Philip Vian’s view from the sharp end

Action This Day captures Philip Vian’s vivid personality and candour. The memoir ranges from the Altmark rescue by HMS Cossack to photographs of the damage British carriers endured from kamikaze attacks. Images with Admiral Halsey and of the Normandy command party place Vian inside several very different Allied operations. It offers a forceful senior officer’s perspective and a useful entry point into Royal Navy action across the war.