Arthur Tedder became one of the most eminent figures of the Second World War: first as head of Anglo-American air forces in the Middle East, the Mediterranean and North Africa; then as Deputy Supreme Commander to General Eisenhower for the Allied campaign that began in Normandy and ended in Berlin. During those anxious, exhilarating years, he was, as The Times of London wrote, 'the most unstuffy of great commanders, who could be found sitting cross-legged, jacketless, pipe smoldering, answering questions on a desert airstrip.'After the war, promoted to five-star rank and elevated to the peerage as Lord Tedder, he was made Chief of the Air Staff, holding this appointment for longer than anyone since his time: four critical years (from 1946 to 1949) that saw the tragic start of the Cold War and the inspiring achievement of the Berlin Airlift. In 1950, he became Britain's NATO representative in Washington: a year that saw the start of a hot war in Korea that threatened to spread around the globe.This book provides the first comprehensive account of a great commander's public career and uses hundreds of family letters to portray a private life, both joyful and tragic.
Author(s): Vincent Orange
Edition: annotated edition
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 480
Book Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 4
Contents......Page 5
List of Illustrations......Page 9
Foreword by Williamson Murray......Page 12
Series Editor's Preface......Page 14
Acknowledgements......Page 18
A Boy of Philosophical Calm, Artistic and Fanciful: From Glenguin to Croydon, July 1890 to July 1909......Page 24
An Amiable Chap, with Many Interests but Few Achievements: Cambridge, October 1909 to June 1912......Page 28
A Sudden Sense of Absolute Intimacy, Harmony and Understanding: From England to Fiji via Germany, June 1912 to December 1914......Page 34
Learning the Grammar of Command: From Wyke Regis to Calais, January 1915 to January 1916......Page 46
We Are a Pretty Cosmopolitan Lot: From Reading to Auchel, January to December 1916......Page 52
Unimpressive, a Wet Blanket, Not Much of a Leader?: From the Western Front to Shawbury, January 1917 to May 1918......Page 63
A Paper War on the Edge of a Gentleman's War, in a Vile Place: Egypt and Palestine, May 1918 to March 1919......Page 70
Shaping a Squadron in Peacetime at Home, on the Brink of War Abroad: From Bircham Newton to Constantinople, March 1919 to August 1923......Page 80
Good Stuff Separated from Scallywags for the Air Force: From Greenwich to Andover, September 1923 to December 1931......Page 91
Fathering Air Armament and Organising an Expansion of Flying Training: From Eastchurch to Egypt, January 1932 to October 1936......Page 102
The Finest Strategical Position in the World under the Command of Our Next CAS but Two: Singapore, October 1936 to July 1938......Page 111
Spotting Winners and Advancing Aircraft Production:From London to Harrogate and Back, July 1938 to November 1940......Page 124
A Man of Nuts and Bolts, of Pen and Ink, with Strong Hands, Velvet Gloved: Cairo and the Western Desert, December 1940 to June 1941......Page 142
Ending the Bad Old Days before There Was Mutual Understanding and Faith between the Services: Cairo and the Western Desert, June to September 1941......Page 158
Condemned by Churchill, Saved by Freeman and Auchinleck: Cairo and the Western Desert, October 1941 to January 1942......Page 175
Winnie and Joe See Arthur as a Fighter: Cairo and the Western Desert, February to October 1942......Page 192
Seeking an Exciting New Command, Avoiding a Dismal Desk in Whitehall, Suffering a Grievous Loss: From Cairo to Algiers, October 1942 to January 1943......Page 208
Torch Bearers and Desert Heroes Jointly Countering the Shibboleth of Pershing: Algeria and Tunisia, January to May 1943......Page 226
Honouring a Man of Cold Courage, Jollying a Suspicious Dutchman: From Algeria to Sicily, April to September 1943......Page 241
An Alarming Avalanche, Another Dardanelles, a New Job: From Algeria to Italy, August 1943 to January 1944......Page 255
A Lousy Organisation, Smearing the RAF's Good Name: Bushy Park and Castle Coombe, December 1943 to May 1944......Page 270
A Great and Noble Undertaking Challenged by a Toy that Would Profoundly Affect both War and Peace: From London to Paris, May to August 1944......Page 283
Aunt Sallies, Red Herrings, and a Patchwork Quilt: From London to Brussels, August to December 1944......Page 295
Painting on a Bicycle and Winning Another Contest with Churchill: From London to Germany via Moscow, December 1944 to April 1945......Page 308
Chief Aunt Sally in the Whirligig of Whitehall: London and Elsewhere, May 1945 to December 1946......Page 324
Avoiding Complete Subservience to Our Essential Ally in Countering the Risk of Atomic War: London and Elsewhere, January 1947 to June 1948......Page 338
Working in a Strange and Secretive Society, Leaving the Whirligig: London and Elsewhere, June 1948 to December 1949......Page 352
Providing a Few Drops of Oil and Setting the College Flag Flying: From London to Cambridge via Washington, January 1950 to June 1954......Page 370
A Strange Genius: From London to Pollochar and the End, June 1954 to June 1967......Page 384
Notes......Page 399
Bibliography......Page 431
Index......Page 450
