Monty had probable Asperger's syndrome
Historians believe Bernard Montgomery almost certainly had Asperger's syndrome, which even in the highly formal Edwardian era made him stand out socially.
Snapshot · Fin vs History
Nazis Are No Match For Knobbly Knees | Monty vs Rommel (Part 1/4)
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Jun 29, 2026
Where this was said
The Height Of Bush
At 20:30 · chapter starts 15:58
The key distinction Fin draws here is that both Monty and Rommel were career soldiers before either world war began — a tiny minority compared to the conscripted masses. For Monty, World War I was simply the job he'd trained for. He was already in India at Peshawar in 1908, marvelling at Peshawari naan. Historians now believe he almost certainly had Asperger's syndrome, which meant that even in the ultra-formal Edwardian Army, he stood out as socially inept: he didn't drink, didn't share banter, and kept it all to himself. In a desperate bid to fit in, he had both forearms tattooed, then spent the rest of his life hiding them. The portrait is of a man for whom the Army was not a career choice but a psychological necessity — the only structure that could contain and channel his ferocious, oddball intelligence.
Monty's Brutal Childhood in Tasmania
Monty's father became Bishop of Tasmania and moved the family to Australia. His mother Maud beat the children to stop them developing Australian accents — which Fin finds entirely reasonable. Back in London at 13, nicknamed Monkey for mischief, Monty tattooed both forearms to fit in and later hid them in shame.
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