A Don at War (Studies in Intelligence) - Tapa dura

When A Don at War was published in 1966 it was hailed as the first book to be written from the point of view of the Intelligence staff officer in the field with critics remarking on Sir David Hunt's authoritative exposition of British as well as German strategies. Eight years later it was revealed that the British, through the Ultra' system, were able to decode even the most important German radio messages despite the fact they were sent in the supposedly unbreakable Enigma cipher'. Since 1974 the great secret has become common knowledge. As a result Sir David has specially written for this second edition a new foreword whose main purpose is to explain the use made of Ultra during four years campaigning in the Mediterranean.

The second edition of this account of aspects of World War II includes the revelation of what is called "the Ultra Secret"; the fact that the British were able to decipher German radio messages on the highest Command links even though they were in the supposedly unbreakable cipher produced by the Enigma machine. Sir David has included a foreword for this edition to explain the use made of Ultra during four years campaigning in the Mediterranean. The author draws on his experiences in the desert, Greece and Crete, the commanders on the two sides, including Auchinleck, Rommel, Montgomery, Kesselring, Patton and Leese. To round off the picture, he has added an appreciation of the genius of Alexander, whom both Churchill and Eisenhower agreed in nominating as the greatest of the Allied commanders of World War II.