Montgomery As Military Commander

by Ronald Lewin

During the last century and a half, in fact, there has been no one in the British Army to surpass him for sheer professionalism or sustained success in the field: and that is why, in spite of all his weaknesses and limitations, he has every claim to be accepted, without cavil, as Wellington's heir.Wartime friction with American commanders has led to considerable diminution of Montgomery's reputation in the United States since the end of World War II. This is a pity since many of his ideas have once again become relevant; indeed, the progress and final outcome of Desert Storm held few surprises for those who had studied El Alamein. Montgomery's careful husbanding of his available manpower in the war's last campaign also strikes a familiar chord at a time when, at least in the Western democracies, the domestic political impact of battlefield casualties frequently outweighs military considerations.El Alamein and the final campaign in Europe after D-Day are the foundations of Montgomery's military reputation, and Ronald Lewin effectively cuts through much of the confusion generated by Montgomery's own personality quirks to arrive at a balanced appreciation of the man and the commander. From his days as a junior officer in World War I to the German surrender in 1945, Lewin examines the life experiences that shaped Montgomery, both as a battlefield tactician and as a trainer and inspirer of troops.

Genres: World War II, Biography, Military History

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Ronald Lewin was a British military historian, radio producer and publishing editor who has wrote several books on World War II and several of the WWII commanders like Lieut-General Vyvyan Pope, Montgomery and Rommel.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic biography of "Monty" during his war years...Written by Ronald Lewin who not only is a prolific WWII historian, but also served under Montgomery...Lewin is NOT a neutral observer and seems to have a strong bias against the American military leadership...With that, it is understandable Lewin glossing over failures or laying fault for those failures upon others...Be that as it may, in spite of some dramatic errors during his military career but Monty's wins trumped his losses...Decent read!!!

[Jill H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Britain's greatest military commanders, purported to be second to only Wellington, Montgomery was a bit of riddle. He was very cognizant of the fact that the morale of his troops, as well as that of the British public was a necessary component for victory, so he concentrated on essentials and let his staff work out the details. This freed him up to explain his plans. not only to his troops but, when in England, to a large number of civilians, especially factory and other war-related workers.. No other commander had used this technique and it endeared him to the public. And he was venerated by those he commanded. He was now, "Monty". It also fed his natural vanity and he often bordered on insubordination when dealing with the government.

He made some dramatic errors in judgement during his military career but his wins trumped his losses. Rommel took the measure of the man by saying, " He is a man who only moves with caution and to whom bold solutions are foreign". This biography seems to validate that statement, for although Montgomery defeated Rommel in the North African campaign, he was in the right place at the right time. Hitler was turning his eyes to Russia for Operation Barbarossa and ignored Rommel's pleas for men and supplies; therefore, Montgomery was facing an enemy that did not have the resources to continue to fight effectively. Could another British commander have accomplished the victory?

The author served under Monty so as one would expect, he is not a neutral observer and also seems to have a strong bias against the American military leadership. The reader needs to keep this in mind and often has to pick through the information that separates the man from the myth. This is a very dense book with infinite detail and maps about each battle from North Africa to the surrender of Germany. It was worth the read but may not be for everyone as it tends to bog down in minutia.

[Gerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the end of the book, the author declares that Field Marshal Montgomery has not been surpassed “…for sheer professionalism or sustained success in the field: and that is why, in spite of all his weaknesses and limitations, he has every claim to be accepted, without cavil, as Wellington’s heir.”

I don’t think the rest of the narrative is able to leave the reader with that opinion. Monty’s “greatest hits” may well be the two battles of Alam Halfa and the battle of El Alamein. The narrative shows Monty at his best as a planner of the set-piece battle and an organizer of the army which won it. Where the plan didn’t go perfectly ("No plan survives contact with the enemy”—von Moltke), Montgomery was able to adapt it to win. The book could have used more maps to enable readers to follow the action in greater detail. Early in the book, we read of Montgomery’s strengths as a leader and trainer of troops as he made his way up to senior command.

It’s not all praise. The author is not afraid to take the Field Marshal to task for failures during the pursuit to Tunis, at Enfidaville, and Operation MARKET GARDEN, although not in the same amount of detail as the successes. He only mentions Monty’s near relief of command after the Bulge (his chief of staff practically saved him). The battles around Caen get the “drawing the panzers unto himself” approach (other authors claim differently).

In the end, the author makes his case for Montgomery’s pre-eminence in comparison with Wavell, Alexander and Slim. Nineteenth century generals since Wellington, such as Kitchener, Wolseley and Roberts are not considered. This book may not prove its case—that’s up to the reader—but it may give him a new appreciation.

[Herb Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be upfront and honest, I didn't like General Montgomery before reading this book. I still don't. In fact, I think dictionaries should come equipped with his photograph so readers can truly understand the definition of the word "Supercilious". With that out of the way, I feel it safe to say this book is an excellent addition to the shelf in your home housing the histories of the Second World War. It is a dense book filled with charts, maps, details of battle formations and examination of how battles are planned. The author presents Montgomery's shortcomings as both a commander and a man, but quickly explains them away. Also, he is apparently the true architect of the victory at Normandy. Those quibbles with the author aside, this is an excellent book. You just need a strong background in the study of the war to help put the fan boy aspects of it in proper perspective. Lewin is not in the category of William Manchester as far as a biographer falling in love with his subject but he is in the neighborhood.
So, all that aside, I recommend this book for its detailed dissection of complex military information and for, American readers, to get an impression of how we looked to our allies.

[Mike Harbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting biography of Montgomery by one of his junior officers. Lewin is a prolific historical writer who tries to defend the Montgomery legend. He paints a good picture of Monty's childhood and military experiences prior to WWII, and of his successes and strengths during the war. One of the themes throughout the book is Montgomery's ability to connect with his troops and develop his junior officers. Lewin contends that Montgomery is Great Britain's greatest military commander since Wellington.

While Lewin does recognize Montgomery's many short comings, he manages to minimize these in most cases when balanced against his many strengths and accomplishments.

There are two things to keep in mind when you read this book:

1. Lewin wrote this book before many records related to the use of ULTRA intelligence were declassified and released. As a result, Lewin perpetuates the myth of Monty's prescient military genius while in reality Montgomery's plans and decisions were firmly grounded in strong intelligence. This is not to lessen Montgomery's many military accomplishments, because he did do what no other British general had done to date... that is, he defeated the Wehrmacht on the ground and sent them into retreat.

2. Lewin definitely writes as a loyal subject of the crown. Many nationalistic biases are evident in his work, especially in those cases when Monty was in the wrong.

Bottom line, this is an enjoyable read and offers a good perspective not only on Montgomery as a military commander, but also how his troops and junior officers came to adore him and defend him from critiques. It is not, however, a reliable sole source of accurate history. Readers should read this book with a critical eye and balance its views with any quality works published after the late 1990s after many classified war records were released.

[carl theaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monty from A to Z. An interesting character whether you like his style or not.

This edition contains a pair of photo sections. Lewin also wrote a book on
Rommel.

Be interesting to read a book written after the Ultra secrets were available
to the public. Would shed a whole new light on Monty's decision making.