Synopses & Reviews
From the climactic battle of Alamein, where Allied forces handed the Nazis their first major defeat, to the remarkable story of László Almasy, who became the basis for the romantic English patient in Michael Ondaatjes novel, the story of this crucial WWII campaign is panoramic in scope and peopled by some of the most famous figures in the war. Drawing extensively on primary documentary sources and interviews with surviving veterans, award-winning journalists John Bierman and Colin Smith present a superb account of this extraordinary episode, remembered as a war without hate for the willingness by both sides to adhere to accepted notions of fair play and the mutual respect and camaraderie that evolved between the combatants. This riveting account is military history at its best.
Review
A concise and fluently written account, a refreshing change from the dry recording of tactics and numbers that too often passes for military history. (Chicago Tribune)
About the Author
John Bierman is a former BBC correspondent and documentary filmmaker. Colin Smith covered many wars for the Observer and was its defense, Middle East, Asia, and Washington correspondent. Bierman and Smith have separately published a number of nonfiction books and have collaborated on the widely praised biography of Orde Wingate, Fire in the Night.