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Stanley, Peter - Commando to Colditz
6153
Pier 9/ Murdoch Books Millers Point, Australia 2009. Signed First Edition. ISBN 9781741963847
"Commando to Colditz" is an unusual - perhaps unique - war story. It is centred around a most unusual war hero: Michael 'Micky' Burn, soldier, poet and novelist, whose journey from fascist follower, to commander of Six Troop, 2 Commando, to prisoner (and communist lecturer) in the notorious prison of Colditz forms the focal point of this powerful narrative. In 1942, Micky led his commando troop of 28 men on one of the most daring raids of the Second World War, the assault on the French port of St Nazaire. As a result of this 'night of fire and death', fourteen of Micky's men were killed; seven, including Burn, were captured. Micky's bond with his soldiers is at the story's heart. Before the raid, he had asked his parents to write to his men's families if the worst should happen; the result was the creation of a rich and moving archive of letters between these grieving or anxious families, letters that illuminate the lives and deaths of a small but close-knit group of British soldiers and those who loved them. Author Peter Stanley, one of Australia's leading military historians, explores the effect of war not only on those who fight, but also on soldiers' families struggling with uncertainty, denial and grief. In Burn, he reveals a truly remarkable, complex and colourful character; one who continues to muse on the raid, its human cost - and what it means today. First edition. As new trade paperback book with cardboard cover and flaps. Signed by author on half title page.
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Weight:
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