In <i>Patton, Montgomery, Rommel</i>, one of Britain's most accomplished military scholars presents an unprecedented study of the land war in the North African and European theaters, as well as their chief commanders&mdash;three men who also happened to be the most compelling dramatis personae of World War II.<br><br>Beyond spellbinding depictions of pivotal confrontations at El Alamein, Monte Cassino, and the Ardennes forest, author-scholar Terry Brighton illuminates the personal motivations and historical events that propelled the three men's careers: how Patton's, Montgomery's, and Rommel's Great War experiences helped to mold their style of command&mdash;and how, exactly, they managed to apply their arguably megalomaniacal personalities (and hitherto unrecognized political acumen and tact) to advance their careers and strategic vision. <br><br>Opening new avenues of inquiry into the lives and careers of three men widely profiled by scholars and popular historians alike, Brighton definitively answers numerous lingering and controversial questions: Was Patton really as vainglorious in real life as he was portrayed to be on the silver screen?&mdash;and how did his tireless advocacy of "mechanized cavalry" forever change the face of war? Was Monty's dogged publicity-seeking driven by his own need for recognition or by his desire to claim for Britain a leadership role in postwar global order?&mdash;and how did this prickly "commoner" manage to earn affection and esteem from enlisted men and nobility alike? How might the war have ended if Rommel had had more tanks?&mdash;and what fundamental philosophical difference between him and Hitler made such an outcome virtually impossible? <br><br>Abetted by new primary source material and animated by Terry Brighton's incomparable storytelling gifts, <i>Patton, Montgomery, Rommel</i> offers critical new interpretations of the Second World War as it was experienced by its three most flamboyant, controversial, and influential commanders&mdash;and augments our understanding of each of their perceptions of war and leadership.<br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>