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John Bierman and Colin Smith are both award winning journalists writing for most major newspapers. They have seperately published a number of previous books, this being their second collaboration. Their first, FIRE IN THE NIGHT, was a widely praisedbiography of the maverick British commander, Orde Wingate.
As we approach the 60th anniversary of the battle of El Alamein, there is a plethora of books being published about the battle in 1942. What sets this one apart is its focus on the human side of the conflict and its coverage of three years of conflict in North Africa, not just the battle itself. This was the last 'gentleman's war', fought between adversaries who largely upheld the concept of chivalry on the battlefield. The Geneva Convention was respected on both sides and, in stark contrast to the situation in Europe, there were few civilians living in the area fought over who could get caught in the cross-fire. Alamein was noteworthy for other reasons too - it was Britain's first real victory, coming a few months before the German capitulation at Stalingrad, and the last exclusively British/Commonwealth operation; after it the Americans began to take on an increasingly dominant role. The joint authors cover the North African campaign from beginning to end, from the Italian invasion of Egypt in 1940 and the rapid defeat that led to Rommel's involvement through the decisive victory at El Alamein itself to the slow push westwards as the Axis troops gradually lost ground. Bierman and Smith are both respected journalists - Smith was a war correspondent for the Observer - and their previous books, both joint and separate, have gained considerable acclaim. This is an excellent treatment of the desert war, drawing extensively on archive material and survivor recollections to create an accurate picture of a conflict which may have been romanticized but still stands in striking contrast to the other theatres of the Second World War. (Kirkus UK)
