Book description
The superb novelist of men at war moves into the twentieth century and
World War Two, telling the story of the eleven days in the sands of
North Africa that would change history forever
There are some battles that change the course of history: Alamein is
one of those.
In October 1942, Britain and its allies were in real difficulties:
Germany and its Axis partners seemed to be triumphant everywhere - in
Europe, in Russia, in the Atlantic and were now poised to take the Suez
Canal. It was in North Africa that the stand was made, that the tide of
World War Two began to turn.
It was a battle of strong characters: the famous battle commander
Rommel and the relatively untested new British commander, Montgomery,
leading men who fought through an extraordinary eleven day battle, in an
unforgiving terrain, amid the swirling sandstorms and the desert winds.
Iain Gale, author of the outstanding historical novel Four Days in June
on the battle of Waterloo, tells the dramatic story through seven
characters, almost all based on real people. Drawn from both sides of
the conflict, they include a major from a Scottish brigade, the young
lieutenant in the thick of the tank battle, the Australian sergeant with
the infantry, the tank commander of the Panzer Division and the
charismatic Italian commander of a parachute battalion. Through them and
others we see the flow of battle, the strategies, the individual actions
and skirmishes, the fear, the determination, the extraordinary courage
on both sides. Praise for Iain Gale:
'A powerful novel of men at war. A triumph' Bernard Cornwell
'A treat for every history buff, and a vivid picture of men at war'
Scotland on Sunday
'An old-fashioned tale of military strategy and valour' Glasgow Herald
'An involving historical adventure - could Jack Steel be a worthy rival
to Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe?' Choice Magazine
'A combination of action and intrigue is supported by colourful
characters' Scottish Field Iain Gale has strong Scottish and military
roots. He is editor of the magazine of the National Trust for Scotland
and lives in Edinburgh with his family.
