Jeremy Lowe

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 Alanbrooke’s character 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 Authur 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.