Michael Arnold

These revealing portraits of Churchill, Montgomery, and Mountbatten expose the truth about the most famous British figures in WWII history. Hollow Heroes separates fact from fiction regarding three of Great Britain’s most revered World War II–era military leaders—Winston Churchill, Bernard Montgomery, and Louis Mountbatten—revealing that their reputations were largely built on deception and dishonesty. Examining the influence of class in the British Army, historian Michael Arnold notes that officer promotion was based more on social background than effectiveness. Field Marshall Montgomery feared and envied Gen. Patton, whose rate of advance was nearly always twice that of Monty’s. Meanwhile, the services of Field Marshals Wavell and Auchinleck, two of Britain’s finest commanders, were largely lost to Britain because of Churchill’s interfering in field matters and his contrivances to remain in power after Singapore was lost on his watch. Adm. Mountbatten’s fumbling in India is also realistically portrayed, exposing the “man for the century’s” overly embellished reputation.

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