Allan Mallinson
Monty, the Bull, and the Grand Old Duke of York
Generals: Ten British Commanders Who Shaped the World
By Mark Urban
Faber & Faber 336pp £20 order from our bookshop
When I was military attaché in Rome, an Alpini general once asked me who were the ten greatest British generals. I replied that there would not be much argument about the top five but that opinion would vary regarding the others. Before I could name one, however, he put his hand on my shoulder and said: ‘The point is, we don’t have a single great general. How do you think that makes an Italian officer feel?’
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