This superbly researched book tells the story of one of the most significant maritime operations of the Second World War. The importance of the Arctic convoys providing the Soviets with the necessary equipment needed to win the war on the Eastern Front has too often been underestimated. This book puts that right. Following PQ17, the worst Allied maritime disaster of the Second World War, it was imperative that PQ18 got through. So when the convoy left Loch Ewe on 2 September 1942 the stakes could not have been higher. The Battle of Stalingrad was hanging in the balance. Had the convoy suffered unacceptable shipping and war supply losses, the Arctic route would have had to be suspended with potentially war-changing consequences not just for the Soviets but the whole Allied war effort. Consequently, as this work vividly describes, it was both the most heavily defended and the most heavily attacked convoy of the whole war. The Author draws on contemporaneous accounts of the combatants from both sides including U-boat crews, airmen and, of course, the crews of the warships and merchantmen. Offering newly discovered facts about the convoy's turbulent passage, this book is a valuable addition to the history of the campaign which will appeal to historians and laymen alike. AUTHOR: John McKay served in the RAF before pursuing a career with the Fire and Rescue Service. He is the author of Surviving the Arctic Convoys - The Wartime Memoir of Leading Seaman Charlie Erswell (Pen and Sword Maritime, 1922) and other published works, including the award-winning novel, Hell and High Water, set during the Arctic convoys of World War Two. A keen football fan, John lives in Wigan with his wife Dawn. He has two daughters and one grand-daughter. 16 b/w illustrations