Sadler, a noted military author, has chronicled the 1941 German airborne assault on the island of Crete and notes that despite its initial failures due to heavy casualties, the operation influenced Allied defense strategies for the remainder of the war. The author has included plenty of strategic maps so that military enthusiasts and historians can chart the progress of the Allied and Axis forces throughout the several days of the siege. Appendices include lists of the battalions, brigades and regiments, short essays on intelligence and the King of Greece and a list of the "Ten Commandments of the Parachutist." Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)