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

Description

At what point does the will tosurvive on the battlefield give way to bloodlust? What turns men into killers?TheBattle of Crete was one of the most spectacular military campaigns of thetwentieth century. For the first time in history, German forces carried out aninvasion entirely from the air while poorly equipped Anzac and British forces,and local Cretans, defended the island. Duringthe campaign, one battle stands out for its viciousness. When the Germansapproached 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 severalbattalions and British soldiers counter-attacked with fixed bayonets. By theend, bodies were strewn across the battlefield. Later, a German doctor reportedthat many of the bodies of the German soldiers had been mutilated.Acclaimedhistorian Peter Monteath draws on records and recollections of Australian, NewZealand, German and British forces and local Cretans to reveal the truth behind one of the most gruesomebattles of World War II.'This is military history at its best: deeply researched, powerfully told and proving that the essence of war is men killing other men.' — Joan Beaumont