Product Description

The distinguished historian Correlli Barnett gives here a complete and full account of the Desert Campaign 1940-43, an epic story set in a wasteland where soldiers fought for victory in a tumult of mechanical warfare. But THE DESERT GENERALS is also the story of five men under the strain of command in battle, the commanders who successively led the Allied forces against first the Italians and then the Germans in the ebb and flow of the desert war, culminating in the myth of Montgomery and the battle of Alamein, a myth that Correlli Barnett sets out to expose as ill-founded. Brilliantly written, THE DESERT GENERALS captures at every level the intensity and human drama of a unique and compelling episode in the history of war and warfare.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #361254 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

About the Author
Correlli Barnett is the author of six non-fiction titles. In 1970 he won the Royal Society of Literature Award for Britain and her Army. He has been historical consultant to three BBC Television series, including The Great War (1964) which he part wrote. In 1980 he was appointed the first Defence Lecturer in the University of Cambridge.

Customer Reviews

One of the dozen best books on the Second World War
This book did indeed cause controversy when first published. However this is not without good reason. This is one of the first books to give credit to Field Marshal Auckhinleck for halting Rommel at the First Battle of Alamein - The most decisive battle in The North African Campaign. It does criticise Montgomery but does so fairly. It is both a collection of biographies of five British Generals and a pocket history of the desert campaign. The battles are described with simple clarity and contain much interesting technical detail. One of the most favourable aspects of the book is the number of simple, well-drawn maps that help the narrative flow easily. This book is a must for anyone interested in the Second World War.

A deep study of British commanders in the desert campaigns
The author makes a superb study of the personalities, strengths and weaknesses of British commanders in the desert in the WWII. The high point is the psicological analysis, but this does not meant that the description of the campaigns is neglected. When first published the book created some controversy as the chapters devoted to Auchinleck and Montgomery defied conventional wisdom. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the fighting in North Africa. We should not forget that John Keegan himself also praises this book in his bibliography about WWII.