In July 1942, German and Italian forces seemed to be at the point of sweeping away British resistance in the Middle East and overrunning Egypt. But, 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. Eventually the Allied forces were on the offensive and, after two weeks of bitter fighting, Rommel's forces were retreating. Through a fascinating selection of firsthand accounts from battalion commanders and private soldiers alike, Philip Warner reveals the loyalty and chivalry, courage and hardship, humor and compassion behind these remarkable series of battles. AUTHOR: Philip Warner (1914-2000) enlisted in the Royal Corps of Signals after graduating from St. Catherine's Cambridge in 1939. He fought in Malaya and spent 1,1000 days as 'a guest of the emperor' in Changi and on the Railway of Death, an experience he never discussed. He was a lengendary figure to generations of cadets during his thrity years as a Senior Lecturer at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. Yet he will arguably be best remembered for his contribution of more than 2,000 obitiaries of prominent army figures to The Daily Telegraph. In addition he wrote fifty-four books on all aspects of military history, ranging from castles and battlefields in Britain, to biographies of prominent military figures. 12 pages of b/w photos
