Alamein: The Turning Point of World War Two [Hardcover]

Iain Gale (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2010

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 II 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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

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

About the Author

Iain Gale has strong Scottish and military roots, and is also the editor of the magazine of the National Trust for Scotland.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK (April 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007278675
• ISBN-13: 978-0007278671
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,172,681 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not a bad read, January 23, 2011

By 

N. Byrne - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Alamein: The turning point of World War Two (Kindle Edition)

I think the previous reviewer is a little unfair. Yes its not great literature but then I don't think that is the author's intention. As a fictionalised account of a battle which raged for days over a huge area and involved a wide range of nationalities, this novel gives an appreciation of what it might have been like for particpants. At times the scale of the canvas and his cast of characters defeats the author but on other occasions the writing and description rings very true. Definitely better than Biggles!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Biggles is better reading than this!, December 21, 2010

By 

David Wasley "traveller" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Alamein: The Turning Point of World War Two (Kindle Edition)

This is cliched writing at its groan-inducing worst. It's "damn the torpedoes", "keep a stiff upper lip" and "war is hell" stuff with large dollops of schmaltz. Here's a sample:

"He pictured the [dead] boy's mother in their pretty baroque villa overlooking Florence in the little hillside village of Fiesole. Donna Bartoldi would receive the telegram within the week, before his letter could reach her. He saw her drop to her knees in the great portico, beneath the trailing vines in the October sunshine which dappled the Tuscan hills."