This is the first major biography of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay in fifty years. Ramsay masterminded the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in 1940. Initially, it was thought that 40,000 troops at most could be rescued. But Ramsay's planning and determination led to some 338,000 being brought back to fight another day, although the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy paid a high price in ships and men. Ramsay continued to play a crucial role in the conduct of the Second World War - the invasion of Sicily in 1943 was successful in large part due to his vision, and he had a key role in the planning and execution of the D-Day invasion - coordinating and commanding the 7,000 ships that delivered the invasion force onto the beaches of Normandy.

After forty years in the Royal Navy he was forced to retire in 1938 after falling out with a future First Sea Lord but months later, with war looming, he was given a new post. However he was not reinstated on the Active List until April 1944, at which point he was promoted to Admiral and appointed Naval Commander-in-Chief for the D-Day naval expeditionary force. Dying in a mysterious air crash in 1945, Ramsay's legacy has been remembered by the Royal Navy but his key role in the Allied victory has been widely forgotten. After the war ended his achievements ranked alongside those of Sir Winston Churchill, Field Marshal Viscount Alanbrooke, Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery and General Dwight Eisenhower, yet he never received the public recognition he deserved.

Brian Izzard's new biography of Ramsay puts him and his work back centre-stage, arguing that Ramsay was the mastermind without whom the outcome of both Dunkirk and D-Day - and perhaps the entire war - could have been very different.

About the Author
Brian Izzard was a Fleet Street journalist, feature writer and news sub-editor for many years, working latterly on the Daily Express and the Sunday Express. This is his fifth book.

Reviews
This excellent modern biography is long overdue, superbly written and will hopefully help restore the worthy prominence owed to one of Britain's greatest naval officers. * Britain at War Magazine *
Well and attractively written and a good read. * Navy News *
This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, easy to read, and informative. * Naval Review 05/07/2021 *
Brian Izzard has written a splendid, much needed and long overdue full biography of Admiral Ramsay, with access to far more material, significant amounts of it formerly classified, than that available to WS Chalmers with his much earlier biography, written sixty years ago. But the book also includes an excellent history of Operation Dynamo, the amazing story of the Dunkirk evacuation, it is the best account that I have read of that incredible strategic rescue of the BEF (British Expeditionary Force). * Scuttlebutt 12/06/2020 *
This reviewer is firmly of the opinion that many of the best histories are written by journalists or former journalists. This book is no exception. The author is a journalist of vast experience who also happens to write great military history. He certainly has a talent for weaving a fascinating and readable tale ... [a] quite personal but very inspiring biography. * Baird Maritime 11/06/2020 *
Brian Izzard has written a fascinating and complete biography that is a delight to read of the man described as the "mastermind of amphibious operations". Very highly recommended. * Warships World 09/07/2020 *
''This is a fascinating... account of a great admiral's life and times.'' * Warships International *



Book Information
ISBN 9781612008387
Author Brian Izzard
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Casemate Publishers
Publisher Casemate Publishers