The failure of the Blitzkrieg element of ‘Barbarossa’ bogged Germany down against a determined Russian foe who could bring massive numbers of men and arms to bear. In 2018 he starred in pantomime at the New Wimbledon Theatre, as Jack's brother Al, in Jack and the Beanstalk, winning 'Best Newcomer' for this role, at the Great British Pantomime Awards in April 2018.

Command by Al Murray | Headline Publishing Group, home of

Command is everything popular history should be: authoritative, full of deep wisdom and knowledge, genuinely fresh and original in approach and content, and both compelling and entertainingly written. Having started out by touring with comedians such as Harry Hill and Frank Skinner, Murray won the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1999, after being nominated in 1996, 1997 and 1998. Al Murray's new book proves, if anyone still feels the need to question it, that he is a major historian in his own right.citation needed] He regularly performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, before launching his "Pub Landlord" persona (which he describes as a "know-all know-nothing blowhard who knows the answer to every question even though he hasn't been asked any of them"). It is eminently readable with lots of anecdotes and first hand accounts about the commanders selected for inclusion. Because each chapter dealt with a different personality type, at a different period of time, in a different army and at a different stage in their careers the book was very wide ranging and had a very broad appeal. Murray was awarded an honorary degree (Hon MA) by the University of Bedfordshire in 2014, [59] and an honorary Doctor of Social Science (PhD) by the University of Wolverhampton in 2017.

Command: How the Allies Learned to Win the Second World War

The men selected vary from the famous like Montgomery and Patton, the model professional like Bradley and Slim to the more obscure such as Hobart and White. In late 2010, Murray made a documentary on German culture for BBC Four Al Murray's German Adventure in which he presented a different side of the German nation from the one portrayed by "The Pub Landlord" character. One of the most popular live comedy acts in the country, Al has sold out arenas nationwide, including London’s O2 Arena. Al Murray's passion for military history and the Second World War in particular has always run parallel with his comedy and was brought to the fore with several acclaimed and award-winning television shows and the recent huge success of his podcast We Have Ways of Making You Talk which he hosts with fellow bestselling military author James Holland.Skilfully blending the famous names with those lesser known, he examines each in a completely fresh light, focussing on differing aspects that collectively offer a satisfyingly comprehensive whole that takes the reader on a journey across a wide range of landscapes, theatres and battles.

Command: How the Allies Learned to Win the Second World…

There is no hagiography here, although the author's admiration of Bill Slim - well deserved in my opinion - is pretty clear, especially when he is contrasted in the previous chapter with the maverick - to be kind - Orde Wingate. Any book that sets out the whole of a famous General’s career will be massive and, probably, a very dull read and a book that tries to dissect the fine detail of what “Leadership” is and how a number of famous officers “led” would only appeal to the specialist reader so Al Murry does not try to do either of these things. Murray made his first television appearances on Harry Hill in 1997 playing Harry's big brother Alan ("If it's too hard, I can't understand it! Finally, the Labour candidate, Will Scobie, insisted it was "always good to have people putting their names forward to stand" and that Murray would "certainly make things interesting".In 2023, Murray co-wrote with Matt Forde and Sean Foley and is a voiceover artist Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical based on the TV series Spitting Image, which premiered at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in February, before transferring to London's West End at the Phoenix Theatre in May for 13 weeks.