In November 1942 the Eighth Army set out on a journey which finally ended in the occupation of Vienna nearly three years later. The route took them through the Libyan towns of Tobruk, Benghazi and Tripoli, then Tunisia, Sicily and the Italian mainland. Alongside the British were Canadians, Indians, South Africans, Poles, French, Italians, Greeks and Australians. The author was a serving officer at the time and has retravelled the route and talked to survivors and people who now live along the way the Army travelled. Patrick Howarth has written several novels, drama scripts and verse as well as "Lifeboat: In Danger's Hour".