Product Description

'Excellent ... a remarkable achievement and ought to be recognised as one of the most succesful histories of the Western Desert and North African fighting yet to have appeared' John Keegan, Daily Telegraph For the British, the battle fought at ElAlamein in October 1942 became the turning point of the Second World War. In this study of the desert war, John Bierman and Colin Smith show why it is remembered by its survivors as a 'war without hate'. Through extensive research the authors provide a compellingly fresh perspective on the see-saw campaign in which the two sides chased each other back and forth across the unforgiving North African landscape.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #441306 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
There was little to romanticise in 20th-century warfare, as detailed in Alamein: War Without Hate. The bloody stalemate of the First World War trenches and the stark confrontation between a genocidal dictatorship and the forces of democracy in the Second World War could not be given the gloss of "chivalry" and "fair play" applied to the less mechanised slaughter of battles in previous centuries. The exception was the North African campaign, the Krieg ohne Hass (War without Hate), as it was described by the German commander Rommel. The myth of a desert war that was somehow "cleaner" and more noble than the fighting on other Second World War fronts has been perpetuated both by veterans of North Africa and by some historians.

In their fine account of the struggle between Rommel's Afrika Korps and Montgomery's Eighth Army which culminated in the second Battle of Alamein, Bierman and Smith replace myth with reality. However, they do show that the desert war was different from the other theatres of war. There is some basis to the myth of the "war without hate" and a good deal of the credit for this can be given to the German commander. Not that Bierman and Smith are primarily interested in the personalities of senior commanders. Even the pen portraits of Rommel and Montgomery are slightly perfunctory. What they want most to do is to provide a clear and readable narrative of events unfolding in North Africa from 1940 to 1943 and how they affected the ordinary soldiers who fought on both sides. In this they have succeeded admirably. Their book refuses to romanticise the desert war but, by giving so striking an account of its reality, does a different kind of justice to the men who fought in it. --Nick Rennison

Review
'Excellent... a remarkable achievement and ought to be recognised as one of the most succesful histories of the Western Desert and North African fighting yet to have appeared' John Keegan, Daily Telegraph

Allan Mallison, The Times, September 2002
'big pacey read... panorama of the desert fighting up to the sacking of Auchinleck and the arrival of Montgomery.'

Customer Reviews

Excellent Military History
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, artillerymen, 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...

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.

ALAMEIN - ANOTHER WINNER FROM SMITH AND BIERMAN
Like their last joint effort - on Orde Wingate - Smith and Bierman have taken a challenging subject and treated it with their original blend of professionalism, humour and huge respect for their subjects (or most of them, at any rate). In addition, those elements of the book which have never been discussed before are fascinating, and must add to the book's importance.

By borrowing the subtitle War Without Hate they might have slipped into a misleading account of a soft-focus, rather comfortable sort of conflict. They make their point but leave you in no doubt just what a campaign like this means in terms of human loss. Why were we able to beat a better-equipped enemy who was also better-generalled (at least initially)? Because we had some outstanding junior officers and senior NCOs, many more of whom gave their lives in this campaign than in other armies and other wars. The account of the Rifle Brigade's action at Snipe, as well as a number of other accounts of individual acts of bravery (generally linked to a high degree of situational awareness), show how such people enabled Monty to achieve his objectives. And the stories are gripping.

I enjoyed the discussions of the generals in particular. There is some uncomfortable reading here, though, because of the comparisons between the two sides. Although the authors do not dwell on Montgomery, they leave you in no doubt how outstanding his contribution was; and, despite being a professional soldier not known for his tolerance or humanity, he understood that he needed to tailor his plan to the limitations of his citizen army.

I had the luxury of reading the book over Christmas and New Year, and so hardly put it down until I had finished it. I look forward to the next one.

An excellent and riveting read
The Battle of Alamein is a familiar tale and the authors concur with accepted wisdom: that Montgomery rightly anticipated that the battle would be attritional, but that he was forced to switch his main attack northwards yet pretended - as always - that everything had gone to plan; that he failed to appreciate the difficulty of mine clearance (detectors and flail tanks didn't work, and Sappers and infantry resorted to arduous probing with bayonets), or the vulnerability of armour in narrow corridors. Once again the 88s wreaked devastation.

This fine narrative is a tribute to the resilience and fighting qualities of soldiers on both sides. The Allies prevailed despite never consistently mastering - unlike the Germans - close infantry/armour/artillery support, or quick tactical improvisation, or lateral communication (battalions in different divisions couldn't speak to each other directly). They prevailed because of the sinking of German supply convoys (largely through Ultra), through weight of numbers and eventual air superiority, and the bravery of the Desert Rat.

The authors have a jaunty style, often strangely appropriate to their tale. There was much humour and perkiness in the desert, tank crews would yell `Missed!' over the radio to Germans firing at them. At Snipe, Sgt. Calistan scored a hat trick of enemy tanks with his last three anti-tank shells, and then brewed a nice pot of tea on the bonnet of a burning jeep. He knew his manners and offered his wounded Colonel a cup. `As good a cup as I've ever had,' Col. Turner said politely. He had, incidently, just won the VC. Many such tales adorn this excellent and riveting read.

Jacqueline Buchanan, Guild of Battlefield Guides