There are always points in a conflict where the overall tone of the war change. Often it is a situation where one side has reached its limit and the other takes over the offensive. Sometimes these things are fleeting, but at other times they are pivotal. Such was the case of the battles around the lonely railway station at El Alamein, less than 100 km from Alexandria, Egypt.

As a bit of background, it was the Italians that caused all of this fuss. They used their entry into WWII as an excuse to start a land grab in North and Eastern Africa. Unfortunately, they were not up to the task, and as poorly outfitted as the British were, the Italians were not much better off. In fact, they started losing territory and had to call on the Germans for help. Germany sent one of their best, GFM Erwin Rommel, to assess the situation and help out, but in reality, it soon became a German show, something the Italians resented. Now whether due to this resentment or just because of poor planning or inefficiency, once Rommel was on the go, he relied on the Italians to provide the supplies he needed to keep his forces moving. This was a task the Italians were unable to perform.

By the time of El Alamein in October of 1942, the British, under General Auchinleck,  were on retreat and the German supply lines had been spread thin. What made all this rather remarkable on the German side is that they were undermanned and under-equipped in comparison to the British. The British forces had more tanks, more men and more guns. They also had more fuel, something of which Rommel was always in need. The Germans had the better leadership, and technical advantages in terms of tanks and guns, though these were all in very short supply. The Italians, for lack of a more PC term, were basically cannon fodder as their equipment was woefully inadequate for modern warfare. Italian troops were as brave as any, but lack of quality equipment put them at a distinct disadvantage.

The British were being micro-managed by Churchill, who really should have left things to his field commanders, but continued to constantly meddle. Thanks to his displeasure at the current situation, he was going through generals like a woman goes through goods at a rummage sale. Though none of his field generals were incompetent, Churchill wanted results at any cost so put Bernard Montgomery, a man who was vain, abrasive, and generally insufferable, but extremely competent in charge after firing Auchinleck.

Then began one of the most incredible and fiercely fought series of  battles ever to grace the trackless deserts of North Africa. In the end, it was a lack of long promised fuel and replacements as well as the Luftwaffe's inability to control the skies that did in Rommel. His Afrika Korps was chased back across the Northern Deserts into Tunisia.

Ken Ford weaves this tale like few others. He provides an excellent background leading up to the events of the book and then takes you there into the desert full of over one million land mines and hundreds of British field guns. The illustrations of Howard Gerrard almost have you tasting the dust and sand. It is this combination of weaving a tale, illustrating the more incredible parts of the battles as well as the great period photos and excellent maps/diagrams that make this book so eminently readable. Of all the books in the campaign series, this is one of the best that I've read and I'm sure you will agree with me.

October 2005

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