranger than fiction. The ups and downs, the missed opportunities, and the various personalities and politics all play their role in a story that wouldnt be out of place in a modern soap opera. Highly reccomended for those interested in the subject or just a fan of Beevors writing.

[emed0s · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Endless succession of names and places, with barely any maps, makes the book hard to follow, which is to say boring.The talent that Mr. Beevor shows, in later books of his, for mixing the big picture with charming personal anecdotes is completely missing from this book.Also it stinks, I can't think of a better word, from bias against the Germans. As both sides commit crime after crime the author constantly tries to excuse such behaviour when its perpetrators are Greek or, specially, when they are British.

[hroethgar · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beevor's usual level of exacting detail and lack of respect for national mythologies. Spells out the cock-ups of allies and the brutality of the invasion and occupation of Crete with agonising clarity.