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When his story ends at the start of the Italian campaign, Brooke is a bitterly disappointed man. With Ike having commanded the North African show, it seemed certain that a Briton would become Supreme Commander in Europe. In fact, Churchill had already promised the post to Brooke. Eisenhower, with a generosity that astonished Brooke, said it ought to be either Brooke or Ike's own hero, George Marshall. Brooke, by his own admission, was itching for the honor, and when it went to Eisenhower his bitterness was poured into his diary: "I felt no longer necessarily tied to Winston and free to assume this Supreme Command which he had already promised me on three separate occasions. It was a crushing blow to hear from him that he was now handing over this appointment to the Americans . . . Not for one moment did he realise what this meant to me. He offered no sympathy, no regrets at having had to change his mind, and dealt with the matter as if it were one of minor importance." Perhaps in a larger context than Brookie could grasp, it was.