Author:James Holland
Part of the ALL-NEW LADYBIRD EXPERT SERIES.
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Why was North Africa such a key component in Britain's success over Mussolini and his Italian Army?
How did they blunt Italy's actions?
What challenges did they face?
And what new technologies were brought to bear?
When fascist dictator Mussolini declared war against Britain he was taking a huge risk . . .
Italy lacked natural resources, and Britain and France's wealth.
He hoped to create a new Roman Empire across the Mediterranean and into Africa. And with Hitler and the Nazi's by his side he had a great chance of doing so - but what was it that stopped him?
Discover the answers and more inside James Holland's The Desert War, the thrilling and accessible account that explains what happened, who the key figures were and the tactics, triumphs and failures on both sides . . .
Praise for WW2 Ladybird Experts Series
—— -Shines a light on some of the darkest and most dramatic moments of the six-year conflict.
—— Daily MailThe artwork is gloriously retro, echoing the original Ladybird house style but containing completely up to date information.
—— Shiny New BooksOutstanding heroism...compelling. Kershaw's writing gives you a sense of "being there"
—— Daily ExpressFascinating, remarkable, riveting, terrifying. Kershaw does justice to the veterans and makes accessible their amazing story
—— Big IssueUtterly extraordinary - I have had few reading experiences like it - it's as if one is unravelling a terrible yet irresistible secret, the secret of death
—— Claire-Louise Bennett, author of 'Pond'The greatest contemporary Catalan novelist and possibly the best Mediterranean woman author since Sappho
—— David H RosenthalA heartbreaking, unforgettable read. One of the most important literary works from the second half of the 20th century
—— El CulturalIt is a total mystery to me why [Rodoreda] isn't widely worshipped. . . . She's on my list of authors whose works I intend to have read all of before I die. Tremendous, tremendous writer
—— John Darnielle, author of 'Wolf in White Van'One of the most radical works from the past century
—— El PaisThe novel is suspenseful, pushing the reader through the images, memories, and voices that flow within the protagonist's often confused mind as he develops into manhood. Just as the unnamed protagonist must navigate a world of contradictions, the novel reflects Rodoreda's own political, social, and literary exile while speaking of a tyranny that feels almost uncanny in its incantation
—— Bomb MagazineMercè Rodoreda is not just one of the most accomplished post-war Catalan authors; she is also widely considered, notably by Gabriel García Márquez, to be the greatest Spanish writer of the 20th century
—— Culture TripWe must be grateful to the Penguin European Writers series, a precious venture in these dark times
—— John BanvilleThe Czech nation will surely feel that he has done [Lata Brandisova] justice.
—— Robin Oakley , Literary ReviewFew historians could be better placed to investigate this subject than Keith Lowe . . . riveting
—— Evening StandardMagisterial. The biography of Maclean we have all been waiting for
—— Charles Cumming, author of the Thomas Kell seriesAdmirable… [a] compassionate, absorbing book
—— Miranda Carter , The Oldie[A] persuasive and polished biography
—— Sunday TimesRoland Philipps illuminates, in both broad and subtle strokes
—— John Lloyd , Financial TimesPhilipps does an admirable job of piecing together the spy’s tale
—— Mary Jo Murphy , Washington Post SundayPhilipps’s telling of the tale is masterly. He weaves a complex web of professional, psychological and marital themes into a wonderful fluent, coherent and compelling narrative
—— Xan Smiley , StandpointElegant, thorough and surprisingly exciting
—— Marcus Berkman , Daily Mail[A] superbly told tale
—— Daily Mail , Daily Mail, **Books of the Year**In A Spy Named Orphan Roland Philipps’s description of Donald Maclean’s psychological make-up chimes with what I have always felt about the Cambridge spies (Philby excepted) – namely, that their romance with the Soviet Union partook of patriotism as much as it did of espionage… Philipps makes the story and the slow uncovering of his treachery a gripping narrative and an overwhelmingly sad one
—— Alan Bennett , London Review of Books