Orde Wingate: Irregular Soldier

Rating:
Summary: The most complete biography of a true military genius
Review: Of the dozens of books that relate to Orde Wingate, the majority deal primarily with either the Chindit operations into Burma or serve as answers to the character assassination that was done posthumously after Wingate's death in a plane crash in 1944. Of the remainder, this book, along with the authorized bio by Christopher Sykes, and the most recent one by John Bierman & Colin Smith, stand out as the most complete. Of these, the Sykes version is the earliest, from 1959 and the author did not have access to certain records that the latter did. The Bierman and Smith version is quite thorough, but ends with some editorializing commentary on the current state of affairs in the Middle East totally contrary to those views that Wingate himself held. For this reason it leaves a sour taste in one's mouth. Royle's book suffers none of these flaws, and is perhaps the easiest read of them all. It is an excellent introduction to the life and thoughts of a man whom it will be revealed in time, was in fact a man of destiny, as Churchill's epitaph for him stated he was likely to become.

Rating:
Summary: A poor biography
Review: This is a poor biography because Trevor Royle has written a
work about a controversal subject that goes out of its way
to avoid offending anyone.

Its impossible to write a useful biography of Wingate that
doesn't address any of the controversies about him that
persist to this day. In avoiding taking a stand on the
controversies, the book gives offense to none but at the
same time paints a dishonest portrait of the man.

Royle also appears to have gone out of his way to avoid
dealing with many of the stupid things that Wingate thought
and said before and during the war.

What Wingate's followers have never quite understood is that
Wingate himself insulted and attacked almost everyone around
him in the army during his career. Its impossible to expect
his critics to be polite or deferential to a man who neither
during his lifetime.

And with regard to his Israeli supporters, your patrotism
is all fine and well. But the world outside the superheated
political nationalism of Israel doesn't have to obey your
rules of political correctness as regards history.

The worst single thing Royle does is turn Wingate's breakdown
and suicide attempt during the war into some sort great heroic
turning point in a life. Rather than another sign of a very
troubled man who could not follow orders, accept authority
or even accept responsiblity for his own actions.



Rating:
Summary: Orde Wingate : Deranged Mind & Incompetent Soldier
Review: Wingate should have stayed in the mental asylum instead of being plucked by that ass Churchill to lead his Chindits to many an infamous rout, humiliating surrender and futile death.

Like T.E. Lawrence, Wingate is a cardboard hero who led a life of debauchery, pederasty and depravity, a moral degenerate, self serving liar , mental wreck and military failure.