World War II Desert Tactics Book Review

By Michael Benolkin

Review

Here is an interesting read. This is a high-level look at the North African campaign as the armies of the Commonwealth dealt with the Italy's declaration of war against the British and the subsequent capture of an Italian Fort in Libya by British forces. While the Italians battled back, they ultimately called upon their German allies for help. So began the desert war of Rommel versus Montgomery.

As the desert war developed, tactics and counter tactics were developed by both sides the expoit the strengths of the attacking force and the weaknesses of the opponent. One weapon that struck fear into allied forces was the German Flak 88. Used in a direct-fire role, the high-velocity 88 was deadly against any armored vehicle on the battlefield.

The author examines the key forces in the prolonged battle for North Africa as well as their successes in battle. Coverage of this title include:

• A Harsh and Vast Arena
• Chronology
• The British
• The Italians
• The Germans
• The Balance of Hardware
• From 'Brevity' and 'Battleaxe' to 'Crusader'
• From Gazala to Alamein - and Back Again
• Tunisia

The book contains a nice range of black and white photography of the men and equipment in North Africa and is well illustrated with color profiles and battle maps to set the stage for each of the key battles discussed.

This book is a great overview of the North African campaign and will give the average reader a good picture of the historical significance of this campaign. The more avid historical reader can use this title as a launching point for further research and the author has provided a nice list of further reading titles. This book is recommended!

My sincere thanks to Motorbooks International for this review sample!