Alamein

The Battle of Alamein in 1942 was of enormous political and military significance. It brought a sense of victory to Britain grown weary from defeat. And it was a decisive victory. It ended forever the see-saw desert campaign between the Eighth Army and the German-Italian Panzer Army, driving the latter across Egypt, Libya and into Tunisia. Then it was destroyed by the Allied invasion of North Africa in 1943, which in turn led to the invasion of Europe. Alamein was the high-water mark of Rommel's career, and made Monty a household name worldwide. It also changed the way the British Army fought, using concentrated artillery on a scale not seen since 1918 to break through Axis defences built in depth. It was, however, far more than a land battle. Sea power was vital to its success, providing the British with the means to fight while denying it to the Axis. Crucial also were the contributions of the Middle East Air Forces largely overlooked in previous accounts.But fundamentally it was a soldiers' battle in which the infantry, gunners, sappers, tank crews, airmen and their supporting arms fought it out at close quarters amid a welter of confusion - heat, sand, smoke, noise, dust flies and blood. ;As well as providing an overview of the battle in its strategic context, Jon Latimer draws on the experience of the men who British; Australians; New Zealanders; South Africans; East Africans; Indians; Greeks; French; Poles; Canadians; Americans; Italians; Slovenians; Austrians; and Germans. Through them the sights, sounds, smell and taste of the desert come alive, we share their songs and their moments of humour, their fear and their pain.