Intelligent, insightful and perceptive.
Linked biography of three flamboyant World War II generals who often but not invariably deserved their fame.
British military historian Brighton (Hell Riders: The Truth about the Charge of the Light Brigade, 2004, etc.) has no trouble pointing out parallels. George S. Patton (1885–1945), Bernard Montgomery (1887–1976) and Erwin Rommel (1891–1944) all served in World War I, impressed superiors and received severe wounds. All suffered through two decades of peace, yearning for another war and continuing to impress those in command who could tolerate their egotism. Unlike many previous biographers, Brighton does not gloss over the men’s unpleasant personal qualities. All held unsympathetic, reactionary political opinions. Patton ordered vicious attacks on the Washington bonus marchers in 1932; Montgomery brutally suppressed rebellions in Ireland and Palestine; Rommel adored Hitler until late in the war. All became darlings of their nation’s media for frivolous but also important reasons. Rommel was a charismatic, aggressive commander who knew how to use tanks at a time when his opponents didn’t. However, the North African campaign was always a sideshow to the real action on the Eastern Front, where 50 times as many soldiers were fighting the Red Army; Rommel’s 1941–42 victories provided morale-boosting headlines to distract the German public from the impending debacle in Russia. Equally charismatic but rarely aggressive, Montgomery believed in meticulous planning, eschewing risky, Rommel-style battlefield improvisation. This overwhelmed Rommel at El Alamein, but slow, careful preparation did not work as well later, and Montgomery’s disdain for Americans made him widely unpopular. U.S. generals tended to be cautious, so Patton’s intense belligerence—and contempt for the English—provoked controversy throughout his career, but his was the proper strategy for a nation with an enormous material advantage over the enemy, and superiors knew his value.
Intelligent, insightful and perceptive.Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-307-46154-4
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2009
An exhaustive, ice-cold briefing that tracks the martial art of sniping from colonial America through the brushfire conflicts of the present day. Focusing on how regular (as opposed to guerrilla) ground forces have employed snipers over the years, British historian Gilbert traces the origins of long-range sharpshooting to the late 18th century, when rifles began to replace muskets as the military's primary weapons. He goes on to show how snipers (named after an elusive game bird) proved their tactical value for both sides in the US Civil War, visiting sudden death on unsuspecting foes at long distances. The author offers a wealth of anecdotal evidence documenting how snipers continued to distinguish themselves on killing grounds throughout the world, thanks to constant advances in the design of bolt-action firearms, high- velocity bullets, telescopic sights, and allied tools of the lethal trade. At almost every opportunity, Gilbert stresses the economy of sniping, which in certain circumstances can make a single rifleman as effective as an infantry squad. In Vietnam, for example, troops fired 50,000 rounds for each enemy casualty, while sniper/spotter teams expended 1.7 rounds per kill. Precision of this order is not easily achieved, and the author devotes considerable attention to the rigorous training required to develop a first-rate sniper. Covered as well are such topics as the antipathy of field-grade officers toward lone-wolf operatives not under their direct command, camouflage, the countermeasures available to those being stalked, the intelligence potential of snipers, wound ballistics (a section the squeamish would be well advised to skip), and the future of freelance combatants in the age of electronic battlefields. The low-key text also provides detailed technical specifications on the sniper rifles and ammunition used by Western nations. Gilbert's very specialized manual of arms will appeal to the Soldier of Fortune crowd as well as military history buffs. (16 pages photos, not seen)
Pub Date: Feb. 20, 1995
ISBN: 0-312-11894-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1994
Harris (Thatcher, 1988, etc.) provides a dreary if competent chronological summary of Queen Elizabeth II's life and role in British history. Long live the queen. Elizabeth has ably and nobly represented the monarchy for more than 40 years. As her family gets sordid and scandalous press, she plods on, sovereign of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, with the duke of Edinburgh, if not exactly by her side, then a few paces behind her. Harris dutifully summarizes the queen's duty-filled history; he explains and defends the institution of the monarchy; he talks about the monarchy's mystique and about the disagreement between those who would keep it magical and those who would make it more accessible. Regrettably, this virtuous survey does not make very interesting copy, and Harris provides little new material. He traces the queen's sense of obligation and morality back to her father, George VI, the shy and reluctant king who ascended the throne in 1936 after the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII. We see ``Lillibet'' as a child and follow the royal family through the Second World War, when they became a beloved symbol of Britain's courage and fortitude. Harris then dutifully and soberly traces Elizabeth's marriage and coronation; her sister Margaret's ill-fated romance with Peter Townsend; the queen's relationships with her various prime ministers; her children's scandalous marriages; the annus horribilis, etc., etc.—all in order, with some pretty rough transitions. More interesting is the discussion of the queen's role as arbitrator and consensus maker in the Commonwealth; much less so are ones about her income, her staff (why ladies-in-waiting are not black), the European Community, and monarchic reformation. Harris's history seems intended for an unsophisticated audience, but some terms (e.g., the Privy Council, the Annual Register, the queen's prerogative) may be unclear to Americans. A royal rehash that's a royal bore.
Pub Date: Feb. 28, 1995
ISBN: 0-312-11878-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1994
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
