Amphibious operations have always been an important element of warfare, but they reached their climax during the Second World War when they were carried out on a large scale in every theatre of the conflict. That is why this wide-ranging, highly illustrated history of amphibious warfare 1939-1945 by Simon and Jonathan Forty is of such value. Their book gives graphic accounts of the main amphibious assaults launched by the major combatants, in particular the British, American, German and Japanese - not just large-scale landings like those in North Africa, Normandy, the Philippines and Okinawa, but also raids such as Dieppe and St Nazaire and evacuations like Dunkirk and Kerch. The rapid development of amphibious tactics and equipment is an essential element of the story, as are the vital roles played by the navies, air forces, armies and special forces in each complex combined operation. There is also a section on amphibious operations that were planned but didn't happen, such as the German invasion of Britain and the Italian and German operation against Malta. AUTHORS: Simon Forty was educated in Dorset and the north of England before reading history at London University's School of Slavonic and East European Studies. He has been involved in publishing since the mid-1970s, first as editor and latterly as author. Jonathan Forty was also educated in Dorset and the north of England before attending Queen Mary College, London. He designed and worked on military magazines, including for many years Tank magazine. Sons of author and RAC Tank Museum curator George Forty, they have continued the family tradition, writing mainly on historical and military subjects including books on Hadrian's Wall, the Napoleonic wars and the two world wars, often in collaboration. They are also co-authors of Tank Warfare 1939-1945, Infantry Warfare 1939-1945, Artillery Warfare 1939-1945 and A Photographic History of Airborne Warfare 1939-1945. 200 b/w illustrations