Description: On 26 July 1956 the Egyptian leader Colonel Nasser announced the governments’ decision to nationalise the Suez Canal and this set the stage for one of the biggest political and military fiascos of modern history. When the invasion eventually took place in November 1956 world opinion had changed and along with superpower pressure forced the operation to be halted almost before it began which forced the French and British to withdraw in the face of threats of a nuclear bombardment from the Soviet Union. In this book the author looks at the military and political background to the operation and explains it with clarity. He gives a balanced account of the landings and subsequent aftermath to make this a highly readable book.