Eighth Army book recommendation

Hi

I am researching my late Grandfathers experiences during WWII and would appreciate if anyone could recommend some books. He was in the Eighth Army Royal Engineers, although I can't be more specific than that at this stage, I have just requested his service records.

I'd be interested in recommendations on specific battles and campaingns but would like a book to start with which more broadly covers the Eighth Army in WWII. I can get into more specific areas after that.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Many thanks
Steven

 

The North African Campaign 1940 to 1943 ...Jackson....

May be a good all round place to start...I'm not a desert war officianado, and myself wanted somewhere to get to the beginning of it all. This book was perfect for me a few years ago. The Specific battles you can go into with other books, although this includes the battles and pesonalities, it is not El Alamen or Tobruk etc specific. Its a good intro for anyone.
There is a library of 8th Army stuff to read out there. Others will be along to reccomend some but a read of the one above is a good start.

The North African campaign, 1940-43 - Sir William Godfrey Fothergill Jackson - Google Books

 

As urqh has rightly said, there's almost an entire library of books about the Desert War ( my own recommendation would be to start with Barrie Pitt's two 'Crucible Of War' books ).

But one which is slightly different and which may give you an interesting overview of the background in which your Grandfather served is 'Montgomery And The Eighth Army' edited by Stephen Brooks ( Bodley Head / Army Records Society 1991 ). This is a quite fascinating collection of Montgomery's diary entries, letters, memos and written orders covering his entire time with the Eighth Army - OOP, but worth hunting for.....

 

On morale in Eighth Army I would suggest Jonathan Fennell's book, Combat and Morale in the North African Campaign (CUP, 2011). It delves into the contentious issue of whether or not there really was a morale crisis in the Western Desert in 1942.

Ross