The Norwegian campaign, fought in 1940, early in the Second World War in
Europe, is overshadowed by the campaign in Poland that preceded it and
the German blitzkrieg in the Low Countries and France that followed, yet
it was a close contest from the military point of view and it had a
far-reaching impact on the rest of the war. Philip Jowett's photographic
history is a vivid introduction to it.
In a concise text and a selection of over 150 photographs he traces the
entire course of the fighting in Norway on land, at sea and in the air.
He describes how important it was for the Allies - the Norwegians,
British and French - to defend northern Norway against the Germans, in
particular to retain control of the strategic port of Narvik.
The book documents in fascinating detail the troops involved, the
aircraft and the large naval forces, and gives an insight into the main
episodes in the conflict including the struggle for Narvik and the major
clashes at sea which culminated in the loss of the Royal Navy's aircraft
carrier Glorious.
The photographs are especially valuable in that they show the harsh
conditions in which the fighting took place and offer us a direct
impression of the experience of the men who were there.