Monty: The Making of a General : 1887-1942 (Hardcover)

by Nigel Hamilton (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 871 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill (September 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070258058
• ISBN-13: 978-0070258051
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #456,081 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete assessment of this great soldier., May 26, 2007

By	Ned Middleton (British professional underwater photo-journalist & author) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

With access to his private letters, diaries and other papers, author Nigel Hamilton takes the reader from the birth of Montgomery in 1887 to his promotion to Lt General and command the Eighth Army in 1942. The remainder of Montgomery's life is covered in a second volume of this book.

Whilst the author has produced an exceedingly fine account of the life of Montgomery during the years in question, for me, the book stands apart from other works because of previously unpublished material and previously unseen photographs. Pictures of Montgomery as a child, boy, young officer, family man, and in every rank up to Lt General are an important part of the history of this one man - and they are all here. Of the many thousands of officers and soldiers present, how ironic that a "Lt Colonel" Montgomery should just happen to be photographed standing in front of Winston Churchill during a Victory Parade in 1918. Elsewhere, there are many other historic photographs which include such notable figures as Secretary of State for War (1939) Mr Hore-Belisha and a young Major A. E. Percival (who as Lt General Percival in 1942 was to surrender Singapore to inferior Japanese forces!) to name but two. There are also several encounters with Churchill both before and during his time as Prime Minister. And so it goes on.

Hindsight is, of course, a fine science, and there are many interesting events which the historian (and even the amateur psychologist!) might now regard as the reason why Montgomery became what he became and did what he did. There was his strict upbringing as the son of a Reverend (later Bishop) both at home and abroad, public school, formative years in an army of Empire and the events of World War 1 which almost claimed his life. Much later (1936) there was the tragic death of his wife. Altogether, this is an absorbing account of how Montgomery became a very important General.

For me, the book reveals the very best that Montgomery ever was. Perhaps this is because the book stops before he became a Field Marshall and, therefore, before he became so full of his own importance he felt he could treat all and sundry with utter disdain because of who he was.

I would suggest this book is an important addition to both British history and the history of the Second World War - and an excellent read to boot.

NM

3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A knife though granite, July 4, 2003

By	Peter J. Hall "bibliomane" (london) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A superb and insightful study of the greatest Allied general of WWII and the century. I read it in great gulping chunks. Very interesting analysis of the psychosexual aspects of Monty and his relationship with his troops by one who knew him. A fascinating discussion of how in 9 weeks Monty turnded around a 200,000 man army from defeatism and slackness into one which secured the first convincing defensive and offensive battle wins by the Allied forces (principally New Zealand and Australian) against Rommel's hitherto invincible Africa Corps. I would recommend it for anyone interested in history, the military, human psychology and management.