The Battle of Alamein: Turning Point, World War II

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: Having read numerous Eastern Front narratives recently, I felt as if I needed a change of pace. This book did the trick. The Commonwealth's troops and Rommel's Afrika Corps had somewhat of a chivalry between them. This is in glaring contrast to the hellish Russian steppe battles. As an earlier reviewer states, the authors do not use all 400+ pages to write about the actual Alamein battle. For anybody new to the North African war, this is an excellent primer. The side stories alone are quite interesting... almost Stephen Ambrose-ish. A recommended follow up book would be Rick Atkinson's "An Army at Dawn" which begins with Operation Torch, loosely where "Alamein" breaks off.

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Summary: History of the War in North Africa
Review: John Bierman and Colin Smith are semi-retired journalists who live on the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean. They collaborated on "Fire in the Night", a wonderful biography of Orde Wingate, a few years ago, and this is their second venture together. It's a very good book, with only one real criticism from me: given it's a history of a battle, it spends relatively little space discussing that battle.

The war in Libya was one of the last chivalrous conflicts in history. Almost all commentators agree that the Germans here were much less Nazi-like in the North African desert than anywhere else. The German commander, Erwin Rommel, the famed Desert Fox, wouldn't allow SS troops into the region, and insisted on treating enemy wounded and prisoners fairly and compassionately. The British generally responded in kind, and the army in Egypt was often shocked by the appearance of a soldier who'd been serving in Britain, seen houses bombed, and came out to the theater hating the Germans. The new arrivals were likewise shocked at the admiration the veterans had for the Germans.

The war went on for more than two years, if you count the British campaign against the Italians in the winter of 1940 and the Allied campaign in Tunisia in the spring of 1943. The heart of the campaign, and the book, was the year-and-a-half-or-so-long struggle between the British and their Commonwealth Allies on the one hand and the Germans and their Italian Allies on the other. The book spends a great deal of time dealing with several of the larger battles from the first part of the campaign, notably Crusader and Gazala. When you get to the Battle of Alamein itself, the book is half over.

Strangely, the battle of Alam Halfa, gets only cursory mention. This is odd, given that some people think that this was the first (or second) stage of the actual battle. Instead, the meat of the book describes "Supercharge", the British attack on Rommel's forces which finally, conclusively, defeated the Germans in the North African Desert.

One of the reviews above says that the authors are uncritical of the leadership personalities in the war. I don't think this is particularly fair: the authors spend a considerable amount of time telling you of Rommel's mistakes, and failures, and health problems. They also spend a good deal of time detailing the mistakes made by various British commanders, and Churchill comes in for his share of criticism. When we get to Montgomery, he's relatively gently dealt with, but this *was* the period of his greatest success. I've never completely agreed with the Correlli Barnett theory that Monty was completely a figment of his own fantasies, and a lousy general. Here, vain, self-promoting, and stubborn as he was, he comes across as the man who used all of these characteristics to defeat the Afrika Korps, and win the battle. It's a fair, balanced appraisal, and not that favorable, but it shows why he won the battle.

Like I said, the one criticism is the way the book is structured. The actual portion of the book that deals with the battle in the title is only 80 pages, maybe, of 400. The introduction to the war, and the early campaigns, take up individually almost as much. There are little sidebars with interesting personalities from the war, writers and poets and so forth. You learn of the woman who served in the French Foreign Legion at Bir Hacheim, the Hungarian nobleman adventurer who was the basis for the book The English Patient, and a score of other participants in the war. There is a prologue and an epilogue detailing reunions and commemoration ceremonies that are still being held with veterans from the war. This part is especially well done.

I enjoyed the book a great deal. I just wish they'd spent a little more time on the battle itself.

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Summary: Excellent Military History
Review: 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.

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Summary: Good literary intro to the desert war
Review: Much has been said and written about Alamein and what role this battle in the desert played in the outcome of the Second World War, but The Battle of Alamein (also known by its alternative title - War Without Hate) by John Bierman and Colin Smith is not merely another presentation of the well known story. Bierman and Smith have collaborated to produce a lucid and riveting tale of what has often been called the turning point of WWII for the Western combatants. Whether this belief is strictly true or not, it is clear that the German Army, in this case represented by the Afrika Corps (and its Italian ally), went from a victorious and seemingly unbeatable army to a broken, to a retreating and utterly spent group of soldiers discarded by their leader.

The Battle of Alamein is more than a story of the major engagements so well known and oft told, it is also a story of little known elements that played important, if somewhat side-stage, roles in this first major tactical victory for the British Army (represented by the 8th Army in this case). It is in fact this component of the book that makes it most compelling. Bierman and Smith tell, with considerable literary style, of how the British Long Range Desert Group, founded and initially lead by the 30's desert adventurer Ralph Bagnold, went through several incarnations which ultimately developed many of the most important desert warfare tactics used by the 8th in its victory over Rommel. The reader also learns about a behind the lines sabotage group formed from German Jews that caused considerable havoc to the German forces, despite considerable loss to their own little band. But the victors are not solely presented. The reader is taken down an equal number of paths that explain both well and lesser known exploits of the Afrika Corps and the Italian Desert Army.

As a chronicle of the combat itself The Battle of Alamein quite often falls short. There are a number of errors and misstatements but the background and sidestories larger make up for this deficiency. Thi is a work crafted in a way amateur historians can enjoy and have their interest piqued - professional or more serious amateurs should approach it open minded and willing to accept some "issues". If the reader wants a great one-two punch try Rick Atkinson's Army at Dawn in combination with The Battle of Alamein. The former is a 5 star effort of serious historical value and literary flair, while The Battle of Alamein, while flawed, delivers a sound and fun 4 star read.

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Summary: Outstanding assessment of the crucial battle of El Alamein.
Review: Published in the UK as "Alamein, War Without Hate". The American edition's subtitle is misleading, as the book is an overview of the whole desert campaign culminating in the Battle of El Alamein itself. Being an overview, the book lacks some depth, I think. On the other hand, it does cover a lot of ground: strategy, tactics, supply, political demands, intelligence (including the American Atache in Cairo's tell-all messages being intercepted), LRDG, Malta, Lilli Marlene, the works. There are a few books that offer better analysis ("The Desert Generals" for example) but as an introduction to the desert campaign this is tough to beat: Well written, fast moving and very enjoyable. PS-I almost gave it 5 stars and maybe I'm just mad because I wish it had been longer.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: The Battle of Alamein is actually more than a retelling of that battle (hardly THE turning point of WW2; but in fairness to the authors this is the US title), rather it's an overview of the desert war. As an overview of the British and Italian armies of the period, it's acceptable: as a military history it is less successful. This work suffers from a typical problem authors encounter (usually unwittingly) when they use interviews almost exclusively. This is naturally the fallibities of human memory. After more than 50 years events can become clouded, rearranged or distorted.
Errors of fact especially regarding equipment and tactics, are rife in this work, revealing the authors' lack of research. German tanks are described as diesel-powered and superior to British equivalents-wrong on both accounts. Additionally German ranks and unit designations are flat wrong; and are ascribed to interviews with German veterans. An example: A german veteran supposedly calls his unit's weapons "Schmeissers" and "Spandaus". No German veteran would ever do so. Either he was editing for his audience, or his interview was recast for the book; both are unacceptable for a history. But the most spectacular mistake is that the authors seem to be blissfully unaware that Winston Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty before he became Prime Minister! They also go easy on Montgomery where he is most subject to a dispassionate critique. Namely, his lackluster pursuit of Panzer Armee Afrika as it retreats across Libya. Here we read a version of the "Great Man", where Montgomery is well intentioned but badly served by his subordinate commanders, and a worn-out Eighth Army. Frankly, that IS a commander's job-to drive his forces if required to find, fix and destroy the enemy. If his forces were exhausted, then the under-fueled, under-fed and under-armed Axis forces were the walking dead.
For a casual reader the information on the Italian Army in the desert might be enlightening, however if the authors submitted this as a history paper to me I'd give them a C+. Not recommended.

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Summary: The authors re-create this pivotal World War II engagment
Review: The Battle of Alamein stands out as one of the great triumphs of the Allied forces, where the Egyptian railway stop became a center of a showdown between German commander Rommel and British general Montgomery. In Battle Of Alamein the authors re-create this pivotal World War II engagment, from events which led up to it to its aftermath, providing new insights on advisors on both sides. A riveting story.

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Summary: Prepare to be entertained!
Review: The European title of this book is far more relevant and accurate.

Alamein, war without hate.

This book proves that History can be entertaining. There are no doubt better researched and more detailed accounts of the desert war. I doubt if any come close to being this readable or have its style. Bierman and Smith prove that English belongs to the Englishman.

The authors have been able to give a general history of the whole desert war in what amounts to a "cracking read". For those who desire a concise and highly entertaining account of a very different war than that fought in other theaters, this is a must. This book will certainly fulfill the function of a first read in this sector of operations. I wouldn't take other reviews too seriously when they refer to inaccuracies in this work. It bothers me not that an MP40 is referred to as a Shmeisser etc. There is a definite place in our bookshelves for introductory histories. Once ones interest is fired up by books of this ilk, it will encourage one to seek greater detail in more comprehensive books.

One of the most pleasing aspects of this book are the delightful footnotes that appear on nearly every page that give one fascinating insights into the characters and events in the desert war. The bottom line is that the book is just so damm readable that I could not put it down. It has kindled an interest in a theater of war that has never really engrossed me.

Go out and buy it and be prepared to be entertained!!