Product Description

From 1943 to 1946, Norman Kirby was in charge of intelligence and security at General Montgomery's Tactical HQ, 21st Army Group. It was a charge which carried with it the burden of Monty's personal safety and placed Sergeant Kirby in a privileged position at many key events of the war. As a linguist, Kirby acted as Monty's interpreter and link with the local people, and his work brought him into contact with a wide spectrum of the population as the Allied advance pushed on from the beaches of Normandy through Europe. Here, Kirby paints a world full of intrigue and the utmost danger, populated not only by the war-weary citizens of France, Belgium and Holland, but the sinister figures of spies and agents provocateurs and by shadowy members of the Resistance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #460400 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

About the Author
Norman Kirby had a unique job in WW2 - he was Field Marshall Montgomery's head of securirt and intelligence. He was also his official interpreter which as can be imagined often presented difficulties as he selected a less inflammatory vocabulary as he dealt with allies and enemies alike. His was the task of telling an irate trio of Eisenhower, deGaulle and Churchill they could not visit Monty's.

Customer Reviews

Excellent but not what I expected
This is a great memoir of one man's experiences within the campaign in North West Europe during the last year of WW2.

It is well written, funny, sad and thought provoking. I have read many war memoirs and this is up with the best of them although it is not exactly what I was expecting and what the title may lead you to believe.

It is true enough that Kirby served with Monty's Tac HQ. However for the amount of references and insights into Monty's world, you would be better consulting other work such as that of Alan Moorehead.

Kirby may have been with any other intelligence unit other than Monty's Tac HQ which, if the book wasnt as excellent as it is without such reference, would have left me disappointed having purchased the book judging by the title alone.