Battle on 42nd Street: War in Crete and the Anzacs' bloody last stand

by Peter Monteath

At what point does the will to survive on the battlefield give way to bloodlust? The Battle of Crete was one of the most spectacular military campaigns of the twentieth century. For the first time in history, German forces carried out an invasion entirely from the air while poorly equipped Anzac and British forces, and local Cretans, defended the island. During the campaign, one battle stands out for its viciousness. When the Germans approached the Allies’ defensive line—known as 42nd Street—on 27 May 1941, men from the Australian 2/7 and 2/8 Battalions, New Zealanders from several battalions, and British soldiers counter-attacked with fixed bayonets. By the end, bodies were strewn across the battlefield. Later, a German doctor reported that many of the bodies of the German soldiers had been mutilated. Acclaimed historian Peter Monteath draws on records and recollections of Australian, New Zealand, British, and German forces and local Cretans to reveal the truth behind one of the most gruesome battles of the Second World War.

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

272 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2020

Reviews

[Andrew]

As a devotee of reading WW2 history I picked this up at the library because I didn’t know much about the Crete campaign. It was a good read albeit like most military books it can be a bit of a slog as good researchers often don’t make for good writers. This book was better than average but at times I found myself wanting more about the experiences of the soldiers from both sides. It’s there but there could have been a stronger focus. The campaign details are not detailed in any real depth which is ok for me but for those who thrive on the detail it may be a bit light on. The author is to be commended for the telling of this story, another proud and I suspect largely unknown account of the combined fighting heroics of the Australian, Greek and New Zealand forces against the German invaders.

[Pete Gervais]

Begins with an interesting premise about hand-to-hand combat but then settles into a standard military history - blow-by-blow account of the battle for Crete in WW2. Relies quite heavily on books that have already been published about the subject.

[Adrian Guretti]

Probably three and a half stars. It's well written but not all that deep, I think. Certainly needed more detail but all in all a nice read.

[Pam Ela]

a fairly detailed description of the Battle of Crete in WW2

[Antony Gates]

nice read