little known gem of a war memoir by a great poet, November 1, 2002
Reviewer: Frank Henson from Rowayton, CT
This book used to be extremely hard to find, so it's nice to see this
edition and know that it's been reprinted since i read it in '82.
Keith Castellain Douglass,
Here's what makes this book so interesting: Douglas was a student of
literature, British, so his perspective on being a tanker in WWII reflects
an insightful sensibility. He fought in numerous campaigns in Africa
(Alamein and on) before dying in Normandy shortly after being called back
to active duty. Douglas is considered one of the finest war poets of WWII,
but it's his descriptions of tank battles and the hot, concussive nature of
it that is most memorable to me.
This is the kind of war memoir that is often overlooked but rare in it's
depth and scope. --This text refers to the Paperback edition
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ix=books&rank=%2Bpmrank&fqp=keywords%01alamein&nsp=score%01proj-unit-sales&sz=10&pg=4/ref=s_b_np/103-3930317-2040634
I mention this because it describes the ongoing use of commonwealth
soldiers as cannon fodder by the British Empire and ties in with
the,'Popski,' story.The great story of 'retreat to win,' and,'the end of
the beginning.' The first defeat for the Wermacht..
