The War Between the Generals: Inside the Allied High Command [Unabridged] [Hardcover]

David Irving (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1981

War Between The Generals: Inside the Allied High Command, The by Irving, David

Product Details

• Hardcover: 456 pages
• Publisher: Congdon & Lattes, Inc.; 1st edition (1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031292920X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312929206
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,897,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully entertaining, September 26, 2005

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The war between the generals / David Irving. (Paperback)

In this wonderfully entertaining book, author and military historian David Irving examines World War II in Europe from an entirely different angle. As Mr. Irving unfolds his story of the war in Europe he shows that there was not just a war between Allied and German soldiers, but also between the Allied generals themselves! Many have heard of the rivalry (often bitter) between U.S. General George Patton and British Field Marshall Bernard Law Montgomery, but in this book one gets to see how the different generals, air marshals and admirals worked with each other, across each other, and even against each other.

Overall, I found this to be an absolutely fascinating book. I purchased it new in 1981, and have read the book through numerous times. The author does an excellent job of giving a history of the war in Europe from the inside, showing how the different decisions were made (or not made), and how the politics of the situation affected the operation of the war. This is a great book that I think should be read by anyone interested in knowing what really happened. I give this book my highest recommendations!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Inner War, July 5, 2007

By 

Gurman Singh Bal (San Ramon, CA) - See all my reviews
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David Irving's "The War Between The Generals" focuses on personal rivalries, strategic disputes, national conflicts and other forces that threatened the Allied command from within.

Irving's writing style is superb, with the pacing and detail of a thriller novel and the facts and insights of real history. Why can't more historians write like this?

The most serious Allied dispute dealt with Eisenhower's "Broad Front Strategy", in which Anglo-American forces would move across large sectors of France in the final push into Germanny vs. Montgomery's "Full Blooded Thrust", wherein a huge Allied Army would march on a narrow axis directly into the Ruhr Valley to capture and destroy Germany's industrial region.

This broad front vs. full blooded thrust originated out of each commander's national needs. Montgomery knew that the British Empire teetered on the edge of bankruptcy and was down to her last manpower reserves. A quick victory in Europe would thus preserve the Empire.

Eisenhower sought to maintain the Anglo-American coalition and pursue a low risk strategy of incremental advance across the entire Western Front. Eisenhower also wanted to maintain the autonomy of American commanders like George S. Patton. Ultimately, Ike decided that America, the major contributor of men, material and money, would call the strategic shots.

The arrogance and incompetence of the French is examined in great detail. Shockingly, De Gaulle routinely fed the names of dissidents who loved France but not De Gaulle to the Gestapo so as to eradicate any rival political forces.

Irving packs in great details such as the German V-1, V-2 and V-3 superweapons, the Allied VX proxmity fuses and many other fascinating facts.

I highly recommend this work of history as it demonstrates how the Allies first had to overcome themselves before they could vanquish the Axis Powers.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Appreciate Ike for what he was, April 18, 2007

By 

G. F. Smith (Wyoming USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The War Between the Generals: Inside the Allied High Command (Hardcover)

This was the first book by David Irving which I read, with great trepedation given his reputation as a Holocost debunker. However, it is an excellant book which should be read by anyone seeking to understand Eisenhower's role in the Second World War. Ike had never led troops in combat, was promoted over many others, to achieve Allied High Commander. His skill lay in his ability to manage such diverse personalities as Patton and Monty. And that quality is detailed in this book as never before. Ike's skill and forebearance is detailed in this book and my appreciation of it gains with each passing page. It is a people skill which allowed Eisenhower to hob nob with the regular GI as easily as with George Marshall and FDR. And he could manage such diverse personalities as Patton, Bradley, Clark and Monty without blowing a gasket. This is a must read for the WWII student. Irving has done a magnificent job.