From the dustjacket:

In 1942 David Stewart Hendrick, III joined the American Field Service, after being turned down by the U.S. Army. He ended up attached to the Free French forces with the British Eighth Army (the famed “Desert Rats”) driving an ambulance in the North African desert. There, he saw more combat than most and learned survival skills the hard way. When the desert war wound down, he was transferred to the Italian campaign and, once again, ended up dodging German shells.

Hendrick also knew how to enjoy himself and to make the most of his opportunities. His connections gave him access to the highest ranks of society, including the Egyptian and Moroccan royal families, and he paints an enthralling picture of life in that soon-to-vanish era.