Draft:Fred Majdalany
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Fareed 'Fred' Majdalany, MC (1913 – 1967) was a British author, military historian, and a decorated officer in the British Army during the Second World War. Known for his candid works on the North African and Italian campaigns, his best-known books include the acclaimed war novel Patrol and the history Cassino: Portrait of a Battle. Following the war, he worked as a journalist and drama critic.
Early life and pre-war career
Majdalany was born in 1913, the son of a Lebanese family based in Manchester. Prior to the war, he pursued a career in journalism and public relations, working variously as a journalist, drama critic, and theatre publicist in London.[1]
Second World War service
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Majdalany volunteered for the British Army and was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers, in 1940.[2] He served with the Eighth Army in the North African campaign and the Italian campaign, where he took part in the pivotal battles of El Alamein and Monte Cassino. He was later awarded the Military Cross (MC) for gallantry and leadership in action.[3]
Post-war literary career
After the war, Majdalany returned to writing, focusing on military history and fiction informed by his combat experience. His works were generally well-received and noted for their autobiographical texture and vivid detail.[4]
Military history
Majdalany authored several works of military history, including The Battle of El Alamein: Fortress in the Sand[5] and the exhaustive study, Cassino: Portrait of a Battle.[6] Published in 1957, the latter is considered a definitive account of the costly battles for Monte Cassino in 1944.
Fiction
His most notable fictional work is the novel Patrol (1953),[7] which depicts the experiences of a small group of soldiers behind enemy lines. The novel was later reprinted as part of the Imperial War Museum's Wartime Classics series.[8] Other novels include The Monastery, also based on the Monte Cassino fighting.[9]
Later life
Majdalany resumed his career in journalism, working for publications such as the Daily Mail. Majdalany was 54 years old when he died on 15 November 1967.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "Fred Majdalany (Author)". amheath.com. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ^ "The London Gazette" (PDF). The Gazette. April 26, 1940.
- ^ "The London Gazette" (PDF). The Gazette. February 10, 1944.
- ^ "Death in the Desert; PATROL. By Fred Majdalany. 149 pp. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Cloth $2. New York: Ballantine Books. Paper. 35 cents. (Published 1953)". 1953-06-14. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ^ Majdalany, Fred (1965). The Battle of El Alamein: Fortress in the Sand (1st ed.). Lippincott.
- ^ Majdalany, Fred (1957). Cassino: Portrait of a Battle (1st ed.). United Kingdom: Longmans, Green.
- ^ Majdalany, Fred (1958). Patrol. Ballantine Books.
- ^ "Wartime Classics | War Novels". IWM Shop. Retrieved 2025-10-28.
- ^ Majdalany, Fred (1946). The Monastery (1st ed.). Michigan, USA: Houghton Miffin.
- ^ "Letters to The Times". www.henrywilliamson.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-10-28.