I was thinking I'd like to read a really good, detailed account of the seige of Tobruk. There seem to be quite a few that have been published. Based on amazon (4 stars and up) I have the following list just to prompt conversation. What do you think is the best book or two books I should get? Tobruk: The Great Seige 1941-42, William F Buckingham Tobruk, by Peter FitzSimmons Tobruk: The Great Seige Reassassed, Frank Harrison (I assume that Tobruk: The Birth of a Legend is Harrison's book republished by Cassell) The Longest Seige: Tobruk - the Battle that Saved North Africa, Robert Lyman
Thread over on AHF dealing with the same subject: Best book or books on the siege of Tobruk? • Axis History Forum I'd second the Lyman recommendation. FitzSimmons is good but focused on Australia. Harrison is an interesting read. And the AHF thread has a link to a download of a free paper on the 9th division which is interesting. David Katz has a book coming out that looks at the South African involvement and so deals with Tobruk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/South-Africans-Rommel-David-Katz/dp/081171781X His thesis can be found here SIDI REZEGH AND TOBRUK : https://scholar.sun.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10019.1/96040/katz_sidirezegh_2014.pdf?
Just bumping this thread up. Next year will be the 80th anniversary of the Siege of Tobruk. I plan on writing about a local soldier who served there and have started on some background reading. I am starting with Chester Wilmot's 'Tobruk', an original 1944 copy. I also have Tim Hall's 'Tobruk 1941 The Desert Siege', which I read many years ago and recall it being quite good. Fitzsimons book is a regular at the Op Shop and from the AHF thread it seems worth picking up a copy if it does utilise Morshead's personal papers. From the above posts Lyman's and Harrison's books look to be worthwhile for a broader perspective. I note there is also an Osprey book on Tobruk. Any other suggestions for books that have not been mentioned? Scott
Maughan's official history is the single most important work on the subject, and it is also blessedly free of mythology. Wilmot is early but surprisingly good as well.
Has anyone read any of the Barrie Pitt 'Crucible of War' Desert War trilogy? And recommend them? I have seen them mentioned in a few bibliographies lately. I am assuming that the second book deals with the Siege of Tobruk? Scott
I cut my teeth on them as a teenager and read them again a few years ago. All I can say is I like them... I'm not sure I can be critical about them. Lots of detail. The two books cover from 1940 until the end of 1942, as I recall. Sometimes published as three books instead. The siege is definitely covered, as is the breakout.
Although Barrie Pitt's coverage of the Breakout is heavily biased towards the first day - I think Harrison talks about that in his book. Regards Tom
Recently finished Wilmot's book and agree that it is very good. I am about two hundred pages into Fitzsimon's book and am struggling with some aspects of it.
