The commanders The leadership journeys of George Patton, Bernard Montgomery and Erwin Rommel

Historian Clark (Blitzkrieg) presents a fascinating group portrait of three of WWII's most innovative and illustrious generals. A fierce advocate for tank warfare, George Patton commanded the Western Task Force's invasion of Morocco in 1942, fought his way across Algeria and Tunisia, and helped conquer Sicily. Despite his often excessive behavior, including slapping and verbally abusing "battle-stressed" soldiers, Patton "led instinctively and authentically," according to Clark, especially during the Battle of the Bulge, when he repulsed a last-ditch onslaught by German forces. Elsewhere, Clark notes that Bernard Montgomery's decisive and "instinctively paternalistic" leadership style earned him a reputation as "the most difficult general in the British Army," but credits Montgomery's tactical skills and "fervent, rousing, and reassuring" words to Allied troops for the success of the D-Day invasion and the crucial victory at El Alamein in Egypt, where he tangled with Germany's "Desert Fox," Erwin Rommel. A "courageous, caring, and charismatic officer" with a reputation for keeping his troops alive, Rommel evacuated Axis forces from North Africa after El Alamein and saw his defensive efforts across France undermined by rival Axis commanders and Hitler's misjudgments. Falsely implicated in a plot to kill Hitler, he committed suicide in October 1944. Brimming with incisive character sketches and strategic analysis, this is a captivating study of leadership in action. (Nov.)

Military historian Clark (modern war studies, Univ. of Buckingham; Blitzkrieg) intertwines the lives on Erwin Rommel, George Patton, and Bernard Montgomery in this engaging book. The overarching theme is an examination of the leadership styles, including the similarities and differences, of the three men. Told in chronological order, the book builds from Patton to Montgomery to Rommel in each chapter. The early lives of each man are covered from how they became military officers to their experiences in battle during World War I. Their lives are also examined thoroughly through stories of World War II, their time spent simultaneously in North Africa and then France, to the end of their lives. Clark uses letters, diary passages, and official reports to gain insight into how the men handled stress, training, tactics, and difficult decisions for their soldiers during the heat of battle. The book also includes a list of maps and an impressive bibliography for other researchers. VERDICT Military history buffs and those wanting to learn about leadership and management styles from three important men of the 20th century will likely eagerly consume this tremendous work.--Jason L. Steagall

A veteran military historian delves into the leadership qualities of three iconic World War II commanders. Clark is a longtime professor of modern war studies, the founder of the Centre for Army Leadership in the U.K., and author of Anzio, Arnhem, Blitzkrieg, and other acclaimed books on WWII. In his latest, he shows that the elements of effective leadership are not in short supply, but for Patton, Montgomery, and Rommel, rising to the top of their brutally competitive profession required prodigious ambition, a fascination with the minutiae of war, and boundless self-confidence. All matured before World War I, when military officers mostly came from upper-middle-class families where it was a traditional, if not high-status, career choice. Reaching midlevel ranks, all experienced combat in WWI and impressed their superiors; they continued to mature during the two decades between the wars. Clark delivers an insightful, warts-and-all account of this lesser-known period in their lives, which accurately forecasted their later triumphs and controversies. Patton was the wealthiest and most pompous. He never concealed his yearning for military glory, an ambition shared by few under his command, who mostly admired his leadership but not his bravado. Boorish behavior endangered his career several times, but superiors valued his aggressiveness, a quality lacking in most American generals. Montgomery was as flamboyant as Patton, but he had plenty of self-confidence and dedication. The conviction that he knew best was on full display as commander of British forces in Europe during WWII, making him a controversial figure at home and widely disliked by American commanders, perhaps Patton most of all. Rommel wasn't as conceited as Patton or Montgomery; he preferred to lead men and fight. Like most historians, Clark admires Rommel's performance in North Africa but admits that he was probably the least intelligent of the three. A fawning admirer of Hitler, he did not change his mind until it was too late. Nothing new but astute and entertaining. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.