The fall of Singapore to the Japanese Army on 15 February 1942 remains one of the darkest days in the history of the British Empire – and still 60 years after Singapore's liberation, a subject of enduring fascination and controversy.

How could Fortress Singapore have fallen so swiftly to a numerically inferior Japanese army? Over 100,000 British and Australian troops surrendered to a Japanese force of 30,000 – who were nearly out of ammunition. Does the blame lie entirely with the ineptitude of the British commander, Lt General Percival, who believed that 'defences are bad for morale – both for troops and civilians'? Or should we blame the complacency of the commanders who believed the Japanese would never dare to attack Malaya? Or should the buck stop with Churchill himself, who failed to reinforce Singapore in time?

Peter Thompson's gripping narrative uncovers the controversial truths which have been hidden behind selfserving lies and distortions for so many years. Through numerous eye-witness accounts, he vividly portrays the carefree atmosphere of life in Singapore right up to the invasion; the savage fighting on the Malayan mainland as the Japanese war machine ploughed relentlessly southward; and the ignominious fall of a besieged Singapore – followed by the appalling cruelties of the Japanese occupation.

As well as excavating the archives in Britain, Singapore and Australia, the author has also interviewed numerous survivors of the tragedy – the book is packed with first-person accounts of bravery, panic and self-sacrifice both by Australian and British soldiers, and by the trapped citizens of Singapore. The Battle for Singapore is an enthralling and dramatic read – and the fullest and most objective account yet written of one of the defining episodes in the history of the Second World War.

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