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El Alamein, 1942
Brief Description
El Alamein, 1942 explores one of the Second World War’s most pivotal battles, focusing on the crucial role of the 9th Australian Division. This book examines how and why Australian forces played a defining role in the victory, prompting Field Marshal Montgomery to declare that success...
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El Alamein, 1942
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Description
El Alamein, 1942 explores one of the Second World War’s most pivotal battles, focusing on the crucial role of the 9th Australian Division. This book examines how and why Australian forces played a defining role in the victory, prompting Field Marshal Montgomery to declare that success would have been impossible without their contribution.
Structured around the three key phases of the Alamein campaign – First Alamein (July 1942), the static phase (July–October 1942), and Second Alamein (October–November 1942) – the book details strategic decisions, leadership dynamics, and battlefield tactics that shaped the outcome. It also highlights the harsh realities of desert warfare, exploring personal stories of Australian soldiers, including three Victoria Cross (VC) recipients.
Beyond the battlefield, the book delves into lessons learned from Alamein, particularly in infantry–armour coordination, air–ground support, and large-scale artillery operations – all of which remain relevant to modern military strategy. Leadership is a central theme, from Australian commanders to British high command, analysing how their decisions influenced the campaign’s success.
This book is ideal for military professionals, history enthusiasts, and general readers seeking to understand the significance of Alamein in Australian military history. By shedding light on the heroic efforts and sacrifices of Australian soldiers, it ensures that the legacy of one of the Second World War’s greatest turning points is remembered.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781761452437
Publisher: Hardie Grant Media
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 14 October 2025
Country: Australia
Imprint: Hardie Grant Media
Illustration: Full colour
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 168.0mm
Height: 248.0mm
Weight: 675g
Pages: 272
About the Author
Mark Johnston is an expert on the Australian experience in the Second World War. He was described in the Australian War Memorial’s Wartime magazine as ‘the leading historian on the experience of Australian soldiers during the war'. He is the author of twelve books, several of which focus on Alamein: notably, An Australian Band of Brothers, Anzacs in the Middle East, That Magnificent 9th: An Illustrated History of the 9th Australian Division, and (with Peter Stanley) Alamein: The Australian Story.
Also by Mark Johnston
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An Australian Band of Brothers
This riveting book follows a small group of Australian front-line soldiers from their enlistment in the dark days of 1940 to the end of World War II. No ordinary soldiers, they were members of Don Company of the Second 43rd Battalion, part of the famous 9th Australian Division, which—during campaigns in Tobruk, El Alamein, New Guinea, and Borneo—sustained more casualties...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Derrick VC in His Own Words
'Haven't lost the sand, dust, flies or fleas yet, but have had them for so long now they seem part of us' — 12 August 1941, Tobruk. When Tom 'Diver' Derrick enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force on 5 July 1940, he was a 26-year-old labourer with no great prospects. By the end of 1944, he was a national...Paperback$4799Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Whispering Death
In Whispering Death, Mark Johnston, one of Australia's leading experts on World War II, explains vividly how more than 130,000 Australian airmen fought Japan from the Pacific War's first hours in 1941 to its last in 1945. They clashed over a vast area, from India to Noumea, Bass Strait to the Philippines. Merely flying over that region's boundless oceans and...Paperback$3999Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Australian Heroes of World War II
Leading military historian Mark Johnston tells stories of the courage of individual soldiers across every battle in which Australians fought in World War II. When Australians defended against Rommel's tanks at Tobruk and Alamein, tackled paratroopers landing among them on Crete, attacked French Foreign Legionnaires in Syrian forts, held off Japanese tanks in Malaya, fought hand-to-hand on the Kokoda Track,...Paperback$4499Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
The Australian Army in World War II
This book recounts the organisation and deployment of one of the most important fighting armies of World War II. Australian divisions made a large and distinctive contribution to victory both in the deserts of the Middle East and the jungles of the South-West Pacific, earning for the second time a unique reputation for aggressiveness, endurance, and independence of spirit. The...PaperbackSold Out -
That Magnificent 9th
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