Alamein

Publishers Weekly

While providing the necessary information about Rommel and others before getting to the battle itself, Bungay (The Most Dangerous Enemy) provides the most limited coverage of these three books, yet competently contextualizes the battle's elements. One chapter is devoted to the character of the armies involved and the desert battlefield, covering aspects of the desert environment; soldiers' food; the hazards of the battlefield for different branches of service (infantry, artillery and armor); the culture and morale of British, German and Italian soldiers (along with their various motivations to fight); and relations between the ranks. Chapter eight, a succinct overview of the battle, makes an excellent, ready reference, without concentrating on any particular action. The book also includes a few nice asides about the larger war, to give the battle story some context, but it will appeal most to the initiated who want to quickly understand what happened and why in this corner of the war. The book has some careful descriptions of the relations between Allied commanders and analysis of their abilities, but is a bit short on the average soldier's view. (Nov.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.