As the victor of El-Alamein, Montgomery remains a household name to this day. And yet assessment of him as a military commander is sometimes blurred by perceptions as to the character and personality of the man. Here, in his own words, is the Field Marshal's story: "born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward..."

For Montgomery, the profession of arms was "a life study", to which he brought an almost religious fervour. His private life appeared austere and, by today's standards, somewhat puritanical but stemmed from a determination to retain "an ice-cold brain" in the heat of battle and to keep down casualties as far as possible. Mutual confidence between a commander and his troops was, he said, "a pearl of very great price." He could also be abrasive and this, by his own admission, made him many enemies. To his credit the author makes no attempt to gloss over this or the difficulties he faced during or after the war, even discussing the controversial 1945 press conference on the Battle of the Ardennes and reproducing the text of his notes for the first time. He also comments in detail upon those bruising confrontations which so marred his post-war career, and his account of his own appearance at the Royal United Service Institution in the mid-1950s makes startling reading.

Due prominence is given to the fighting men of the Eighth Army, whose achievement was "immense" and to whom Montgomery pays tribute, and he devotes a revealing chapter to his own Doctrine of Command.

Stephanie A. Jefford

They are an absolute joy to read and may be described as a tour-de-force. While all the famous actions are covered a give full value, I particularly enjoyed reading about his time in control of the military government in Germany at the end of the war and then as CIGS.

News Letter, Belfast, 17 Nov 2012

One of the most celebrated and indeed controversial Field Marshals with an Anglo-Irish heritage was Bernard Law Montgomery. His memoirs were first published in 1958 and have now been reissued by Pen & Sword. ..an absolute joy to read ..He writes with supreme confidence in his judgements and is lucid, analytical, penetrating and concise.
Highly recommended

Guy Warner