'My bookshelves were groaning with WW2 books, Hitler's baleful eyes staring out at me from covers and spines for any new visitor (or passing burglar) to wonder if I might be a fan or at least mildly obsessed.' - Al Murray
'Al Murray's new book proves, if anyone still feels the need to question it, that he is a major historian in his own right. Command is everything popular history should be: authoritative, full of deep wisdom and knowledge, genuinely fresh and original in approach and content, and both compelling and entertainingly written. Skilfully blending the famous names with those lesser known, he examines each in a completely fresh light, focussing on differing aspects that collectively offer a satisfyingly comprehensive whole that takes the reader on a journey across a wide range of landscapes, theatres and battles. It is an utter joy to read from start to finish.' - James Holland
Al Murray's passion for military history and the Second World War in particular has always been a duel passion with his comedy and was brought to the fore with several acclaimed and award winning television shows and the recent huge success of his podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk which he hosts fellow bestselling military author James Holland. The podcast has built up a loyal, nationwide fanbase and has given birth to its own annual three-day festival. In his first serious narrative book, Command showcases Al Murray's passion for this pivotal period in the Twentieth Century, as he writes an engaging, entertaining and sharp analysis of the key allied military leaders in the conflict.
Command highlights the performance and careers of some of the key protagonists who commanded armies, as well as the lesser-known officers who led divisions, regiments and even battalions for the British, Commonwealth and United States of American armies. By showcasing each combat commander across every theatre of operations the allies fought in, Murray tells the story of how the Western Allies rebounded from early shocking defeats (Dunkirk and Pearl Harbor) to then victories (El Alamein and D-Day) in its efforts to defeat the Axis forces of Nazi Germany and Japan, and what that tells us about the characters and the challenges that faced them. Command will be the book all fans of Second World War History will want to buy who appreciate a true enthusiast of the genre who has something new and compelling to say.
Joanna Bourke
Christopher Andrew
Jonathan Schell
Martin Blumenson
T. R. Fehrenbach
Sarah-Louise Miller
Thomas Pakenham
Richard Dannatt
Damien Lewis
Levison Wood
Damien Lewis
Leo McKinstry
Prof. Richard Holmes
Damien Lewis
Michael Jones
Christopher Hibbert
William Fowler
B.H. Liddell Hart
Isabel Vincent
Helena Merriman
Brent E. Jones
John Hughes-Wilson
John Henry Phillips
Mark Greaney
Matthew A Cole
John Bruning
Damien Lewis
James P. Duffy
John Bruning
Chris Ryan
Simon Parkin
Simon Read
Annie Jacobsen
Dan Schilling
Robert J. Mrazek
Damien Lewis
Sam Farran
Admiral William
Henry Hemming
Patrick Bishop
Thomas Lockley
Christopher Somerville
Matt Farwell
John Carney
Chris Ryan
Andrei Soldatov
Damien Lewis
Matthew Avery Sutton
Phil Campion
John Wukovits
Damien Lewis
Damien Lewis
Frank Pope
Jacky Hyams
Iain Ballantyne
Matt Farwell
Matt Farwell
Damien Lewis
Bruce Gamble
Craig Nelson
John Terraine
Vladimir Peniakoff
Tom Shore
Tom Shore
Derek Niemann
Sacha Batthyány
Damien Lewis
Brandon Webb
Laura Greaves
Iain Ballantyne
Daniel P. Bolger
Hugh Sebag-Montefiore
Ray Hamilton
Ray Hamilton
Norman Ferguson
Robert P. Watson
Rusty Firmin
Bill Sloan
Anthony Middleton
John Wukovits
Mark Evans
Ronald Fry
Stephen Harding
Mark Riebling
John R. Bruning
Scott McGaugh
Stephen Harding
Noah Galloway
John Hughes-Wilson
Susan Williams
Robert Lyman
Jock Lewis-Stempel Haswell
Steve Heaney Mc
Walter R.
Stephen Harding
Robert P. Watson
Russell Miller
Robert Weintraub
Lyuba Vinogradova
John Wukovits
Sherry Sontag
Kevin J Mcnamara
Jonathan Mayo
Brian Murphy
Patrick K. O'Donnell
Stanley Weintraub
Michael Jones
Annie Jacobsen
Johnny Sherwood
Stephen Harding
Robert Lyman
Boris Johnson
Damien Lewis
General Sir David Richards
Michael Ashcroft
Damien Lewis
Cornelius Ryan
Annie Jacobsen
Mark Perry
Gregg Jones
Tom Sileo
Starkey David
Julian Spilsbury
Lyuba Vinogradova
Martin Goldsmith
Max Arthur
Mike Rossiter
Jon E. Lewis
Jon E. Lewis
Patrick Robinson
Andrew F. Krepinevich
Neal Bascomb
Jordan Goodman
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Chris Ryan
Bounty Bounty
Linda Robinson
Michael Stephenson
Brian Moynahan
Ben Wilson
Iain Ballantyne
Max Arthur
Paul Conroy
Stephen Harding
Peter Snow
Tim Bouquet
Sam Willis
Neil Sinclair
Max Arthur
Dale Maharidge
Robert Lyman
Mark Perry
Ed Offley
Mike Magner
Max Boot
Damien Lewis
Peter Tomsen
Bounty Bounty
Stephen Brumwell
Stephen McGinty
Victoria Schofield
Brian Moynahan
Jean-Pierre Verney
George C. Daughan
Ian Mackersey
Edward Smithies
Toni Jordan
Danny S. Parker
Michael Ashcroft
Sekonaia Takavesi
Tim Bouquet
Martin Gilbert
Jon E. Lewis
Marc Lynch
John Lee
John Ure
Gordon Corera
Saul David
Jonathan Clements
Chuck Pfarrer
Alex Duncan
Martin Van Creveld
Cita Stelzer
Dudley Pope
John Masters
Annie Jacobsen
Roger Cole
Toby Harnden
Andrew Roberts
Christian Wolmar
Patrick K. O'Donnell
Bill Shaw
Chris Bellamy
Guy LoFaro
Richard Overy
Michael Smith
Michael Jones
Robert Kershaw
Peter Snow
Mick Flynn
Joe Maiolo
Peter Barton
Leo McKinstry
William Fowler
Michael Jones
Stuart Tootal
Charles Winchester
Blair Worden
Robert Kershaw
Charles Messenger
Andrew Roberts
Hywel Williams
Richard Bak
Catherine Whitney
Charles Whiting
David Downing
Frank Schaeffer
Frederick Kagan
Frederick Kagan
Nigel Steel
Edward Paice
Brian Moynahan
Nigel Steel
Gordon Corrigan
John Hughes-Wilson
Peter Hart
David Halberstam
Leo McKinstry
Ralph D. Sawyer
Ashley Baynton-Williams
Bernard F. Reilly
Marc Wortman
Mark Nicol
Kazuo Tamayama
Kenneth Macksey
Kevin Wilson
Kevin Wilson
John Erickson
John Erickson
John Sweetman
John Keegan
James Holland
Hugh Thomas
Philip Haythornthwaite
Pierre Clostermann
Richard Connaughton
Robert Harvey
Richard Holmes
Richard Hooker
Nicholas Monsarrat
Peter Hart
Paul Richey
Paul Brickhill
Paul Brickhill
Michael Asher
Michael Asher
Michael Asher
Midge Gillies
Mike Sallah
Martin Gilbert
Max Arthur
Max Arthur
Max Arthur
Bernard Ireland
Antony Beevor
Chris Humphreys
Christian Jennings
Charles Lamb
Charles Spencer
Bruce Lewis
Bruce Marshall
Bryan Perrett
Carlo d'Este
Anthony Clayton
Adrian Greaves
Adrian Weir
Alan Clark
Albert Speer
David Glantz
David Donovan
Christopher Landon
Donald Thomas
Heinz Knoke
Heinz Magenheimer
Herbert Werner
Guy Sajer
Heinrich Gerlach
Gordon Corrigan
Edward Smithies
E M Nathanson
David Wragg
Frederick E. Smith
Fred Majdalany
Erik Durschmied
Erik Durschmied
Erik Durschmied
Erik Durschmied
Frank Harrison
Robin Neillands
S.R. Gardiner
Susan Goodman
Stuart Hills
Tom Mangold
Victor Sebestyen
Winston Groom
Henrik Eberle
Ted Ellsworth
Stephen Brumwell
Alex Kershaw
Ralph D. Sawyer
Linda Robinson
David Stafford
Jack Kelly
Danny Parker
Alex Kershaw
Sam Llewellyn
Geoffrey Hindley
W. J. Wood
Sian Busby
J.E. Kaufmann
D.a. Kinsley
Victor Brooks
Nicola Shulman
Heinz Guderian
Maria Corelli
Niccolo Machiavelli
Kate Hubbard
Henry Clausen
Joanna Bourke
Christopher Andrew
Jonathan Schell
Martin Blumenson
T. R. Fehrenbach
Sarah-Louise Miller
Thomas Pakenham
Richard Dannatt
Damien Lewis
Levison Wood
Damien Lewis
Leo McKinstry
Prof. Richard Holmes
Damien Lewis
Michael Jones
Christopher Hibbert
William Fowler
B.H. Liddell Hart
Isabel Vincent
Helena Merriman
Brent E. Jones
John Hughes-Wilson
John Henry Phillips
Mark Greaney
Matthew A Cole
John Bruning
Damien Lewis
James P. Duffy
John Bruning
Chris Ryan
Simon Parkin
Simon Read
Annie Jacobsen
Dan Schilling
Robert J. Mrazek
Damien Lewis
Sam Farran
Admiral William
Henry Hemming
Patrick Bishop
Thomas Lockley
Christopher Somerville
Matt Farwell
John Carney
Chris Ryan
Andrei Soldatov
Damien Lewis
Matthew Avery Sutton
Phil Campion
John Wukovits
Damien Lewis
Damien Lewis
Frank Pope
Jacky Hyams
Iain Ballantyne
Matt Farwell
Matt Farwell
Damien Lewis
Bruce Gamble
Craig Nelson
John Terraine
Vladimir Peniakoff
Tom Shore
Tom Shore
Derek Niemann
Sacha Batthyány
Damien Lewis
Brandon Webb
Laura Greaves
Iain Ballantyne
Daniel P. Bolger
Hugh Sebag-Montefiore
Ray Hamilton
Ray Hamilton
Norman Ferguson
Robert P. Watson
Rusty Firmin
Bill Sloan
Anthony Middleton
John Wukovits
Mark Evans
Ronald Fry
Stephen Harding
Mark Riebling
John R. Bruning
Scott McGaugh
Stephen Harding
Noah Galloway
John Hughes-Wilson
Susan Williams
Robert Lyman
Jock Lewis-Stempel Haswell
Steve Heaney Mc
Walter R.
Stephen Harding
Robert P. Watson
Russell Miller
Robert Weintraub
Lyuba Vinogradova
John Wukovits
Sherry Sontag
Kevin J Mcnamara
Jonathan Mayo
Brian Murphy
Patrick K. O'Donnell
Stanley Weintraub
Michael Jones
Annie Jacobsen
Johnny Sherwood
Stephen Harding
Robert Lyman
Boris Johnson
Damien Lewis
General Sir David Richards
Michael Ashcroft
Damien Lewis
Cornelius Ryan
Annie Jacobsen
Mark Perry
Gregg Jones
Tom Sileo
Starkey David
Julian Spilsbury
Lyuba Vinogradova
Martin Goldsmith
Max Arthur
Mike Rossiter
Jon E. Lewis
Jon E. Lewis
Patrick Robinson
Andrew F. Krepinevich
Neal Bascomb
Jordan Goodman
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Chris Ryan
Bounty Bounty
Linda Robinson
Michael Stephenson
Brian Moynahan
Ben Wilson
Iain Ballantyne
Max Arthur
Paul Conroy
Stephen Harding
Peter Snow
Tim Bouquet
Sam Willis
Neil Sinclair
Max Arthur
Dale Maharidge
Robert Lyman
Mark Perry
Ed Offley
Mike Magner
Max Boot
Damien Lewis
Peter Tomsen
Bounty Bounty
Stephen Brumwell
Stephen McGinty
Victoria Schofield
Brian Moynahan
Jean-Pierre Verney
George C. Daughan
Ian Mackersey
Edward Smithies
Toni Jordan
Danny S. Parker
Michael Ashcroft
Sekonaia Takavesi
Tim Bouquet
Martin Gilbert
Jon E. Lewis
Marc Lynch
John Lee
John Ure
Gordon Corera
Saul David
Jonathan Clements
Chuck Pfarrer
Alex Duncan
Martin Van Creveld
Cita Stelzer
Dudley Pope
John Masters
Annie Jacobsen
Roger Cole
Toby Harnden
Andrew Roberts
Christian Wolmar
Patrick K. O'Donnell
Bill Shaw
Chris Bellamy
Guy LoFaro
Richard Overy
Michael Smith
Michael Jones
Robert Kershaw
Peter Snow
Mick Flynn
Joe Maiolo
Peter Barton
Leo McKinstry
William Fowler
Michael Jones
Stuart Tootal
Charles Winchester
Blair Worden
Robert Kershaw
Charles Messenger
Andrew Roberts
Hywel Williams
Richard Bak
Catherine Whitney
Charles Whiting
David Downing
Frank Schaeffer
Frederick Kagan
Frederick Kagan
Nigel Steel
Edward Paice
Brian Moynahan
Nigel Steel
Gordon Corrigan
John Hughes-Wilson
Peter Hart
David Halberstam
Leo McKinstry
Ralph D. Sawyer
Ashley Baynton-Williams
Bernard F. Reilly
Marc Wortman
Mark Nicol
Kazuo Tamayama
Kenneth Macksey
Kevin Wilson
Kevin Wilson
John Erickson
John Erickson
John Sweetman
John Keegan
James Holland
Hugh Thomas
Philip Haythornthwaite
Pierre Clostermann
Richard Connaughton
Robert Harvey
Richard Holmes
Richard Hooker
Nicholas Monsarrat
Peter Hart
Paul Richey
Paul Brickhill
Paul Brickhill
Michael Asher
Michael Asher
Michael Asher
Midge Gillies
Mike Sallah
Martin Gilbert
Max Arthur
Max Arthur
Max Arthur
Bernard Ireland
Antony Beevor
Chris Humphreys
Christian Jennings
Charles Lamb
Charles Spencer
Bruce Lewis
Bruce Marshall
Bryan Perrett
Carlo d'Este
Anthony Clayton
Adrian Greaves
Adrian Weir
Alan Clark
Albert Speer
David Glantz
David Donovan
Christopher Landon
Donald Thomas
Heinz Knoke
Heinz Magenheimer
Herbert Werner
Guy Sajer
Heinrich Gerlach
Gordon Corrigan
Edward Smithies
E M Nathanson
David Wragg
Frederick E. Smith
Fred Majdalany
Erik Durschmied
Erik Durschmied
Erik Durschmied
Erik Durschmied
Frank Harrison
Robin Neillands
S.R. Gardiner
Susan Goodman
Stuart Hills
Tom Mangold
Victor Sebestyen
Winston Groom
Henrik Eberle
Ted Ellsworth
Stephen Brumwell
Alex Kershaw
Ralph D. Sawyer
Linda Robinson
David Stafford
Jack Kelly
Danny Parker
Alex Kershaw
Sam Llewellyn
Geoffrey Hindley
W. J. Wood
Sian Busby
J.E. Kaufmann
D.a. Kinsley
Victor Brooks
Nicola Shulman
Heinz Guderian
Maria Corelli
Niccolo Machiavelli
Kate Hubbard
Henry Clausen
Joanna Bourke
Christopher Andrew
Jonathan Schell
Martin Blumenson
T. R. Fehrenbach