Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: Wellington on November 09, 2018, 06:36:26 PM
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Hello!
Can anybody recommend a book about the British attack on Syria and Lebanon?
Cheers
Wellington
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England’s Last War Against France, by Colin Smith.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Englands-Last-War-Against-France/dp/0753827050/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541789024&sr=8-1&keywords=England’s+last+war+against+france
A genuinely brilliant and readable history book. One of my faves. Super highly recommended. (It covers other aspects of the war against Vichy - Madagascar etc - but the core of it is the Syria / Lebanon theatre).
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If you want detailed accounts and maps etc to transfer battles to the table then I would strongly recommend Greece, Crete and Syria by Gavin Long. It’s part of the official Australian war history series. Long was an excellent writer, possibly the best official historian, so well worth a read. Naturally enough it focuses on the Australian contribution to the Syrian Campaign.
The whole thing is available on-line at the AWM site, if you can’t locate a copy.
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1417307
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Colin Smith's book seconded. My favourite history book of them all.
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Churchill and De Gaulle's Forgotten War: Invasion Syria 1941 by Henri de Wailly ISBM 978 1 78453 449 3 for a (mostly) French perspective including the political machinations. As with a lot of books it could do with more detailed maps but otherwise a very decent read.
And do check the Official History linked to by Carlos.
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Strongly recommend:
Invasion Syria 1941 by Henri de Wailly
Published by IB Tauris in 2016
It is a translation of a French original from 2006 and to my mind is the most authoritative and detailed.
Jonathan
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Thx for the recommondations! A great help!
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De Wailly is excellent - very good account; I found the final section very moving. I recall there is a decent bibliography in the rulebook for MMP's Reluctant Enemies game - can dig that out next week unless you already have it or others here have it more conveniently to hand.
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Just finished the books by de Wailly and Smith. Great books! Thanks for the recomendations
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Glad you enjoyed the Colin Smith book. I rate it as one of the best written history books I’ve ever read. Reads like a novel. Riveting.
How did the de Wailly compare?
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Smith wrote his book indeed more like a heroic novel, a little to black and white. Nethertheless a great book.
De Wailly is more concerned about the political problems of the French and the propaganda, dirty tricks an manipulation of the public on both sides.
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I've just finished 'Australia's War with France' by Richard James. The title gives away the emphasis, but there is a good deal of the political lead up and goings on throughout. Good maps too, the photos are mainly of the generals rather than the fighting men. Google about to find a copy that's cheap for you, but here is the publishers site: http://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/books/australias-war-with-france/