The siege of Tobruk lasted 240 days during which the 'gallant garrison' of Allied soldiers, including the famous 'Desert Rats' held out against constant attacks from Rommel's Afrika Korps. The battle became one of the longest sieges in British military history and a potent symbol of British resistance. To understand what happened and why - read Battle Story. * Diary extracts and quotes offer a real insight into what it was like for the Allied soldiers to live under siege * Maps highlight the adversities of the terrain and the strategic importance of the Tobruk fortress * Rare photographs place you on the frontline of the unfolding action * Orders of battle reveal the composition of the opposing forces' armies * Packed with fact boxes, this short introduction is the perfect way to explore this important battle PIER PAOLO BATTISTELLI earned his PhD in Military History at the University of Padua. A scholar of German and Italian politics and strategy of the Second World War, he has written extensively on the Western Desert Campaign. He has also written Battle Story: El Alamein 1942 for the series.