Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights:#1 The Middle East is a powder keg. It has been the scene of repeated belligerent encounters since men learned to bear arms. The first battle of recorded time took place in what is now Israel in 1469 BC.#2 The Battle of El Alamein was not like the other battles in the desert war. It was a battle of deliberate attrition, conducted in a way that a veteran of World War I would have recognized. It was fought by the two sides evenly matched, and it was won by the Allies.#3 Hitler and Mussolini were admirers of each other’s methods. Mussolini wanted to turn Italy into a great power, and he needed a war to do so. He wanted to sweep away his enemies in the Church, the monarchy, and the comfort-loving bourgeoisie.#4 In June 1940, Mussolini spoke from the Palazzo Venezia about his plans for an Italian empire spanning the Mediterranean. He wanted the young and prolific Germans to give him bits of French North Africa, and the British to allow him to overrun Egypt.