This country is at war with Germany. We shall go on to the end.

I remember the sheets of flame which came up and almost blinded us from our guns.

General Montgomery was a complex figure and his legacy remains a subjective debate amongst historians.

In this episode, I'm joined by Andrew Harrison, the author of Con, Cobra and Confusion to examine the controversies surrounding Monty's leadership during the Normandy campaign.

Central to our conversation are the misunderstandings about Monty's intentions for Con

and the American breakout at Operation Cobra, misconceptions that have played a significant role

in shaping his legacy. We'll explore how events beyond the battlefield,

as well as the perspectives of modern historians, have influenced how Monty's decisions are

viewed today. Welcome, Andrew. So let's start with historical background. Montgomery,

when he's appointed head of the 21st Army Group, which is the head of the

British and Canadian forces, he's chief of the Allied ground forces for the duration of

the Normandy campaign. But what's interesting is Churchill needed convincing. It's interesting

there's some dissent. Why is Churchill dissenting from Monty's appointment?

It goes back to the time when Monty was appointed as head of 8th Army.

You've got to remember that Churchill wanted to appoint Gott.

And Gott was certainly...

There's a rabbit hole with his spear down to.

Gott was shot down on his way to Alexandria, I think he was, in an airplane.

And Alan Brook was very pro Monty from the get-go, because they'd had dealings when they were

serving in the third division in France. So I thinkbrook had more faith in Monty than Churchill did.

I think Churchill thought he was foisted on him by fate, took a hand.

And I think Churchill saw his strengths, but he had been having a bit of a pouty sort of like situation.

...