Alanbrooke The Reluctant Warrior

Julian Horrocks has written a fascinating and illuminating portrait of Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke, one of the most influential British military leaders of the Second World War – but also one of the least known and least understood. Meticulously researched, using Alanbrooke’s detailed war diaries as primary source material, Horrocks has brought a complex, reserved and, on occasions, misunderstood man to life. This is a must-read for anyone interested in British military history in the 20th century and for anyone who wants to look for the man behind Alanbrooke’s mask. Despite the breadth and depth of military and operational information in Alanbrooke’s diaries, this is a character-driven narrative… Julian Horrocks’ wide-ranging, perceptive and sympathetic biography gives Alanbrooke the recognition he deserves. According to his contemporaries, Alanbrooke was a “most impenetrable man”. This splendid book, a work of genuine scholarship, challenges this assessment and presents the reader with the man behind the mask. Highly recommended.

I learnt so much from this book. This is a refreshing change. Having grown up with book after book and film after film understandably involving the same important Second World War characters – Churchill, Montgomery, Dowding – this is a fascinating insight into someone who made a significant contribution to the war yet one we rarely hear about, which is surprising when you learn through this book just how important Alanbrooke was to the war effort. Julian Horrocks has written an in-depth account of Alanbrooke’s life incorporating his personal diaries which has resulted in not only a highly engaging insight into the role he played in the war but also into the character of the man himself.

Alanbrooke’s diary and later autobiographical notes provide an enviable primary source for Julian Horrocks’ in-depth study of Alanbrooke’s character. Horrocks refers to Alanbrooke’s “dissective, analytical mind”, an attribute that Horrocks himself displays in his carefully considered forensic analysis of his subject. The fact that the diary was not written for publication - indeed it was a breach of army regulations - and was addressed and dedicated to Alanbrooke’s beloved and respected second wife, give it an unguarded authenticity that allows Horrocks to draw from it well-reasoned conclusions about a man who was central to probably the most significant military event of the twentieth century. It is not, as Horrocks makes clear, a critique of Alanbrooke as a soldier and strategist: the diary discloses many of Alanbrooke’s views on strategy but does not provide sufficient material for such an analysis. Nothing distracts Horrocks from his search for a detailed insight into the character Alanbrooke displayed in the face of adversity, as presented by the evidence in the diary and notes. Consequently, Horrocks’ clearly presented and expressed opinions are solidly founded and convincing. Horrocks also recounts how the diary and notes were used after the war, particularly by Sir Arthur Bryant; how they and Alanbrooke have been regarded as a result; the vital but often irreconcilable relationship between political leaders and military chiefs, and the lessons which Alanbrooke found had not been learnt from the First World War. Horrocks then applies these observations to more recent military events in Afghanistan and Iraq which emphasises the continuing relevance of Alanbrooke’s thinking and the extraordinary personal qualities he displayed. This is a substantial work which provides a significant contribution to our understanding of a man who reluctantly found himself having to cope with world events and the other leaders involved during a fascinating period of our history.

Splendid book… a tour de force. Alanbrooke - The Reluctant Warrior is an ambitious, sweeping examination of its subject’s character, life and career. This is a book in which readers interested in the life of Alanbrooke and in the Second World War will find much interesting material and well thought out analysis.

A fascinating read about the life of a man and a soldier who surprises the reader in his compassionate, yet fiery approach to strategy during the second world war. The author has crafted a unique story that captivates the reader right from the beginning.