Monty: Life of Montgomery of Alamein: The Making of a General, 1887-1942 v. 1 (Coronet Books) - Softcover

Hamilton, Nigel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0340354828 ISBN 13: 9780340354827

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, 1985

Synopsis

Based on Nigel Hamilton's definitive 3-volume life of General Montgomery, this account of the most professional Allied Field Commander in World War II evokes and commemorates Monty's contribution to the subjugation of Nazi Germany. With access to the Field Marshal's private papers, including his letters, diaries and military records, Nigel Hamilton has delved into the heart and soul of the man who, though vain and difficult, was driven by a determination to spare men's lives by insisting on proper planning and rehearsal.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

Despite grave character flaws (he was vain, arrogant, small-minded and vengeful) Montgomery was, according to Hamilton, the outstanding Allied battlefield commander of WW II. Hamilton ( JFK: Reckless Youth ) has condensed his three-volume official biography into this single, more accessible book for general readers, concentrating both on Montgomery's battlefield exploits and his thorny relationships with American generals Dwight Eisenhower and Omar Bradley. Hamilton describes how and why Montgomery deliberately humiliated the latter and disparaged the former, his direct superior, almost continually accusing Eisenhower of everything from ignorance to incompetence. The biography is decidedly controversial: Hamilton argues, for instance, that Eisenhower was virtually inactive during the major German counterattack in the Ardennes and charges Bradley with concocting self-serving myths about Montgomery that would dominate postwar writing on the Western alliance. This shortened version brings into clearer focus the reasons for the high regard in which students of the military art hold Montgomery. Photos.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A condensation of Hamilton's previous three-volume biography of Montgomery -Monty: The Making of a General (LJ 9/15/81), Master of the Battlefield (LJ 1/84), and Monty: Final Years of the Field Marshal (LJ 12/86)-this latest effort will be more accessible to the average American reader. Sympathetic to Montgomery, while recognizing his personality flaws and peculiarities, this title provides a view of Montgomery that may be unfamiliar in the United States-that of a dedicated professional soldier and ally baffled by the perceived weakness and amateurism of U.S. political and military leaders during World War II. Arrogant, vain, and caustic, Montgomery remains one of the least-understood, yet most successful, Allied military figures of the war. Hamilton's book can serve to provide an alternative view to the usual Eisenhower-oriented materials and should be considered for World War II collections.---Stanley Planton, Quinn Lib, Univ.
Chillicothe
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
• Publication date: 1985
• ISBN 10: 0340354828
• ISBN 13: 9780340354827
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 848