Destiny in the Desert: The road to El Alamein - the Battle that Turned the Tide - Softcover

Jonathan Dimbleby

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1846684455 ISBN 13: 9781846684456

Publisher: Profile Books Ltd, 2013

Synopsis

Destiny-in-the-Desert

About this title

About the Author:

Jonathan Dimbleby is a writer, broadcaster and film-maker. He presents Any Questions? and Any Answers? for BBC Radio 4 and presented ITV's flagship weekly political program This Week for over ten years. In 2008 his five part series on Russia was broadcast by BBC 2 accompanied by his book, Russia - A Journey to the Heart of a Land and its People; other books include Charles: the Private Man, The Public Face and The Last Governor. His 2010 series An African Journey and 2011 series A South American Journey were both broadcast on BBC2. In addition to his Presidency of VSO, he is Chair of Index on Censorship and a Trustee of Dimbleby Cancer Care.

Review:

Dimbleby takes the investigative and narrative approach - superbly paced and expressed - and is justifiably wary of academic certainties. -- Allan Mallinson * The Times * Read this fresh and provocative account and you'll be in little doubt that this was - for Britain - the single most critical battle of the Second World War. -- Peter Snow Covers a broad canvas - as wide as the desert itself. Dimbleby expertly weaves the dramatic events of the desert war together with the decisions and dilemmas of the great war leaders. He tells this story with real pace, drama and insight. -- Dr Niall Barr, author of Pendulum of War: The Three Battles of El Alamein An engrossing read, focusing on grand strategy -- Martin Kitchen, author of Rommel's Desert War Dimbleby persuasively explains why it was the side-show which wasn't a side-show and links his explanation to a vivid portrayal of life - and death - in the desert -- Stephen Bungay, author of Alamein By turns fascinating, thought-provoking and entertaining - and always beautifully written - 'Destiny in the Desert' explodes a number of self-serving myths about the Desert War and its apogee, the battle of El Alamein, while letting the reader appreciate why this incredible story has spawned so many of them. In their place emerges a tale of heroism and sacrifice, told from the point of view of the highest grand strategist down to the lowliest serviceman, which is far more entrancing than any comforting myth. Jonathan Dimbleby lets us see El Alamein anew. * Andrew Roberts * A wonderfully incisive, superbly written history that underlines the key role the Desert War played in Hitler's downfall. What Dimbleby has nailed so brilliantly is what so many war historians miss: the big picture. -- Saul David, author of All The King's Men Insightful * Choice *

About this edition

• Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1846684455
• ISBN 13: 9781846684456
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 532