A British officer's daily routine in World War II revolves around three meals: breakfast (porridge, tea) upon waking, dinner at midday, and afternoon tea with a pudding. In the field, this structure shrinks to the combat ration (the 'compo') and the ritual of the brew-up — lighting a makeshift fire to boil water for tea. For Montgomery, a man of absolute temperance, these meals are simple, regular, and alcohol-free: the discipline of the table mirrors that of command.

Drinking a strongly steeped black tea, sweetened with condensed milk and sugar, is THE gesture of the British soldier in North Africa. Without fresh milk in the desert, tinned condensed milk is used; without a stove, sand soaked in petrol is burned in a slit tin can. For a man who refuses alcohol and tobacco, this scalding tea is the only comfort allowed — and he makes it an institution.