"Between 20 May and 1 June 1941 the Second World War came to the Greek island of Crete. The Commonwealth defenders consisted of Australian, New Zealand and British refugees from the doomed Greek Campaign who had not recovered from defeat. Matched against them were crack German paratroopers and mountain soldiers who had only tasted victory." "Over eleven days the two sides fought a desperate action that generated tales of stubborn determination and reckless bravery on both sides. It was an innovative campaign - warfare's first aerial invasion - and at times its outcome balanced on a knife edge. Richly illustrated, the Battle of Crete examines the commanders and the decisions they made, the men who fought, and the weapons they used in the epic struggle for the island."-- From the back cover.

First edition originally published as an e-book in 2005, second edition originally published in 2007.

Preface to the Second Edition -- Acknowledgements -- The Eastern Mediterranean in 1941 -- The Situation on Crete -- Air Attack on Maleme -- The Descent at Prison Valley -- The Landings at Heraklion -- The Australians Defend Retimo -- The New Zealanders Counter-attack -- The Defence of the Galatas Line -- End Game at Heraklion and Retimo -- The Retreat to Sfakia -- The Sea and the Air War for Crete -- Aftermath -- Further Reading -- British-German Rank Equivalents -- Bibliography -- Index.