On the night of 23 October 1942 British artillery thundered across the desolate sands of North Africa to herald the greatest Allied offensive of the Second World War. Churchill would describe the crucial and savage days of intense fighting which followed, as ‘the end of the beginning’.

El Alamein was the battle that defined the Afrika Corps and the British 8th Army, the legendary ‘Desert Rats’. Hitler’s fanatic insistence that his forces should not cede ground caused the destruction of a significant part of Rommel’s army. Like Stalingrad, it marks the end of the opening phase of Axis victories and sweeping gains and ushered in the slow but inexorable drive to final Allied triumph. This is the story of El Alamein and the British soldiers who fought in it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Sadler has had a lifelong interest in military history and is the author of six books. He now combines writing with lecturing in History at Newcastle University and working as a battlefield tour guide, living history interpreter, and heritage consultant. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. As archivist of the Durham Light Infantry Museum he has also taken veterans groups to North Africa to re-visit the battlefields. He lives in Northumberland.