Montgomery is contrasted with Rommel as a difficult colleague who was more willing to listen and prepare. The comparison is qualified after an objection to describing Rommel as easy to work with: that claim concerns his own command structure, not his relations with the Italians. Montgomery's preference for favourable odds and the help of officers around him form part of the argument for his effectiveness. Market Garden provides a disputed example, with willingness to recognise failure set beside uncertainty about responsibility for the plan. Dr. Clarke then distinguishes Montgomery's earlier conduct from the self-mythologising and deteriorating relationships of late 1944 and the postwar years, arguing that the later reputation can distort judgments of the earlier commander.
Notable Point · 3:29:09-3:32:06
Montgomery's difficult manner, delegation, and later reputation
The assessment separates Montgomery's difficult personal manner from his command effectiveness and asks how his later reputation affects readings of his earlier career.