The Mediterranean

World War II #27

by A.B.C. Whipple

Book 27 of the Time-Life World War II series.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Military Fiction, Military History

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Addison Beecher Colvin Whipple was an American journalist, editor, historian and author. Before his retirement he was editor of Life's International Editions and executive editor of Time-Life Books.

Reviews

[Robert Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this Life Time series in the early 1980's on WWII, a volume came to the house every 2 or 3 months so I could take my reading. It was very informative and enjoyable read, I still use it for reference.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excllent account of naval warfare in the Mediterranean in WW2.

[D-day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the Time-Life series on WW2, this volume is about the sea war in the Mediterranean Sea

Chapters:
1- Background on Admiral Andrew Cunningham of the Royal Navy, early skirmishes with the Italian Navy, and the regrettable battle ay Mers-el-Kebir (Sep 1939 to Jul 1940)
2-The vital importance of Malta, the Battle of Calabria and the astonishingly successful night-time aerial attack on Taranto by Royal Navy carrier aircraft (Aug 1940 to Nov 1940)
3- The entrance of the Luftwaffe into the Mediterranean, The Battle of Cape Matapan and the German invasion of Crete (Jan 1941 to Jun 1941)
4-The Luftwaffe attacks on Malta and the amazing attack on anchored British ships in Alexandria Harbor by Italian frogmen (Jul 1941 to Mar 1942)
5-The Aerial siege of Malta by the Luftwaffe and the Allied invasion of North Africa (Apr 1942 to Nov 1942)

[Mike Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uniformly excellent, superbly illustrated series. The naval war in the Mediterranean doesn't seem to receive the emphasis it deserves considering how critical it was . Although the Allies won it, it was a tremendous struggle with both sides often having less than optimal resources. It was a surprise to learn about the exploits of the Italian frogmen. Considering their daring and effectiveness, it's surprising more has not been written about them.

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned a lot about this small theater of the war, especially how critical Malta was and how close Britain came to losing it. This volume was pleasantly lighter on the technical aspects of boats used in combat and convoys than other volumes have been and included some fascinating human interest stories.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of the battles of World War II in the Mediterranean. The sea served as a key shipping lane for Allied forces but it had to be won over. I was impressed with the level of detail found in many of the accounts. There are some great stories and experiences on both sides in the Mediterranean.

[Al Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Time-Life WW2 book about a little discussed aspect of the war.

[William Razavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really focused volume from the old Time-Life WWII series, this one has a strong narrative arc as it covers the naval war in the Mediterranean. At last, we get a view of the Italians that isn't some ridiculous dismissal.
There's an in depth look at the unfortunate choice by the British to destroy the French fleet (and kill hundreds of French sailors) after France's surrender. It's an oft overlooked part of the war (for obvious reasons) and this was a good intro to the event.
A lot of focus on the role of Malta in the North African campaigns. Basically, this is a must read companion for anyone looking at the events in North Africa from 1940-1943 as well as the debacles in Greece and Crete.

[Bill Whyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read about an overlooked theater or World War II. If the British had given up and lost the Med the war may have had a completely different ending.