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The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1940-1943
Now available in paperback, this superbly written account is the first English-language book utilizing the latest research in various languages to provide a comprehensive record of World War II fighting on, under, and over the Mediterranean. Far more than an operational history, it explains why the various warship classes were built and employed, the role of the Italian Air Force at sea, the successes of German planes and U-boats, and much more. Detailed maps provide a clear visual aid to understanding events, while many never-before-published photographs paint a vivid picture of the reality of war at sea. Lauded for their thorough research and persuasive style, the authors have made a valuable contribution to the record, and their book will attract everyone with an interest in the naval aspect of World War II.
- GenresHistoryWorld War II
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2000
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About the author
Jack Greene
37 books4 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
(1)naval warfare
born -- 1949
from Library of Congress: Greene, Jack, 1949-
Jack Greene is the author of four previous books and has contributed articles on a wide range of naval and military subjects. He lives in Los Osos, California.
(1)naval warfare
born -- 1949
from Library of Congress: Greene, Jack, 1949-
Jack Greene is the author of four previous books and has contributed articles on a wide range of naval and military subjects. He lives in Los Osos, California.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 24, 2014
This was a decent book that I rather enjoyed. While detailed and comprehensive, it told the story of the battles between the Italian and British navies (with the Americans and Germans loosely thrown in) during WW2 in the Mediterranean.
While detailed in the sense of where the fighting was done and how much and who led the charge or made the decisions and why, this book was quite lacking in talking about the soldiers that were actually fighting. We know that many starved and lived in poor conditions throughout the war, but we don't hear about many first hand accounts of what the battles were like or what the conditions on the ships were like.
We also learn about the technical difficulties regarding the Italian navy, radar, inadequate ships (not modernized), no real battle plan, etc. However, in the conclusions section the authors talk about the one thing they want you to walk away with is that the Italian navy and personnel were inadequately trained. It's amazing to me that they make this point in the conclusions, yet the conclusions section of the book is the first time that they mention it. Moreover, the lack of training was never a theme in the book, much less the people in the book that were inadequately trained.
The last straw for me is that this book has many, many spelling and grammatical errors. At least 50 and possibly up to a hundred. I don't know if that is the fault of the writer because of translation or the publisher for not having a quality editor/proofreader, but it's definitely amazing to me how many errors there are in this book.
With all that said, I did enjoy the book and what it said. It filled in some gaps for me regarding the naval history of the war in the Mediterranean sea that wasn't there in other books. I really liked the detail given in the tons of munitions and displacement of the ships. The diagrams of the battle movements was intriguing. This book also has gone a long way in showing how incompetent the Italian military and leadership was in WW2. They look more and more to me like a puppet state with a mad man at the helm than anything. It still amazes me that the Italians joined Germany in the conflict. This may be an area of future reading.
Probably closer to 2.5 than 3, but I rounded up. Sue me
While detailed in the sense of where the fighting was done and how much and who led the charge or made the decisions and why, this book was quite lacking in talking about the soldiers that were actually fighting. We know that many starved and lived in poor conditions throughout the war, but we don't hear about many first hand accounts of what the battles were like or what the conditions on the ships were like.
We also learn about the technical difficulties regarding the Italian navy, radar, inadequate ships (not modernized), no real battle plan, etc. However, in the conclusions section the authors talk about the one thing they want you to walk away with is that the Italian navy and personnel were inadequately trained. It's amazing to me that they make this point in the conclusions, yet the conclusions section of the book is the first time that they mention it. Moreover, the lack of training was never a theme in the book, much less the people in the book that were inadequately trained.
The last straw for me is that this book has many, many spelling and grammatical errors. At least 50 and possibly up to a hundred. I don't know if that is the fault of the writer because of translation or the publisher for not having a quality editor/proofreader, but it's definitely amazing to me how many errors there are in this book.
With all that said, I did enjoy the book and what it said. It filled in some gaps for me regarding the naval history of the war in the Mediterranean sea that wasn't there in other books. I really liked the detail given in the tons of munitions and displacement of the ships. The diagrams of the battle movements was intriguing. This book also has gone a long way in showing how incompetent the Italian military and leadership was in WW2. They look more and more to me like a puppet state with a mad man at the helm than anything. It still amazes me that the Italians joined Germany in the conflict. This may be an area of future reading.
Probably closer to 2.5 than 3, but I rounded up. Sue me
May 28, 2013
This is an excellent book, perhaps the best, written on the naval warfare in the Med during Italy's participation as an Axis member. I find myself referencing this book over and over as the details inside are difficult to find elsewhere. The authors provide genuine insights into the Italian naval strategies and explain alot of the timidness of their commanders in a manner that is clear and concise. The battle descriptions are complete and give a vivid picture of each engagement. The photos included in the book are a real bonus, as many have been never published before.
Overall, this is an must read for anyone interested in WW2 naval combat, especially for those seeking to learn more about the Regia Marina.
Overall, this is an must read for anyone interested in WW2 naval combat, especially for those seeking to learn more about the Regia Marina.
May 23, 2021
A book for the specialist and for lovers of the naval history of the Second World War but well written and well documented. Very good overview and some good conclusions.
September 25, 2015
An excellent book on, what was for me, a relatively unknown area of WWII naval combat. Everyone knows about the big glamorous battles, the cool ships like the Bismark, and the fight against the Uboats, but the Italian Navy was very modern, had some great ships, and some success against the British.
I found the book well worth reading.
I found the book well worth reading.
June 1, 2024
In World War II the naval war in the Mediterranean was both a sideshow and vitally important. In naval terms the key theatre for Britain was home waters and the battle of the Atlantic to ensure the country could hold out. But the country also needed the help of the Empire, and the Mediterranean was the key linchpin through to India. It was also ‘the soft underbelly’ where Prime Minister Chruchill chose to fight back against Germany by defeating her ally Italy. To fight back on land the Italian navy had to be defeated, German and Italian convoys to North Africa stopped, and Britain’s own supplies to the island of Malta and to Egypt brought through. Jack Green and Alessandro Massignani’s The Naval War in the Mediterranean 1940-1943 is a detailed history of the battles on the sea and struggle for mastery in the air over it during the first few years of the war.
The authors take a operational details approach to the book looking at pretty much everything the opposing fleets are doing, including minor operations with little impact. Minor bombardment raids are included alongside much better known actions such as the battle of Cape Matapan. The position of often marginalised powers like Vichy France is included. Indeed the best thing about Green and Massignani’s book is its even handed approach. The authors have researched all sides which often allows them to put the record straight - particularly with regards to what the Italians were doing and their motivations. They particularly pull together both the naval and the air war over the Mediterranean. The impact on the land was is also included, though of necessity marginalised, this is not a book about how effectively Rommel was managing the Africa Korps or Wavell/Auchinleck/Monty at stopping him!
Covering everything that is going on in the Mediterranean, albeit with very little detail and taking an operational approach does have the effect of depersonalising the story. The book does sometimes sound rather blazé about actions for example “The battleships Valiant and Warspite ran towards the Adriatic and on the night of 18-19 December bombarded the port of Valona, firing mostly at the airfield. One hundred 15in rounds brought the war home to that city.”(p.127) No mention of any casualties, civilian or otherwise, or even whether those 100 heavy rounds caused any damage at all!
There is definitely a place for this kind of work. It provides all the operational details and coldly sums them up considering how each side is doing, useful for those looking at this work as part of wider research. But it does result in the book being as dry as the atacama desert. It does not try to tell a story. There is almost nothing brought in from individuals experiences, feelings and impacts. The most in this regard we get is some idea of the author's views of the overall performance of some of the main participants.
I would therefore hesitate to recommend the book to those looking for a good story of the naval war in the Med. It is much more likely to be helpful to those who want to put operations into context, or find out what the thinking was on both sides about the operations taking place.
The authors take a operational details approach to the book looking at pretty much everything the opposing fleets are doing, including minor operations with little impact. Minor bombardment raids are included alongside much better known actions such as the battle of Cape Matapan. The position of often marginalised powers like Vichy France is included. Indeed the best thing about Green and Massignani’s book is its even handed approach. The authors have researched all sides which often allows them to put the record straight - particularly with regards to what the Italians were doing and their motivations. They particularly pull together both the naval and the air war over the Mediterranean. The impact on the land was is also included, though of necessity marginalised, this is not a book about how effectively Rommel was managing the Africa Korps or Wavell/Auchinleck/Monty at stopping him!
Covering everything that is going on in the Mediterranean, albeit with very little detail and taking an operational approach does have the effect of depersonalising the story. The book does sometimes sound rather blazé about actions for example “The battleships Valiant and Warspite ran towards the Adriatic and on the night of 18-19 December bombarded the port of Valona, firing mostly at the airfield. One hundred 15in rounds brought the war home to that city.”(p.127) No mention of any casualties, civilian or otherwise, or even whether those 100 heavy rounds caused any damage at all!
There is definitely a place for this kind of work. It provides all the operational details and coldly sums them up considering how each side is doing, useful for those looking at this work as part of wider research. But it does result in the book being as dry as the atacama desert. It does not try to tell a story. There is almost nothing brought in from individuals experiences, feelings and impacts. The most in this regard we get is some idea of the author's views of the overall performance of some of the main participants.
I would therefore hesitate to recommend the book to those looking for a good story of the naval war in the Med. It is much more likely to be helpful to those who want to put operations into context, or find out what the thinking was on both sides about the operations taking place.
January 28, 2024
Two smart guys reassess the Italian naval war effort in WWII. They don't overbalance, as so many authors today do when they want the reader to rethink some popular premise. We're not supposed to reverse the conventional wisdom, but to modify and temper it. This is so welcome I can hardly thank them enough. Every second book I pick up in Barnes and Noble is overselling its thesis or its findings (or both). Hyperbole reigns. This book does not oversell, yet it delivers. All naval historians and WWII buffs should read it.
December 15, 2023
Very detailed without being overly dry but obvious that editing work was not thorough…
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews