After his first meeting with General Alexander in August 1942,
Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Horrocks wrote that: "By repute he was Winston
Churchill’s fire brigade chief par excellence: the man who was always dispatched
to retrieve the most desperate situations."
Churchill was indeed in need of a fire bridge chief. Allied forces had
been chased back across the desert by Rommel. Alexander bought a new hope to the
Desert Rats: he instilled them with his own confidence and thought of victory.
Under his command, Montgomery was ready to fight and win the battle of
El Alamein. Even as his generals drove the
enemy from North Africa, Alexander was planning far ahead for Sicily and Operation
Husky: the first major seaborne invasion by either side during the
war.
It was said that before El Alamein the Allies never knew victory, and
after El Alamein never knew defeat: much of the
credit belongs to Alexander. For decades his contribution to the British efforts
in both wars has been overlooked. Here, however, is a comprehensive edition of
his personal and candid memoirs, which includes judgments on such men as
Montgomery, Patton and Churchill. He also details his role in leading the
withdrawal of the 1st Infantry Division at Dunkirk, his dealings with Stilwell in Burma and the
bombing of the Monte Cassino abbey.
