Robin Neillands

Eighth Army: the Triumphant Desert Army That Held the Axis at Bay from North Africa to the Alps, 1939-1945 Robin Neillands 1st edition

No other army in World War II marched so far or fought for so long. In the desperate days between June 1940 and October 1942 (when American forces arrived on the scene) Eighth Army, considered by many to be the most remarkable fighting force of World War II, was the only Western army left to face the growing Axis powers. They were a British force, comprised of some of the greatest fighting divisions from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Canada, France, and Greece, among others, and they represented, essentially, the Free World at war. Ultimately triumphant, the men of Eighth Army first had to surmount obsolete equipment and indifferent command, as well as the enemy -- not least among them the formidable and legendary Field Marshal Erwin Rommel of the German Afrika Korps. In Eighth Army acclaimed historian Robin Neillands masterfully relates the defeats and successes of these remarkable men. Using first-hand source material -- including personal accounts and interviews with veterans of Eighth Army -- Neillands digs deep into the details of the strategies, conflicts, controversies, and politically motivated decisions that plagued, stymied, and galvanized this fighting force. He captures the essence of what made this group of men so unique -- their humor, comradeship, courage, and, above all, their willingness to go on. The riveting narrative re-creates, in gripping detail, the battles fought at Sidi Rezegh, Alamein, Sicily, and Cassino. Eighth Army reverberates with the unstoppable spirit of the men whose strength and heart carried them on a 3,000 mile march to victory.