DAVIN D. M., CRETE - Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939-45, War History Branch Dept of Internal Affairs, Wellington / Oxford University Press, London, 1953. 1st edition, in 8vo, p. xvii+547. With 58 b/w illustrations and 11 folding maps out of text, along with 17 maps in text. Official campaign history of the battle for Crete (May 1941). Crete was central to both German and Allied interests in the Mediterranean and North Africa. Defeated in Greece, Allied forces, ill-equipped and lacking air support, made a gallant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to repel the German invaders, costing of almost 700 New Zealand dead, a thousand wounded and more than 2000 captured. This book approaches the –still controversial- battle on a day by day basis and is regarded as probably the most definitive account of the battle. The text concludes with a detailed report on the investigations carried out into the fate of New Zealand soldiers believed to have been alive, but not captured, at the time the evacuation of Allied soldiers was complete. Ex libris stamp on title page. Original red cloth bound, with title in gilt on spine; no jacket. Slight wear. Some foxing inside, but otherwise near fine copy.