Fortress

Fortress: The Story of the Siege and Fall of Singapore, first published in 1959, is the sobering account of the failed defense of Singapore in late 1941 and early 1942 against the advancing Japanese Army.

In Fortress, author Kenneth Attiwill—himself a prisoner of the Japanese for three and a half years—recreates, in vivid detail, the fall of Singapore in World War II: the unforgettable atmosphere of chaos, misunderstanding, panic bombings, evacuation of civilians, ill-trained troops, the invasion of Japanese troops, and the beginnings of tortures as the “Fortress” fell.

Here is an engrossing analysis of the Singapore defeat—in strategy caused by the failure of the Chief of Staff in London to activate the British defense in Malaya; in the air due to disorganization at Air Command Headquarters; on the sea, because Japanese efficiency was underestimated; and on land, through misjudgment of the invasion of Malaya.

Richly illustrated throughout with 14 pages of maps and photographs.