[ History ] Open Question : How bad was the war in North Africa during WW2?

I know about the other 3 major fronts, the Western Front, the Pacific War and the Eastern Front, but I've never heard very much about the campaign in North Africa. How bad was it compared to the other battlefields of the war (as in conditions/casualties-wise). I know how awful things were in the Pacific, it seems to me that that was the worst place to be stationed. How does Africa compare?

Source: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120109025840AAyBjJm

Bruce Willis Britney Spears Justin Timberlake