The Hill

The brutal fight for Hill 107 in the Battle of Crete

Robert Kershaw

$39.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Osprey
03 September 2024

History; Second World War; Land forces & warfare; Air forces & warfare; Battles & campaigns

From the critically acclaimed author of Dünkirchen 1940, this is a groundbreaking history of the epic three-day battle for Hill 107 that changed the course of the war in the Mediterranean.

In this remarkable history, we discover each of the individuals whose actions determined the outcome of the battle for Hill 107, the key event that decided the campaign to capture the vitally strategic island of Crete in May 1941. All the events are narrated through the filter of these eyewitnesses. The Allied perspective is from the summit of Hill 107. We experience the fear and the adrenalin of a lowly platoon commander, Lieutenant Ed McAra, perilously positioned at the top of the hill, alongside the combat stress and command fatigue of the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Andew. In contrast, the German view is looking up from below as they cling to the slopes while simultaneous dazzled by the morning glare and decimated by defensive fire. We join the regimental doctor, Dr Heinrich Neumann, as he assumes command of one battalion and leads a daring nighttime charge towards the summit. The Hill details what was felt, heard or seen throughout the battle for both attacker and defender.

Drawing upon original combat reports, diary entries, letters and interviews, the battle is brought vividly to life. The narrative reads like a Shakespearean tragedy, the soldiers revealing their stories in and around the shadows of Hill 107.

By: Robert Kershaw
Imprint: Osprey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781472864550
ISBN 10: 1472864557
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 03 September 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Robert Kershaw is a previous commander of 10th Battalion the Parachute Regiment. He attended German Staff College spending a further two years with the Bundeswehr as an infantry, airborne and arctic warfare instructor. He speaks fluent German. On leaving the British Army in 2006 he became a full-time author. His most recent book was the critically acclaimed Dünkirchen 1940: The German View of Dunkirk (Osprey, 2022). He lives in Salisbury, England.

Reviews for The Hill: The brutal fight for Hill 107 in the Battle of Crete

Robert Kershaw has written a vivid narrative that is rich in detail and based on, but not burdened by, prodigious research. The result is a well-written page-turner about a hard-fought battle that really mattered. * Jonathan Dimbleby, broadcaster and author *