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African Trilogy
An epic account of the entire war in North Africa from 1940-1943 from peerless war correspondent Alan Moorehead CBE, published to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battles for El Alamein in July and October 1942.
Moorehead's classic trilogy on the North Africa campaign and the prolonged battles between Montgomery's Eighth Army and Rommel's Afrika Corps immediately drew universal acclaim, and remains an epic account as extraordinary now as it was then. This lavish new edition features an introduction from world renowned historian and Wolfson Prize-winner Professor Richard Overy.
In 1940, Alan Moorehead was sent to cover the North Africa campaign by the Daily Express, and he followed its dramatic course all the way to 1943. The three books he subsequently wrote about the Desert War – later collected as his ‘African Trilogy’ – were swiftly acclaimed as a classic account of the tussle between Montgomery’s Eighth Army and Rommel’s Afrika Corps, amidst the endless harsh wastes of the Western Desert. Moorehead was responsible for the celebrated insight that 'tank battles in the desert are like battles at sea, the lumbering tanks like ships lost in a vast ocean of sand.'
Moorehead's classic trilogy on the North Africa campaign and the prolonged battles between Montgomery's Eighth Army and Rommel's Afrika Corps immediately drew universal acclaim, and remains an epic account as extraordinary now as it was then. This lavish new edition features an introduction from world renowned historian and Wolfson Prize-winner Professor Richard Overy.
In 1940, Alan Moorehead was sent to cover the North Africa campaign by the Daily Express, and he followed its dramatic course all the way to 1943. The three books he subsequently wrote about the Desert War – later collected as his ‘African Trilogy’ – were swiftly acclaimed as a classic account of the tussle between Montgomery’s Eighth Army and Rommel’s Afrika Corps, amidst the endless harsh wastes of the Western Desert. Moorehead was responsible for the celebrated insight that 'tank battles in the desert are like battles at sea, the lumbering tanks like ships lost in a vast ocean of sand.'
- GenresHistoryWorld War II
414 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1944
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About the author
Alan Moorehead
98 books91 followersAlan Moorehead was lionised as the literary man of action: the most celebrated war correspondent of World War II; author of award winning books; star travel writer of The New Yorker; pioneer publicist of wildlife conservation. At the height of his success, his writing suddenly stopped and when, 17 years later, his death was announced, he seemed a heroic figure from the past. His fame as a writer gave him the friendship of Ernest Hemingway, George Bernard Shaw and Field Marshall Montgomery and the courtship and marriage of his beautiful wife Lucy Milner.
After 1945, he turned to writing books, including Eclipse, Gallipoli (for which he won the Duff Cooper Prize), The White Nile, The Blue Nile, and finally, A Late Education. He was awarded an OBE in 1946, and died in 1983.
After 1945, he turned to writing books, including Eclipse, Gallipoli (for which he won the Duff Cooper Prize), The White Nile, The Blue Nile, and finally, A Late Education. He was awarded an OBE in 1946, and died in 1983.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 1, 2021
Highly recommended book. Although it provides historical information of the battles, for me the most outstanding bits are about the people who fought, the details, and the precise description of the atmosphere of the war.
August 11, 2008
Alan Moorehead is a master storyteller and a master war-correspondent. His personal survival, in the very thick of action, is almost miraculous. His narrative has the close-up stamp of authenticity, brought out also by his eye and ear for the anecdotical that reveals the human story - of tragedy, bitterness, rivalry, triumph, disillusionment, and even laughter - which accompanies war. When this is combined with Moorehead's unique capacity for analyzing strategy and seeing the larger pictures as well as the small, the result is a great tale.
The last chapter in Book Two, where he analyses the superiority of the German army over the British, is a lesson in objective reporting.
The last chapter in Book Two, where he analyses the superiority of the German army over the British, is a lesson in objective reporting.
March 23, 2010
extremely interesting first hand accounts WWII journalist covering africa, landscapes, environment, cultures and countries which were about to disappear in or after WWII
July 25, 2021
Amazing book. Not just about the desert war in North Africa but covers topic of Indian independence battle in Burma Ceylon etc. Fantastic read especially for those who enjoy WWII history
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews