Publisher's Synopsis
In July 1942, German and Italian forces seemed to be at the point of sweeping away the remainder of the British resistance in the Middle East and triumphantly overrunning Egypt. If this had happened,the disaster for the Allies wold have been irretrievable . Instead, Rommel's victorious army was checked on the Alamein line in what became the first battle of Alamein. Two months later another Axis thrust was held in the second battle of Alamein at Alam El Halfa. On October 23rd the Allied forces were on the offensive, and after two long weeks of bitter fighting sent Rommel's forces into head-long retreat.
The higher strategy of these battles has been well covered in other books. but this one is about the men who fought in the tanks and minefields, in the sand dunes and behind the guns. The experience of the desert has long been a mystery to those who were not actually fighting in it, but now, though a fascinating selection of original first-hand accounts from battalion commanders and private soldiers alike, Philip Warner reveals the loyalty and chivalry, courage and hardship, humour and compassion which were an integral part of this remarkable series of battles. These accounts are preceded by a comprehensive introduction and the text is extensively illustrated with maps and photographs.
