Richard Mead (3)

I have other books written by the same author, which I have enjoyed and found to be informative, so I was looking forward to reading this biography. I was not disappointed. LAYCOCK was a soldier of whom I had come across with my military reading and research, but I knew little about his actual life, or the role he played in the British Army during the Second World War.

This biography is to a large part, the history of the Army Commandos during the war. LAYCOCK was involved in the beginning show more with the raising of the first commando units, rising to Head of Combined Operations by 1945. The author has woven with skill the political and military strategic issues around the deployment, and development, of the commandos, with the personal life of LAYCOCK and the more tactical side of the operations.

The level of research is excellent, with the book based upon interviews with relevant people, primary and secondary research. The bibliography is very useful to any military historian interested in the commandos. There are twenty-three chapters covering the entire life of LAYCOCK, with individual chapters on Layforce, Bardia and Crete, as well as operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily) and Avalanche (Salerno). There are four maps, and a good selection of photographs, both personal and military, in the centre of the book.

In conclusion, the author has provided what I consider to be a balanced, well researched, and informative account of the life of Bob LAYCOCK, and the instrumental role he played in the development of the commandos. I enjoyed the book, I hope you do. show less