A reconstruction of the Fall of Singapore to Japanese forces, one of the greatest catastrophes in British military history, from official dispatches and eye-witness accounts.
From jacket flap:
The fall of Singapore in 1942 was one of the most resounding catastrophes in British military history. The surrender of this “impregnable fortress” shocked the world and reversed Allied war strategy; but the full story of the circumstances which led up to the surrender has never been told.
What exactly happened? Who was responsible? Why were the Japanese forces ever allowed a foothold in Malaya? How were two proud battleships, Prince of Wales and Repulse, sent to the bottom in the first few hours without engaging a single enemy ship? What sapped the morale of famous fighting battalions? What is the truth behind the rumours of incredible blunders, panic evacuations, hasty retreats, courage and cowardice that have hitherto obscured the broader picture of the causes and events of the great debacle?
In answering these questions, Ken Attiwill, a Singapore veteran himself, has written a definitive account of the fall of Singapore. From official dispatches, from written reminiscences and from memories of dozens of men who were there, he has reconstructed in detail the story of one of the most complex tragedies of our times. Military historians of the future may well regard this book as a classic of defeat.
