Many books have been written about the Allied “turning point” victory in the North African desert, but what makes El Alamen (Osprey, £18.99) more substantial is author Bryn Hammond’s expertise on tank warfare.

His previous book on Cambrai broke new ground in describing the tank’s baptism of fire in the First World War.

While “eccentric” Montgomery and “cunning” Rommel are key to the strategic decisions, the strength of this book from Oxford publishers Osprey lies in the soldiers’ memories of a very personal war. The sandstorm survivors’ accounts are among the best ever.

Colin Gardiner