Dilemmas of the Desert War : the Libyan campaign, 1940-1942

A detailed examination of the campaign waged by the British in the North African desert, first against the Italians and then against the combined forces of the Germans and the Italians, commanded by Field Marshal Rommel. - Utilising new material, notably the War Diaries in the Public Record Office and the private papers of Montgomery's predecessor in command of 8th Army, General Sir Neil Ritchie, Lord Carver reconsiders the conclusions reached by him and other authors. - In particular, the author attempts to restore balance to the judgement of General Ritchie's performance, which he believes has been unjustly critical.

The period 27 May - 25 June 1942 is dealt with in particular detail - General Ritchie's Army was then defeated by Rommel and driven back from Tobruk to El Alamein. - The author assesses the performance not only of Ritchie, but of figures such as Auchinleck, Messervy, Norrie, Gott and others, analyzing the British failure to gain the upper hand. - Lord Carver's compelling story is remarkable for its detailed narrative of the events, taking into account not only the operational conditions of tank warfare, but also, later, often contradictory, published accounts.