Crete
Beevor, famed historian of the 1998 [b:Stalingrad|542389|Stalingrad The Fateful Siege, 1942-1943|Antony Beevor|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348217283s/542389.jpg|42137] and the 2002 [b:The Fall of Berlin|42661|The Fall of Berlin 1945|Antony Beevor|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1312049741s/42661.jpg|300328], which awakened the world to the Red Army's war rapes in Germany in 1945, was still in 1991 struggling a little bit to find his meter, and although this book offers some very professional and sharp passages, on the other hand the bar has been set higher by his later accomplishments and this 11 day battle lacks some of the horrific grandeur of Stalingrad or Berlin. (total casualties on both sides ~6000-- which is about how many died or were wounded every twelve hours in Stalingrad for five months)there are some very airy and nice descriptions of 'old world' britain with its winchester graduates and eccentric counts and barons carrying out war according to their ancient traditions, but otherwise this is a mere competent work.