Eighth Army was formed in Egypt in September 1941\. A year later, under Montgomery, it defeated Rommel's Panzerarmee Afrika at El Alamein which led to the victorious end of the North African campaign at Tunis in May 1943. The controversial landings in Italy in September 1943 followed the short Sicilian campaign. Tenacious German resistance, exemplified by the protracted Monte Cassino battle during the first half of 1944, made the Eighth Army's advance north testing and costly. In April 1945, Eighth Army, now commanded by General Dick McCreery, brilliantly attacked into the plain of Lombardy overcoming the last Nazi defensive lines in Italy. No less than thirty-four Victoria Crosses were awarded to soldiers of Eighth Army who were drawn from every Empire and Commonwealth country, including neutral Ireland, and nations such as Poland occupied by the Nazis. Drawing on official records and personal accounts, A Noble Crusade, first published in 1999, is a superb and comprehensive history of the most famous British military formation of the Second World War and, arguably, of all time.

Richard Doherty, recognised as Ireland's leading military history author, has thirty published books to his credit, plus many articles in journals and magazines. Included in his Pen and Sword titles are The Thin Green Line: The History of the RUC GC; Helmand Mission; Victory in Italy and Hobart's 79th Armoured Division at War. He has worked on radio and TV historical series, including The Sons of Ulster and One Man's War, as well as contributing to other programmes such as Who Do You Think You Are? He is also in demand as a speaker and lecturer, speaking at venues such as the National Army Museum, the Tank Museum and the US Marine Corps Staff and Command College, Quantico, Virginia.