Hitler's Island War on Leros
Hitler's Island War
The Men Who Fought for Leros
I fell in love with Leros, 'my' island when I was first visited when I was 17. Leros (Greek: Λέρος) is a small slice of paradise in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies in the Aegean Sea, an hour and half from Kos by catamaran or an 8 and half ferry ride from Athens's port of Piraeus. In 2001, I bought a house there and became obsessed with writing some of its history which had been neglected. Hitler's Island War
was my first part attempt to save some of the history of Leros - notably, the Battle of Leros in November 1943. I searched and found about 20 veterans who had fought on the island and interviewed them. The recordings I have given to the Imperial War Museum.
Reviews for Hitler's Island War
‘The best stories are the forgotten stories; the stories of battles that have been ignored and of ordinary men and women whose voices have never been heard. Hitler’s Island War is both of these. Detailed, moving and authentic, this is a story that needs to be heard, both for its human aspect and for its strategic importance in the struggle for the Aegean in World War II.’
Paddy Ashdown, author of Game of Spies
‘Julie Peakman’s riveting tale of the battle for Leros during World War II combines a precise analysis of politics and strategy with a deft sensitivity to the traumatic experiences of those warweary men who fought and died on that island. Through their letters, diaries, and oral accounts, she provides a way for us to understand something of their fears, suffering, hopes, and, in the end, despair.’
Joanna Bourke, author of The Second World War. A People's History
‘A vividly raw and personal story. [Peakman] has made an essential – and unique – contribution to understanding those extraordinary events on an Aegean island in 1943.’
Nick Jellicoe, author of Jutland: The Unfinished Battle
In November 1943, at the height of World War II, the Aegean island of Leros became the site of the most pivotal battle of the Dodecanese campaign as the British tried, in vain, to retain control of the island. Over the course of two short months, from the Italian capitulation on 8th September 1943 to 17 November 1943, over 1500 British soldiers lost their lives and hundreds, more ended up in Prisoner-of-War camps. In this book, historian Julie Peakman, a modern-day resident of Leros, brings to life the story of the men caught up in the battle based on first-hand interviews and written accounts including diaries, letters and journals. She tells of the preparations of the soldiers leading up to the battle, the desperate hand-to-hand fighting, and the suffering endured from continual bombings. She also shows the extent of the men's despair at the allied surrender, the many subsequent daring escapes as well as the terrible years of incarceration for those who were captured and imprisoned. Many of the heart-rending accounts of the battle are told here for the first time: Through interviews with the soldiers who fought there, she provides a unique eyewitness take on this forgotten corner of World War II.
Publisher: I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd. Hardback ISBN: 9781784532680 Publication Date: 30 Oct 2017
Number of Pages: 304 Illustrations: 45 bw in 38 plates 4 maps
Contact Details
juliepeakman@btinternet.com
Agent:
Michael Alcock
E.mail: Michael@johnsonandalcock.co.uk
Johnson & Alcock Ltd
Clerkenwell House
45-47 Clerkenwell Green
London EC1R 0HT
(020) 7251 0125
