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Books : Eighth Army in Italy 1943-45: The Long Hard Slog
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Rating: 
- Excellent overview
Typical of this author, this book is exceptionally well written and exhaustively researched. It tells the story of Britain's most famous field army of the 20th century in the Italian campaign that lasted from September 1943 until May 1945. There's no doubt that Doherty knows the British Army of the Second World War as well as anybody and he seems to have a special affinity with the Italian campaign. This book is enlightening on the difficulties of the campaign, so different from that in the Desert where Eighth Army was born, and of the qualities of the generals who commanded the Army. Montgomery was the best known but the author argues that the best of the three commanders in Italy was the last, Sir Richard McCreery. Having read this book I'm inclined to agree. But there is much more, on logistics, on tactics, on medical back-up and on innovation and the author is not afraid to describe the warts - the morale and desertion problems that beset Eighth Army but which were overcome before it embarked on its final and most dramatic offensive, Operation Buckland.
A book well worth the price. I recommend it.
- Excellent overview Typical of this author, this book is exceptionally well written and exhaustively researched. It tells the story of Britain's most famous field army of the 20th century in the Italian campaign that lasted from September 1943 until May 1945. There's no doubt that Doherty knows the British Army of the Second World War as well as anybody and he seems to have a special affinity with the Italian campaign. This book is enlightening on the difficulties of the campaign, so different from that in the Desert where Eighth Army was born, and of the qualities of the generals who commanded the Army. Montgomery was the best known but the author argues that the best of the three commanders in Italy was the last, Sir Richard McCreery. Having read this book I'm inclined to agree. But there is much more, on logistics, on tactics, on medical back-up and on innovation and the author is not afraid to describe the warts - the morale and desertion problems that beset Eighth Army but which were overcome before it embarked on its final and most dramatic offensive, Operation Buckland.
A book well worth the price. I recommend it.