Subjects
Orde Wingate and the British Army, 1922–1944
Simon Anglim
Warfare, Society and Culture
978 1 84893 004 9: 234x156mm: £60.00/$99.00
978 1 84893 005 6
Major General Orde Wingate (1903–44) was the most controversial British military commander of the Second World War, due to his idiosynchratic leadership style, which led some to question his sanity, and his fiercely pro-Zionist stance. More than sixty years after his death he still splits opinion amongst soldiers, academics and writers.
Anglim’s biography fills a significant void in the literature, making extensive use of Wingate’s papers – official and private – to place him firmly in the context of the British army of the time. The man who is revealed is shed of his mythology, but a more interesting figure emerges – one of significant historical interest. This study also helps to inform contemporary controversies including the Arab-Israeli conflict, reactions to insurgency and terrorism, and the role of special and elite forces in modern warfare.
Sample pages
Readership
Military History, World War II, Twentieth-Century History, British Empire
Contents
Introduction
1 The Doctrinal Background
2 Wingate before Palestine, 1923–36
3 Wingate and Counterterrorism in Palestine, 1937–9
4 Wingate in Ethiopia, 1940–1
5 Wingate in Burma (1) – the Origins of the Chindits, 1942–3
6 Wingate in Burma (2) – Operations Longcloth and Thursday, and the Subsequent Development of Long Range Penetration
7 The ‘Wingate Myth’ Reassessed
Reviews
'Should you read it? If you are interested in ‘Wingate the Legend’, it is essential; if you want to see how ambitious and driven men on the make in war succeed, it is instructive ... a serious contribution.'
– John Hughes-Wilson, Royal United Services Institute Journal
'Anglim’s excellent account is a valuable addition to the subject ... a first rate analysis, dispassionate and objective, about Wingate’s influence on the development of military tactics during his life.'
– Eric Morris, British Army Review
Third Place in the 2010 Templar Medal Competition.
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