The Hill: The brutal fight for Hill 107 in the Battle of Crete by Robert Kershaw

The Hill: The brutal fight for Hill 107 in the Battle of Crete by Robert Kershaw

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.

Check it out!
The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity Travels with Epicurus: Meditations from a Greek Island on the Pleasures of Old Age by Daniel Klein How to Be: Life Lessons from the Early Greeks by Adam Nicolson The Gang of Three: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle (Ancient Wisdom) The Girl Under the Olive Tree by Leah Fleming Orphia And Eurydicius: A beautiful compelling story of love and creativity

You might also like

Here you will find all our weekly book recommendations we include in our newsletters – books you might like to read either before you come and visit, or whilst you are here on holiday.

Check them out!