A study of the land war in the North African and European theaters, as well as their chief commanders--three men who also happened to be the most compelling dramatis personae of World War II.

Originally published: London : Viking, 2008. Originally published : London : Viking, 2008 as Masters of battle : Monty, Patton and Rommel. Originally published in Great Britain as Masters of battle : Monty, Patton and Rommel. Originally published: Great Britain : Viking, 2008.

The ego at war -- 3 portraits -- First blood -- How to fight in armor -- Rommel's blitzkrieg -- Original Rommel: 7th Panzer Division invasion narrative -- Conquests of the Deutsches Afrika Korps -- Hounding Rommel: Monty and Patton close in -- Operations Lightfoot and Torch -- Fractures in Anglo-American alliance -- Patton's race to Messina -- Monty's crawl to Salerno -- The battering ram and the Atlantic wall -- Original Patton: The invasion speech to the Third Army -- The master plan and the Grossinvasion -- The Caen Controversy -- Patton's blitzkrieg and the "Montgomery Thrust" -- The Rommel murder -- Bulging ambitions: Patton and Monty "win" the was -- What to do with Nazis and Communists -- Original Monty: Memoirs at war -- The will to fight.