Description

Book Synopsis
During 1940 the German army swept with devastating speed across the Low Countries and into northern France and drove Allied forces back into a small pocket around Dunkirk. Without a swift withdrawal across the English Channel, the latter faced certain death or capture. The evacuation plan – Operation Dynamo – initially calculated that 45,000 men might be rescued, but between 26 May and 4 June 338,226 men were in fact brought back to England. Naval historian Philip Weir shows how this was made possible by a vast armada of disparate vessels including destroyers, minesweepers, fishing vessels and, most famously of all, the privately owned ‘Little Ships’. He explores the vessels’ various roles within the evacuation, and their subsequent fates, including preservation and participation in commemorative return runs to the port, which now take place every five years.

Table of Contents
The Fall of France The Evacuation The Ships Other Evacuations and the Big Ships The Five-yearly Commemorative Returns Places to Visit Index

Dunkirk and the Little Ships

    Product form

    A Paperback / softback by Philip Weir

    £9.49

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £9.99 – you save £0.50 (5%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Thu 3 Sep 2026.

    1 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of Dunkirk and the Little Ships by Philip Weir

      Book details

      Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
      Published 29 October 2020
      ISBN-13 9781784423759
      978-1784423759
      ISBN-10 1784423750
      Also in:
      Military History Second World War Specific wars and military campaigns Politics, Philosophy & Society Naval forces and warfare

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      During 1940 the German army swept with devastating speed across the Low Countries and into northern France and drove Allied forces back into a small pocket around Dunkirk. Without a swift withdrawal across the English Channel, the latter faced certain death or capture. The evacuation plan – Operation Dynamo – initially calculated that 45,000 men might be rescued, but between 26 May and 4 June 338,226 men were in fact brought back to England. Naval historian Philip Weir shows how this was made possible by a vast armada of disparate vessels including destroyers, minesweepers, fishing vessels and, most famously of all, the privately owned ‘Little Ships’. He explores the vessels’ various roles within the evacuation, and their subsequent fates, including preservation and participation in commemorative return runs to the port, which now take place every five years.

      Table of Contents
      The Fall of France The Evacuation The Ships Other Evacuations and the Big Ships The Five-yearly Commemorative Returns Places to Visit Index

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account