What do you think?
Rate this book
War Without Hate : The Desert Campaign of 1940-43
The Battle of Alamein was one of the greatest set-piece battles in World War II and the victory for the allied troops was the turning point in the fortunes of war. Within a year of the battle Mussolini had been toppled and the Anglo-American forces had established a firm presence in Italy. The battle was of particular interest as it was a "clean" war. Bitterly fought on both sides according to certain basic ideas of what those involved were not ashamed to call "chivalry", the duel between to remarkable leaders - Rommel and Montgomery - is at the heart of this book. Both had fought and been wounded in World War I, both were personally austere and both had remarkable presence and powers of leadership with their respective troops.
528 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2002
12 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
John Bierman
11 books2 followersJohn David Bierman, journalist and author.
John Bierman was one of the last of a generation of buccaneering reporters and writers who pursued successful careers across the media. Newspaper reporter, editor, radio correspondent, television "fireman", documentary maker and, finally, acclaimed historian, Bierman excelled at each, in a working life that reached back to the days of plate cameras and reporters in trilbies.
His big stories as a BBC TV reporter included a 13-minute, mainly ad-libbed, report from Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972 (which won a Cannes TV Festival award), the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. His final incarnation as a historian was pursued in the Mediterranean calm of a Cypriot farmhouse - he liked to describe himself as a "palm-tree man". The military historian Sir John Keegan wrote of Alamein: War Without Hate (2002), which Bierman co-authored with fellow journalist Colin Smith: "Few historians write as fluently as they do; few journalists achieve their standards of accuracy and inclusiveness."
Bierman was born within the sound of Bow Bells in London. His father, an antiques dealer, beat a hasty exit, and his mother, who ran a dress shop, paid attention to her son only when in funds. Largely raised by his grandparents, and evacuated from London during the second world war, he had, therefore, a peripatetic childhood that ideally prepared him for life as a globetrotting reporter. His love of the English language was acquired young. Despite attending 16 schools, he had a sound basic education, and could recite long passages of poetry.
In 1960, Bierman was headhunted by the Aga Khan to found and edit The Nation, in Nairobi. Those four years were among his happiest professionally. A colleague recalls: "John was a great editor - driving, dynamic, young, assured, foul-mouthed, contemptuous of settlers, frightened of nobody, a marvellous design man and an elegant writer." He next moved to the Caribbean as a managing editor.
He returned to England in the mid-1960s just as the BBC was recruiting experienced print journalists to stiffen its staff of largely university graduates - "all rather posh men", according to Mike Sullivan, another of the hard-bitten tribe who joined when Bierman did.
Bierman's breakthrough book was Righteous Gentile: The Story of Raoul Wallenberg (1981), which brought to international attention the then largely neglected story of the Swedish diplomat who rescued Hungarian Jews from the Nazis. Bierman's words are inscribed on Wallenberg's statue in central London: "The 20th century spawned two of history's vilest tyrannies. Raoul Wallenberg outwitted the first but was swallowed up by the second. His triumph over Nazi genocide reminds us that the courageous and committed individual can prevail against even the cruellest state machine. The fate of the six million Jews he was unable to rescue reminds us of the evil to which racist ideas can drive whole nations. Finally, his imprisonment reminds us not only of Soviet brutality but also of the ignorance and indifference which led the free world to abandon him. We must never forget these lessons."
One of Bierman's books - The Heart's Grown Brutal, a thriller set in Northern Ireland - was written under the pseudonym David_Brewster; he was still on the BBC staff and not supposed to moonlight. In all, he published eight books (two written with Smith), continuing to work after a kidney (donated by his son Jonathan) transplant in 2002. Despite a later heart bypass, arthritis and damaged nerves in his neck which made writing torture, he stayed at his keyboard. He told an interviewer: "Working, in the sense of writing books, I shall do until I drop because it is my life."
(source: The Guardian)
John Bierman was one of the last of a generation of buccaneering reporters and writers who pursued successful careers across the media. Newspaper reporter, editor, radio correspondent, television "fireman", documentary maker and, finally, acclaimed historian, Bierman excelled at each, in a working life that reached back to the days of plate cameras and reporters in trilbies.
His big stories as a BBC TV reporter included a 13-minute, mainly ad-libbed, report from Bloody Sunday in Derry in 1972 (which won a Cannes TV Festival award), the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. His final incarnation as a historian was pursued in the Mediterranean calm of a Cypriot farmhouse - he liked to describe himself as a "palm-tree man". The military historian Sir John Keegan wrote of Alamein: War Without Hate (2002), which Bierman co-authored with fellow journalist Colin Smith: "Few historians write as fluently as they do; few journalists achieve their standards of accuracy and inclusiveness."
Bierman was born within the sound of Bow Bells in London. His father, an antiques dealer, beat a hasty exit, and his mother, who ran a dress shop, paid attention to her son only when in funds. Largely raised by his grandparents, and evacuated from London during the second world war, he had, therefore, a peripatetic childhood that ideally prepared him for life as a globetrotting reporter. His love of the English language was acquired young. Despite attending 16 schools, he had a sound basic education, and could recite long passages of poetry.
In 1960, Bierman was headhunted by the Aga Khan to found and edit The Nation, in Nairobi. Those four years were among his happiest professionally. A colleague recalls: "John was a great editor - driving, dynamic, young, assured, foul-mouthed, contemptuous of settlers, frightened of nobody, a marvellous design man and an elegant writer." He next moved to the Caribbean as a managing editor.
He returned to England in the mid-1960s just as the BBC was recruiting experienced print journalists to stiffen its staff of largely university graduates - "all rather posh men", according to Mike Sullivan, another of the hard-bitten tribe who joined when Bierman did.
Bierman's breakthrough book was Righteous Gentile: The Story of Raoul Wallenberg (1981), which brought to international attention the then largely neglected story of the Swedish diplomat who rescued Hungarian Jews from the Nazis. Bierman's words are inscribed on Wallenberg's statue in central London: "The 20th century spawned two of history's vilest tyrannies. Raoul Wallenberg outwitted the first but was swallowed up by the second. His triumph over Nazi genocide reminds us that the courageous and committed individual can prevail against even the cruellest state machine. The fate of the six million Jews he was unable to rescue reminds us of the evil to which racist ideas can drive whole nations. Finally, his imprisonment reminds us not only of Soviet brutality but also of the ignorance and indifference which led the free world to abandon him. We must never forget these lessons."
One of Bierman's books - The Heart's Grown Brutal, a thriller set in Northern Ireland - was written under the pseudonym David_Brewster; he was still on the BBC staff and not supposed to moonlight. In all, he published eight books (two written with Smith), continuing to work after a kidney (donated by his son Jonathan) transplant in 2002. Despite a later heart bypass, arthritis and damaged nerves in his neck which made writing torture, he stayed at his keyboard. He told an interviewer: "Working, in the sense of writing books, I shall do until I drop because it is my life."
(source: The Guardian)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 20, 2012
John Bierman and Colin Smith's joint venture, Alamein: War Without Hate follows hot on the heels of a number of other very good titles covering the Battle of El Alamein (Stephen Bungay's Alamein and Clayton & Craig's End of the Beginning to name just two). This title covers the history behind the desert campaign, the lead up to famous confrontation at Alamein and the results of that pivotal battle (at least in the eyes of the British Commonwealth).
In just over 400 pages of tense and illuminating narrative we learn more than just the 'what, why & how' of the battle. As readers we get the chance to have a glimpse into the lives of the soldiers who fought in this campaign. We read about soldiers from all parts of the Commonwealth and their German and Italian enemies and we get an idea why this campaign was known as the "war without hate".
The story was presented in a lively and interesting manner and although I have read quite a few books on this battle the story was fresh and retained my interest throughout. I found that at times the authors presented accounts with humor and sometimes a little sarcasm but at all times with fairness to soldiers on both sides of 'no-mans land'. There may not be much that is new here but this book does offer a refreshing and easy to read account of one of World War Two's more famous battles.
I also found that at times whilst reading this book I really got caught up in the lives of some of the participants and I was sadden by many of the outcomes. This is the story about the ordinary infantrymen, tankie, gunner, pilot, sailor and civilian, on both sides of the conflict. I really enjoyed the stories from these men and women and it was pleasing to see that the poor old Italian soldier get a fair place in this account. The author's style of writing was captivating and drew me into the narrative with ease, and I enjoyed many of the little snippets of information they provided on a range of subjects and characters.
Below is a section taken from the final chapter of the book 'Requiem':
"Two Englishwomen, sisters well into their sixties, are making a belated pilgrimage to the grave of their father, Lieutenant-Colonel John Evatt, officer commanding the 21st Anti-tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, a professional soldier who was killed on the fourth day of the battle. His daughters, Judith and Jancis, were four and six years old respectively at the time; a third daughter, fleetingly conceived during Colonel Evatt's embarkation leave, was yet unborn.
The Colonel's widow never remarried. The daughter she was carrying when her husband was killed died earlier this year of cancer. At their father's grave, the surviving sisters use a borrowed hotel spoon to dig an inch of two down into the loose sand. Then, into a shallow depression beneath the headstone they tip the contents of a small casket they have brought from England - the mingled ashes of their mother and their sister. These they cover over, to blend in with the desert soil that covers their father. No tears; the daughter of the bygone Empire do not weep."
This is a good story, well presented and well written. I am sure that many readers who enjoy WWII history will enjoy this book immensely.
In just over 400 pages of tense and illuminating narrative we learn more than just the 'what, why & how' of the battle. As readers we get the chance to have a glimpse into the lives of the soldiers who fought in this campaign. We read about soldiers from all parts of the Commonwealth and their German and Italian enemies and we get an idea why this campaign was known as the "war without hate".
The story was presented in a lively and interesting manner and although I have read quite a few books on this battle the story was fresh and retained my interest throughout. I found that at times the authors presented accounts with humor and sometimes a little sarcasm but at all times with fairness to soldiers on both sides of 'no-mans land'. There may not be much that is new here but this book does offer a refreshing and easy to read account of one of World War Two's more famous battles.
I also found that at times whilst reading this book I really got caught up in the lives of some of the participants and I was sadden by many of the outcomes. This is the story about the ordinary infantrymen, tankie, gunner, pilot, sailor and civilian, on both sides of the conflict. I really enjoyed the stories from these men and women and it was pleasing to see that the poor old Italian soldier get a fair place in this account. The author's style of writing was captivating and drew me into the narrative with ease, and I enjoyed many of the little snippets of information they provided on a range of subjects and characters.
Below is a section taken from the final chapter of the book 'Requiem':
"Two Englishwomen, sisters well into their sixties, are making a belated pilgrimage to the grave of their father, Lieutenant-Colonel John Evatt, officer commanding the 21st Anti-tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, a professional soldier who was killed on the fourth day of the battle. His daughters, Judith and Jancis, were four and six years old respectively at the time; a third daughter, fleetingly conceived during Colonel Evatt's embarkation leave, was yet unborn.
The Colonel's widow never remarried. The daughter she was carrying when her husband was killed died earlier this year of cancer. At their father's grave, the surviving sisters use a borrowed hotel spoon to dig an inch of two down into the loose sand. Then, into a shallow depression beneath the headstone they tip the contents of a small casket they have brought from England - the mingled ashes of their mother and their sister. These they cover over, to blend in with the desert soil that covers their father. No tears; the daughter of the bygone Empire do not weep."
This is a good story, well presented and well written. I am sure that many readers who enjoy WWII history will enjoy this book immensely.
January 5, 2021
Some journalists write better history books than the professionals : this is one of them.
A narrative that gives structure for the entire pre-Alamein campaign, the battle(s) itself & an epilogue set in Tunesia. A book that's shaping the southern wing of my memory palace; I shall return to if I ever get lost. It comes with local flavor: he attended the 1999 commemorations held in US barracks in Germany & in situ. He knows how Lili Marlene sounds on the desert winds, sung in two accents.
A narrative that gives structure for the entire pre-Alamein campaign, the battle(s) itself & an epilogue set in Tunesia. A book that's shaping the southern wing of my memory palace; I shall return to if I ever get lost. It comes with local flavor: he attended the 1999 commemorations held in US barracks in Germany & in situ. He knows how Lili Marlene sounds on the desert winds, sung in two accents.
April 18, 2017
Alamein - War Without Hate is a sweeping overview not just of the famous 2nd battle, but of the whole of the desert campaign, as it ebbed and flowed from 1940 to 1943. The authors don't spend too long on any one battle or go into details of strategy or tactics in any great depth, instead giving a summary of events and a good sense of what life was like for its soldiers.
In keeping with the book's title the authors try to be fair to all nationalities, including the Italians who often get a rough deal, although the focus is clearly on the Eighth Army. At times they are almost reverential towards Rommel, but also give Monty some credit (which might not fit with the popular opinion).
Overall this is an action packed book, and the authors have a way with words and an eye for interesting and often humorous quotes, making this a lively and engaging read.
In keeping with the book's title the authors try to be fair to all nationalities, including the Italians who often get a rough deal, although the focus is clearly on the Eighth Army. At times they are almost reverential towards Rommel, but also give Monty some credit (which might not fit with the popular opinion).
Overall this is an action packed book, and the authors have a way with words and an eye for interesting and often humorous quotes, making this a lively and engaging read.
December 15, 2011
Truly top notch effort. Good telling of the stories and histories. Nice maps. Useful detail of the weapons involved. Possibly the best desert war book out there.
August 22, 2014
I was shocked to learn that I had never read a single volume about the war in North Africa in its entirety, so I dug through my gigantic collection of Military History titles and found this title buried near the bottom. I had never read it, and was amused to find the original receipt of its purchase (back in 2004) within the pages.
This was a quick, easy read that was a good British centric overview of the fighting in the North African deserts during the Second World War.
The North African theater was vital to the British war effort. Axis control of the region would have opened up the oil fields of Arabia and the larger Middle East to German and Italian control, not to mention outflanked the Soviet Union. Loss of Egypt would have been incredibly damaging to Britain's war effort both on a logistical basis as well as politically. The Egyptians were already simmering under British authority and when Rommel's army approached the El Alamein position, not far from Alexandria, the streets of Cairo erupted with pro German Arab demonstrations.
Then again, and this is something some don't really consider, had the Italians done better in their own invasion of Egypt in late 1940, Rommel might never have become a household name in the States and Europe.
The Italian invasion of Egypt was a case study in how caution can ruin military fortunes. O'Connor, the British 8th Army commander, badly outnumbered and heavily outgunned by the Italians had no choice but to fall back while refusing to get sucked into a major battle. When the Italians dug in only about 60 miles inside Egypt, O'Connor took the opportunity to take the initiative and launch an offensive that completely undid the far larger Italian army.
Chasing the Italians all the way back to El Agheila inside Libya (hundreds of miles away), the British all but destroyed the Italian army and won their first significant victory of the entire war. Hitler, no doubt fuming, had no choice but to send German troops to shore up his unfortunate allies. They would be commanded by a still only marginally well known middle ranking German General by the name of Erwin Rommel.
While the fortunes of the desert war would shift back and forth Rommel, always at a numerical and material disadvantage, would run rings around his British opposition, winning an especially huge victory at Gazala which culminated in the fall of the port city of Tobruk and the capture of over 30,000 British and Imperial prisoners. Despite this great victory, however, Rommel could not destroy the larger British force and was forced to chase them into Egypt, stopping at the El Alamein position.
I thought, personally, that the authors were a bit hard on Auchinlek, he did, after all, deliver a sound thrashing to Rommel in the First Battle of Alamein. The authors also gave a rather formulaic nod to the genius of Montgomery. While Montgomery is still reviled by most Americans (I am one, so I feel free to comment), I don't see him as such a dupe that most of my countrymen do. However, I do not in any way see him as Rommel's equal, then again I didn't gather that the authors felt that way either.
The book does a credible job with the main battle of El Alamein, the true turning point of the war (it happened a full three months before the end of Stalingrad) and they do a nice short overview of the fighting in Tunisia where, briefly, the Germans, once again, displayed their superior martial skills (especially against the Americans).
All in all a good book, though almost entirely lacking in any kind of analysis. But that's not all a bad thing, the books main import was to tell the story's of the men, especially the British/Imperial ones, who fought the war. And in that it excels. The authors did a good job at pointing out the heroism of the non British troops involved in the British effort: South Africans, Indians, and the awesome New Zealanders and Australians.
The book also tried to be fair to the Italians, who get an unduly harsh rap most of the time from military historians, and I feel as though they succeeded. There were enough first person Italian viewpoints to relate at least some of their story and the authors gave them credit where it was due. The Italians, however, were not the poor bumpkins that most Americans think they were. They were good soldiers who suffered under poor leadership, poor equipment, iffy logistics, and their hearts simply weren't in the war. The average Italian never shared Mussolini's ambitions, especially as they would have to bleed for it. While the American side got largely ignored, this is forgivable as the Americans didn't even show up till November of 1942 and didn't even fight Rommel's veterans till February the next year. The Americans were smashed by the Afrika Korps veterans in their first several encounters and took a while to rally. Also, the books focus was 8th Army. So, in the end, I didn't really mind so much.
Still, a very good book to serve as an introduction into the war in North Africa. Recommended.
This was a quick, easy read that was a good British centric overview of the fighting in the North African deserts during the Second World War.
The North African theater was vital to the British war effort. Axis control of the region would have opened up the oil fields of Arabia and the larger Middle East to German and Italian control, not to mention outflanked the Soviet Union. Loss of Egypt would have been incredibly damaging to Britain's war effort both on a logistical basis as well as politically. The Egyptians were already simmering under British authority and when Rommel's army approached the El Alamein position, not far from Alexandria, the streets of Cairo erupted with pro German Arab demonstrations.
Then again, and this is something some don't really consider, had the Italians done better in their own invasion of Egypt in late 1940, Rommel might never have become a household name in the States and Europe.
The Italian invasion of Egypt was a case study in how caution can ruin military fortunes. O'Connor, the British 8th Army commander, badly outnumbered and heavily outgunned by the Italians had no choice but to fall back while refusing to get sucked into a major battle. When the Italians dug in only about 60 miles inside Egypt, O'Connor took the opportunity to take the initiative and launch an offensive that completely undid the far larger Italian army.
Chasing the Italians all the way back to El Agheila inside Libya (hundreds of miles away), the British all but destroyed the Italian army and won their first significant victory of the entire war. Hitler, no doubt fuming, had no choice but to send German troops to shore up his unfortunate allies. They would be commanded by a still only marginally well known middle ranking German General by the name of Erwin Rommel.
While the fortunes of the desert war would shift back and forth Rommel, always at a numerical and material disadvantage, would run rings around his British opposition, winning an especially huge victory at Gazala which culminated in the fall of the port city of Tobruk and the capture of over 30,000 British and Imperial prisoners. Despite this great victory, however, Rommel could not destroy the larger British force and was forced to chase them into Egypt, stopping at the El Alamein position.
I thought, personally, that the authors were a bit hard on Auchinlek, he did, after all, deliver a sound thrashing to Rommel in the First Battle of Alamein. The authors also gave a rather formulaic nod to the genius of Montgomery. While Montgomery is still reviled by most Americans (I am one, so I feel free to comment), I don't see him as such a dupe that most of my countrymen do. However, I do not in any way see him as Rommel's equal, then again I didn't gather that the authors felt that way either.
The book does a credible job with the main battle of El Alamein, the true turning point of the war (it happened a full three months before the end of Stalingrad) and they do a nice short overview of the fighting in Tunisia where, briefly, the Germans, once again, displayed their superior martial skills (especially against the Americans).
All in all a good book, though almost entirely lacking in any kind of analysis. But that's not all a bad thing, the books main import was to tell the story's of the men, especially the British/Imperial ones, who fought the war. And in that it excels. The authors did a good job at pointing out the heroism of the non British troops involved in the British effort: South Africans, Indians, and the awesome New Zealanders and Australians.
The book also tried to be fair to the Italians, who get an unduly harsh rap most of the time from military historians, and I feel as though they succeeded. There were enough first person Italian viewpoints to relate at least some of their story and the authors gave them credit where it was due. The Italians, however, were not the poor bumpkins that most Americans think they were. They were good soldiers who suffered under poor leadership, poor equipment, iffy logistics, and their hearts simply weren't in the war. The average Italian never shared Mussolini's ambitions, especially as they would have to bleed for it. While the American side got largely ignored, this is forgivable as the Americans didn't even show up till November of 1942 and didn't even fight Rommel's veterans till February the next year. The Americans were smashed by the Afrika Korps veterans in their first several encounters and took a while to rally. Also, the books focus was 8th Army. So, in the end, I didn't really mind so much.
Still, a very good book to serve as an introduction into the war in North Africa. Recommended.
February 19, 2013
An excellent account of the desert campaign of world war 2, covering the entire story, not just Alamein. Very readable, it holds the reader's interest throughout, unlike some military histories which can be a bit dry. An excellent source book for anyone who wants to know what happened in the desert of north Africa.
April 24, 2017
Very good read. Lot interesting tid bits I did not know about.
July 15, 2021
Clarification: 4.5
A fantastic introduction to the desert war in North Africa. Monty and Rommel; tanks and explosives; shrub and a shit ton of sand - it's all here ladies and gentlemen. Add to the fact that it's written in a prose that is both eloquent and conversational, and you've got yourself a cracking military history.
The book looks not only at the frontline fighting - from the lowest private to the famous field commanders themselves - but also the various special forces and spying activities indulged in by both sides - though mostly the British. You'd be surprised how easy it was (or, at least, seemed to me) to start your own special forces unit. All one had to do was be an officer and make an impressive enough pitch to the right general and you'd be given any resource you deemed suitable!
Particular emphasis is put on the many VC winners of the campaign to spice the narrative up even further. The stories are incredible, and the backgrounds of all the men vary wildly, from English aristocrats to Nepalese subedars and even a former deserter!
A great read. I'll have to check out more from the two authors in future!
A fantastic introduction to the desert war in North Africa. Monty and Rommel; tanks and explosives; shrub and a shit ton of sand - it's all here ladies and gentlemen. Add to the fact that it's written in a prose that is both eloquent and conversational, and you've got yourself a cracking military history.
The book looks not only at the frontline fighting - from the lowest private to the famous field commanders themselves - but also the various special forces and spying activities indulged in by both sides - though mostly the British. You'd be surprised how easy it was (or, at least, seemed to me) to start your own special forces unit. All one had to do was be an officer and make an impressive enough pitch to the right general and you'd be given any resource you deemed suitable!
Particular emphasis is put on the many VC winners of the campaign to spice the narrative up even further. The stories are incredible, and the backgrounds of all the men vary wildly, from English aristocrats to Nepalese subedars and even a former deserter!
A great read. I'll have to check out more from the two authors in future!
May 29, 2024
Note: I wrote this review for a blog I had back in 2007, but I think it's still pretty accurate.
War Without Hate: The Desert Campaign of 1940-1943 by John Bierman and Colin Smith (also published as The Battle of Alamein) is the best single volume book on the war in North Africa that I've read. The title refers to the air of chivalry that still existed between British and German forces during this phase of the war. The authors are British journalists, and the focus is naturally on the British side of the conflict.
The book covers from the entrance of Italy into the war until the final capitulation of Axis forces in Tunisia, but the primary focus is on Operation Crusader and the battles around El Alamein. Around a dozen maps do an adequate job of illustrating the actions described in the text.
War Without Hate: The Desert Campaign of 1940-1943 by John Bierman and Colin Smith (also published as The Battle of Alamein) is the best single volume book on the war in North Africa that I've read. The title refers to the air of chivalry that still existed between British and German forces during this phase of the war. The authors are British journalists, and the focus is naturally on the British side of the conflict.
The book covers from the entrance of Italy into the war until the final capitulation of Axis forces in Tunisia, but the primary focus is on Operation Crusader and the battles around El Alamein. Around a dozen maps do an adequate job of illustrating the actions described in the text.
May 22, 2020
Having previously read and enjoyed Colin Smiths book on the Fall of Singapore I looked forward to his take on the North African campaign, I was not disappointed.
The book has great depth and its attention to detail is exceptional. For those with a military bent it covers the various tactical strategies employed by the commanders, both axis and allies but excels in the more human, personal stories that add so much colour to the picture.
The level of research the authors must have undertaken is astounding and they are to be congratulated on producing such a readable account of the first nail in Hitlers coffin.
The book has great depth and its attention to detail is exceptional. For those with a military bent it covers the various tactical strategies employed by the commanders, both axis and allies but excels in the more human, personal stories that add so much colour to the picture.
The level of research the authors must have undertaken is astounding and they are to be congratulated on producing such a readable account of the first nail in Hitlers coffin.
May 14, 2020
A very good read
July 17, 2024
Good narrative overview of the campaign, but would have preferred more time devoted to logistics and understanding why things happened instead of the many individual anecdotes the book is filled to the brim with. Even so, it's super readable and unapologetic about what it is, so hard to fault it too much.
May 30, 2015
An easy, pleasant read covering just about everything associated with the war in North Africa. Once we get to El Alamein, the detail deepens and we get the view from the eyes of small unit commanders and their men on both sides. I appreciated learning more about the role played and suffering endured by Malta. There are good maps, or, as good as you're going to get when you're trying to follow a swirling tank battle.
February 15, 2016
A strong review of the fighting in North Africa, this is an illuminating book that goes all the way to Tunisia. It covers a lot of ground (in a lot of pages) but does a good job mixing details with overview. I enjoyed it.
November 6, 2016
the authors are pretty good story tellers I enjoyed the book.
February 20, 2013
Fantastic coverage of the Desert war. Highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in WW2
April 22, 2017
Enjoyed the historical recount of the North African campaign in WW2. I was intrigued by the detail to which the authors brought out both sides. How it was put into a personal journey by lay soldiers and generals alike.
April 28, 2017
A solid, insightful, and surprisingly even handed account of the entire campaign for North Africa. Dragged a bit in the last third as the style switched from strategic to include more detailed personal accounts, but recommended none-the-less.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews