Customer Reviews:
rommel papers .......2007-09-11
great book written from the surviving papers after his death there would have been more but a lot of his stuff was taken by the Nazis, and much more was lost to the US Army but his wife and son saved some and from this B.H. LIDDELL-HART was with the help of the wife and son to put his great skill as a battlefield commander in a new light A must read for any student of WWII also checkout ATTACKS by Rommel this book is about his time as a young lieutenant in WW I
Up there with the master himself.......2007-06-06
This is one of those books that made the shivers run down my spine while reading it. It felt like being right there in the thick of it with this amazing field commander. This man is a born leader and has the audacity and knighthood to fight an honest fight. He did what he believed was right and he is portrayed as human as possible in this text. War is a terrible thing, but it still is a part of our way of life. This cannot be denied! These memoirs are of the highest value and a must-read for anyone interested in the war in Northern Africa.
Fascinating!.......2006-12-31
This book is one of the best memoirs I have read. It is Erwin Rommel's account of the Second World War from start through finish. The best and most interesting thing about this book are Rommel's thoughts. He talks about all of his battles, and experiences throughout the war, but he weaves in personal things as well which make this a superb piece of writing. You will definately not be disappointed in purchasing this book. Anyone interested in Rommel, the German view of WWII, or WWII in general, should buy this book, hands down.
War as Only He Knew It!.......2006-02-11
Legendary Field Marshall Erwin Rommel narrates the war effort from the German point of view. Outnumbered, out gunned, but never out "generaled," Rommel explains both his early successes and ultimate defeat. His work is rightly considered a military classic and also provides a unique insight into the Nazi high command.
Rommel begins by talking about the victory in France. Utilizing superior tactics and equipment the Germans achieved in six weeks what they failed to accomplish in four years in World War I. The lesson is simple: Military planners should always plan for the next war, not the last one.
Then it was off to Africa. Rommel again outclassed his opponents until the material superiority of the U.S. and British destroyed any chance of success. He repeatedly decries his inadequate air support and lack of supplies. Only much later was ULTRA revealed to be the cause of much of his difficulty. (See, The ULTRA Secret, by F.W. Winterbotham, Harper and Row, Publishers, 1974.) Read this section with a map of North Africa in hand!
Last, was his defense of Normandy. Knowing he would have only Goering's promises for air cover, the once foremost exponent of mobile warfare opted to defend at the shoreline in an attempt to force the Allies into a negotiated peace. Alone, with grossly inadequate supplies, and only a short time to prepare he orchestrated a masterful defense which well might have succeeded if Hitler had allowed him to fight his own battle.
Finally, after service in two wars, and fighting valiantly against overwhelming odds, Hitler gave him his "reward." In true Nazi fashion, he was "allowed" to commit suicide to save his family rather than face a Peoples Court.
This work shows how the Nazi high command repeatedly violated the Principles of War of Mass and Unity of Command with disastrous results. Furthermore, it shows how a dynamic leader can accomplish nearly miraculous results even against all odds. The fact he unwittingly served an evil regime in no way diminishes his greatness as a military leader. When the names of the great Generals of history are recited: Lee, Jackson, Forrest, Guderian, and Patton; Rommel's name is sure to be included. A true classic in military literature; 5 stars!!
Harold Y. Grooms
Great Insight.......2005-07-07
Very insightful and interesting look inside the mind of one of the greatest generals of WWII. He was a true soldier - it's unfortunate he was associated with Hitler and the Nazis. He may have been considered one of the greatest generals of all time if it weren't for the evil of the regime he fought on behalf of.
Worthwhile reading if you want to understand what "the other side" had to deal with during the war. It allows you to better understand the mind of the soldiers who believed they were fighting for their country without simpathizing with the Nazi government.
Rommel's support for the assasination of Hitler, while not proven, also offers an interesting perspective on how the army came to fear and distrust Hitler's intentions.
Customer Reviews:
Which way to the enemy?.......2007-09-17
The principal players of the Second World War paid their dues in the First, and Erwin Rommel was no exception. The man who would later become "the Desert Fox" and win worldwide acclaim as one of the greatest generals of all time began his combat career as a young lieutenant in the army of Wilhelm II, indistinguishable from thousands of others who crossed the French or Belgian frontier in 1914. Four years later he was one of the most decorated soldiers in the Imperial Army, holder of the "Pour le Merite" (the highest Prussian award for bravery) and a firm believer that "positional [i.e. trench] warfare" was for fools. His credo could be summed up in the old Prussian maxim: "Never ask how strong the enemy is, only where he is -- and march to the sound of guns."
Rommel published ATTACKS in 1937, when he was a lieutenant-colonel in the Reichsheer and commandant of the military academy in Weiner Neustadt. At the time he was already famous in the German army for his 1914 - 1918 exploits, but ATTACKS brought him international acclaim, at least in military circles. In Germany the book made him quite wealthy, and in a sense one can see why: compared to the turgid, half-mystical reminiscences of some of his contemporaries, ATTACKS is entirely without introspection. It is simply a recounting of the innumerable small-unit actions in which Rommel participated in during the Great War. The book's methodical, matter-of-fact style reflects the personality of its author, who was not inclined to philosophizing. The "whys" and "wherefores" of war mattered to him not at all. Unlike Ernst Juenger, who also won the Pour le Merite and wrote postwar accounts of his exploits (THE STORM OF STEEL, COPSE 125, WAR AS AN INWARD EXPERIENCE) Rommel wasn't interested in the "inward experience", just the fighting. He was a soldier's soldier.
During the War, Rommel served extensively in France, Rumania and Italy, and ATTACKS recounts in great detail his many offensive exploits, where he distinguished himself not merely with his aggressive style but by his habit (repeated in World War II) of leading from the front. Utterly fearless, possessing unlimited physical stamina and seemingly immune to pain (his gunshot wounds are described merely as events, like losing the sole of a shoe; the only thing that seems to have caused him real discomfort in the whole war was getting a foot smashed by a boulder in the mountains) Rommel was the ideal junior officer under any conditions, and was rightly worshipped by his men - another trait he enjoyed in the '39 - 45 war. He was further distinguished by his nobility and chivalry, qualities which are more responsible than his military genius for making him beloved among his former enemies. Today, Rommel is the only one of the myriad generals who achieved fame in Nazi Germany who is officially honored by the present day German government.
The strength of ATTACKS lies not merely in the nature of what is being described (battle and more battle) but in the fact that Rommel has no artistic pretentions: he simply records what happened without sentimentalizing or succumbing to the Germanic curse of using 1,000 words when two hundred would suffice. This, however, is also the book's great weakness: all these skirmishes, raids, marches, countermarches, midnight conferences, attacks, retirements, hand-grenade fights, machine-gun duels, artillery bombardments, and climbs up mountain slopes in the rain, snow and blazing sun begin to wear down the reader over time. If it is possible for combat to be monotonous, Rommel occasionally manages to make it so, if only by the staggering amount of it he actually experienced. If Juenger was often turgid and romantic, he was also willing to discuss the lighter side of war - the pranks, the drinking, the philosophical bull-sessions and the endless war against rats, boredom and Prussian discipline. Such humanistic moments would have been welcome in ATTACKS, but Rommel was not inclined to dwell on them. (The closest thing he displays to a sense of humor is contemptuous jokes at the expense of the French and the Italians, neither of whom seem to have impressed him with their soldierly ability.)
So, if you are looking for a pure combat memior, penned by one of the greatest soldiers ever, ATTACKS is the very definition of the bill. But if you want a look "under the helmet" into the mind and soul of a great fighting man, I would suggest supplementing ATTACKS with Juenger's more layered STORM OF STEEL. After all, nothing is more Prussian than obtaining a "total view" of a military situation!
Great Book.......2007-07-30
I have no complaints. In response to another review, German troops, specifically those under Rommel's command, are made to look far more competent than most troops of other nationalities Rommel encountered because by all accounts they were. Rommel's men wouldn't have surrendered in the thousands to 3 officers, nor been so lax in sentry and recon duty. When he encounters worthy foes he gives credit where it is due, in one case calling them "men in every way" to paraphrase. But the aggressive fighting spirit and competence of Rommel's men is shown time and time again. Volunteering to run out on a bridge under enemy fire and chop wires leading to bombs with a hand axe (for all that Sergeant knew the wires could have been electric and the bombs could have gone the second he got near one), swim a freezing cold, rapidly moving river alone to infiltrate enemy lines etc, this is what his men would do for him.
The tone is largely a matter of interpretation, I believe that at the time and place the book was written it was not so much braggadocio as it was lack of false modesty, and rightful pride in his and his men's accomplishments. In America many will interpret this as shameless bragging.
I see nothing wrong with the lessons of building fortifications to prevent casualties and conducting constant reconnaissance. However those are not by any means the only lessons in the book. Rommel's use of "supple infantry tactics" against often numerically far superior, and firepower-superior (though as mentioned before inferior in competence, aggression, and bravery) enemies, and his use of diversions, sneak attacks and generally concealed movements are timeless applied lessons of warfare straight out of Sun Tzu's "Art of War".
His use of overwhelming concentrations of pinning fire, combined with the above, helped him limit casualties while flanking the enemy and capturing prisoners in the many thousands in total. He scarcely lost a battle even though he often didn't have the support of artillery during an attack due to materiale shortages. He was a very aggressive commander who always took the initiative when given the chance, something that paid off time and time again. He wasn't incautious, he simply knew an opportunity when he saw one, and was bold enough to exploit these situations.
Rommel's Book.......2006-10-23
Ever since I saw the Movie "Patton" where George C. Scott's Patton reads Rommels book and wins his battle with the Afrika Korps I always wanted to read this book.
I thought it would be a primer on Armor Tactics but it is Rommel's Memoir of his experiences as a Junior officer in WWI primarily on the Balkan Front. One thing one notices that is reflective of the later Desert Fox is that Rommel does not like to send his troops into deadly "Over the Top" frontal assaults into enemy machine guns unless there is no other alternative. He always seeks to outflank or manuver into the enemy's rear.
Though I found his style of writing to be rather dry(at least as translated into English) it is a textbook application of small unit infantry tactics complete with handwritten diagrams and maps. Young officers and NCO's would do well to read and learn like Patton from Rommel's Book.
Also recommended Desmond Young's "The Desert Fox".
Infanteri grieft an.......2006-08-11
For many years I have been looking for an original copy of Infanterie Grieft an without success. This is a satisfactory rewrite.
Outstanding book.......2006-07-17
Rommel writes of his experiences in WWI fighting primarily in Rumania and what is now northern Italy. In each chapter, he details a specific operation, the problems they faced and how he solved them. He uses the stories to show how a commander should deal with certain common situations. For his leadership he won the "Blue Max" not bad for a junior officer! The illustrationa are quite helpful as the descriptions he gives are very detailed. It's probably the finest military book I have ever read, well worth the price. A fine book by a true leader...
Buy it!
Book Description
- Illustrated with 120 photographs
- Carries the reader from the Alps in WWI to North Africa in WWII
- With many photographs taken by Rommel himself
Customer Reviews:
ROMMEL and his Art of War.......2006-11-29
This is a book about military operations written largely by Rommel and edited by Dr. John Pimlott. Unlike "Attacks" by Rommel which is a volume of accounts of his experiences in WWI, this book is easier to read than are typical military after-action reports. "Attacks" was dry; this book is intriguing. There are many gems of wisdom found inside that are just as applicable in this day and age as they were in Rommels day. I believe the man was honourable and chivalrous. The epitome of a professional soldier. He would have made a great American!
Timothy G. Hudson
Riverdale, Utah, USA
Book Description
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel exerted an almost hypnotic influence not only over his own troops but also over the Allied soldiers of the Eighth Army in the Second World War. Even when the legend surrounding his invincibility was overturned at El Alamein, the aura surrounding Rommel himself remained unsullied. As a leader of a small unit in the First World War, he proved himself an aggressive and versatile commander, with a reputation for using the battleground terrain to his own advantage, for gathering intelligence, and for seeking out and exploiting enemy weaknesses. Rommel graphically describes his own achievements, and those of his units, in the swift-moving battles on the Western Front, in the ensuing trench warfare, in the 1917 campaign in Romania, and in the pursuit across the Tagliamento and Piave rivers. This classic account seeks out the basis of his astonishing leadership skills, providing an indispensable guide to the art of war written by one of its greatest exponents.
Customer Reviews:
Rommel's Tribute to the German Soldier.......2007-09-30
I gave INFANTRY ATTACKS five stars. I thought I knew Rommel, but this book comprised of after-action reports and observations added a lot to my mental picture of him.
He dedicated his writing to the German soldier, the ordinary Landser he led in the Great War. Unlike other war memoirs, Rommel keeps the attention focused upon his men and their achievements under difficult circumstances. He's the kind of officer most soldiers dream of having.
His book is not literature, like Remarque's ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, but it certainly gives you a detailed view of World War I and how it was conducted. It also shows aspects of Rommel I hadn't really expected to see.
He observes that there are times when you have to dig in and hold fast. There are other times when you should attack and still others when you should defer an attack because of inadequate reserves to exploit a breakthough.
Rommel's ability to size up a situation quickly and react appropriately is what struck me about this work. If you're interested in World War I, Rommel, or military history, you'll enjoy this book. I gave it five stars.
...and so does Rommel!.......2007-09-17
The principal players of the Second World War paid their dues in the First, and Erwin Rommel was no exception. The man who would later become "the Desert Fox" and win worldwide acclaim as one of the greatest generals of all time began his combat career as a young lieutenant in the army of Wilhelm II, indistinguishable from thousands of others who crossed the French or Belgian frontier in 1914. Four years later he was one of the most decorated soldiers in the Imperial Army, holder of the "Pour le Merite" (the highest Prussian award for bravery) and a firm believer that "positional [i.e. trench] warfare" was for fools. His credo could be summed up in the old Prussian maxim: "Never ask how strong the enemy is, only where he is -- and march to the sound of guns."
Rommel published INFANTRY ATTACKS in 1937, when he was a lieutenant-colonel in the Reichsheer and commandant of the military academy in Weiner Neustadt. At the time he was already famous in the German army for his 1914 - 1918 exploits, but INFANTRY ATTACKS brought him international acclaim, at least in military circles. In Germany the book made him quite wealthy, and in a sense one can see why: compared to the turgid, half-mystical reminiscences of some of his contemporaries, INFANTRY ATTACKS is entirely without introspection. It is simply a recounting of the innumerable small-unit actions in which Rommel participated in during the Great War. The book's methodical, matter-of-fact style reflects the personality of its author, who was not inclined to philosophizing. The "whys" and "wherefores" of war mattered to him not at all. Unlike Ernst Juenger, who also won the Pour le Merite and wrote postwar accounts of his exploits (THE STORM OF STEEL, COPSE 125, WAR AS AN INWARD EXPERIENCE) Rommel wasn't interested in the "inward experience", just the fighting. He was a soldier's soldier.
During the War, Rommel served extensively in France, Rumania and Italy, and INFANTRY ATTACKS recounts in great detail his many offensive exploits, where he distinguished himself not merely with his aggressive style but by his habit (repeated in World War II) of leading from the front. Utterly fearless, possessing unlimited physical stamina and seemingly immune to pain (his gunshot wounds are described merely as events, like losing the sole of a shoe; the only thing that seems to have caused him real discomfort in the whole war was getting a foot smashed by a boulder in the mountains) Rommel was the ideal junior officer under any conditions, and was rightly worshipped by his men - another trait he enjoyed in the '39 - 45 war. He was further distinguished by his nobility and chivalry, qualities which are more responsible than his military genius for making him beloved among his former enemies. Today, Rommel is the only one of the myriad generals who achieved fame in Nazi Germany who is officially honored by the present day German government.
The strength of INFANTRY ATTACKS lies not merely in the nature of what is being described (battle and more battle) but in the fact that Rommel has no artistic pretentions: he simply records what happened without sentimentalizing or succumbing to the Germanic curse of using 1,000 words when two hundred would suffice. This, however, is also the book's great weakness: all these skirmishes, raids, marches, countermarches, midnight conferences, attacks, retirements, hand-grenade fights, machine-gun duels, artillery bombardments, and climbs up mountain slopes in the rain, snow and blazing sun begin to wear down the reader over time. If it is possible for combat to be monotonous, Rommel occasionally manages to make it so, if only by the staggering amount of it he actually experienced. If Juenger was often turgid and romantic, he was also willing to discuss the lighter side of war - the pranks, the drinking, the philosophical bull-sessions and the endless war against rats, boredom and Prussian discipline. Such humanistic moments would have been welcome in this book, but Rommel was not inclined to dwell on them. (The closest thing he displays to a sense of humor is contemptuous jokes at the expense of the French and the Italians, neither of whom seem to have impressed him with their soldierly ability.)
So, if you are looking for a pure combat memior, penned by one of the greatest soldiers ever, INFANTRY ATTACKS is the very definition of the bill. But if you want a look "under the helmet" into the mind and soul of a great fighting man, I would suggest supplementing ATTACKS with Juenger's more layered STORM OF STEEL. After all, nothing is more Prussian than obtaining a "total view" of a military situation!
(Note: INFANTRY ATTACKS was published in Germany as INFANTERIE GRIEFT AN; in English this was originally translated as "ATTACKS" and under that title was published during WW 2. ATTACKS is also for sale on Amazon, but ATTACKS and INFANTRY ATTACKS are the exact same book, though they have different forwards and the translation slightly differs; so if you already have the one, there is no need to buy the other)
Unexpected Memoirs.......2007-02-20
This book chronicles Rommel's career as an infrantry officer of a Wurttemburg mountain brigade. Ends at the beginning of 1918 in Italy, well before the end of the war. Often displays the equipment inferiority of Germany's foes, mainly Romania and Italy. The French, whom Rommel also fights, are much better armed and led than the others, although the Germans, Rommel included, believe themselves to be superior. Interesting for its portrayal of fighting in the Vosges, a very quiet section of the western front.
Service before self..........2007-01-06
This book shows the ingenuity of Erwin Rommel, with a wonderfully done intro by his son. With Erwin's devotion to his troops, its easy to see why he became the "desert fox". His service shows not only his character, but his sense of direction. Had the Allies had this general on their side in either world war, a swifter end would have been reached.
Rommel - the origin of 'JUST DO IT'.......2000-02-02
I imagine a good business lecturer would translate lessons from this book into 'Rommel on Business'. However, for me, it will suffice to say that Rommel writes an exciting account of the terrible and sometimes gruesome conditions of war in World War One. His clear examples of 'leadership by example', and 'be a bold risk taker' would seem self-confidence overblown, were it not for the historical reality of his successes in the battles named. There is also an element here and there of the blind nationalism that would lead him and many of his fellow officers into the follow-on fiasco a mere 20+ years later. A 'must read' for modern military historians and Rommel fans.
Book Description
An in-depth biography of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel written with the cooperation of Rommel's son, by a renowned military analyst and historian who is himself a general.
Customer Reviews:
A Legend.......2007-10-07
This book gives a good background on Rommel's life. I was hoping for more specifics on his battles with Patton and those after North Africa.
Be prepared for an uneasy read.
A unique leader on a unique battlefield.......2007-04-05
David Fraser's book is an excellent piece of work on a topic that many others have attempted to address but few have succeeded: the life of Rommel, leader of the Afrika Korps.
I have read extensively about the war in North Africa and of course about General Rommel. However, whereas many other biographers have glossed over some of Rommel's quirks (or ignored them altogether) Fraser looks at his career to explain how his leadership style developed. Where others have discussed Rommel's "frontline" leadership style and described it as pure genius and a natural adaptation to desert warfare Fraser puts it in context and illustrates how this style began with his days as a company-grade officer in WWI and continued during the invasion of France. What's more, Fraser discusses how this style had its weaknesses as well as its strengths and the unique environment in North Africa more often than not resulted in victory for him.
I consider this the definitive biography of Rommel.
Spectacular and Engaging.......2006-03-04
This book is very readable for a biography. I have tried to read a biography of Teddy Roosevelt as well as one of Lincoln, and stopped partway through each. I don't like biographies, in general. This one, however, is an exception. It is a real page-turner, and yet also very informative and detailed. It could also be read by any high school or college students who wish to have a good, personal view of the German side of both world wars, and should definitely be read by anyone who will be entering the military as an officer.
Aggressive Leadership and balanced biography.......2005-12-18
This book is very well written and covers Rommel's entry into the military and final end. The author makes every attempt to be balanced and objective when analyzing Rommel's tactical decisions, political views, and leadership style. What makes this book flow well is that the author ties in the world events corresponding to the same time in Rommel's life. This way, the reader understands how and why Rommel was directly impacted in his military decisions and actions.
One key point in this book is how Rommel did not agree with Hitler's treatment of prisoners and unrealistic military decisions that caused many needless loss life and equipment. An example of the humane side of Rommel was how the author notes through his interviews, is that Rommel made very attempt to treat POW's, regardless of religion or nationality, as humanely as possible. Another example of Rommel's humane treatment of others would be that many of his British opponents and Italian soldier allies held Rommel in very high regard.
One key area of interest is how Rommel, despite being loyal to Germany's supreme leader, questioned the very poor strategic military decisions being made. An example noted by the author is how Von Paulus and Rommel were both given orders by Hitler to hold at all costs and not to retreat. Von Paulus did not have to courage to defy Hitler and the debacle involving the destruction of the 200,000 German Army in Stalingrad occurred. Rommel started to retreat, then delayed for 24 hours before deciding correctly that to save his army, they would have to retreat. The author notes that Rommel in retrospect regrets not having completely disregarded Hitler and kept the retreat going, to save more of his soldiers to fight another day.
This insight ties into other books where other senior German leaders, like Von Manstein, or SS General Hauser, began to disregard Hitler's extremely poor decisions to hold at all costs and sacrifice the lives of their soldiers in vain. Then of course, this book also is similar to other experiences where those leaders who defied their supreme leader and managed to save their soldiers or even managed to bring about victory, were later removed from command and replaced.
Another good insight the author notes in Rommel's one weakness but was also a tactical strength was his aggressiveness. Sometimes it worked to his favor, other times it resulted in heavy casualties, like the initial assault into Tobruk. But always, he led from the front and shared the same dangers and risks as his soldiers.
Overall, this book is very insightful into the life of one of the most dynamic and memorable leaders in World War 2. There are good lessons in tactical leadership and overall responsibilities of a senior leader.
Highly readable military history.......2005-07-02
David Fraser's "Knight's Cross" is a good book - it just isn't a particularly good biography. My hunch would be that most prospective readers are interested in learning about Rommel's legendary campaigns, especially those with the Afrika Korps, and this book certainly delivers on that account. Fraser is better known as a novelist, and his writing reflects that heritage. He keeps the drama high and openly professes his admiration for Rommel, both as a military leader and a man.
As a biography, though, "Knight's Cross" fails to deliver much meaningful insight into the subject's true character. Rather than providing a deep and rich background on Rommel's formative experiences growing up in southern Germany, with his siblings and family, at school, with personal relationships in the army, the company he kept during the Weimar years and so on, Fraser instead relies on clichés and generalizations. For instance, the book is over 550 pages long, yet by page 50 Rommel is already a gallant and increasingly renowned 26-year-old infantry officer on the Western Front. The rest of the book reads like a military history with a central character, rather than a biography of a great man that happened to become a field marshal. Fraser only mentions parenthetically that Rommel had two brothers and a sister, and his relationship with his parents is left totally unexplored, as are his religious beliefs (which is particularly disappointing given the fact that so many of his future letters to his [Catholic] wife Lucy are laced with references to God's will). Instead, Fraser seems content to offer up his assessment that "Rommel was a Swabian [area of Germany he grew up in] through-and-through" (whatever that's supposed to mean) and then hurry on to the presumably more interesting topics of his later battlefield exploits.
The above notwithstanding, Erwin Rommel is certainly a compelling subject for a full-length biography. Especially interesting was his unusual relationship to the two things that made him famous: armored warfare and Adolf Hitler.
To many, Rommel is synonymous with blitzkrieg and the genius of the Wehrmacht's combined arms doctrine developed during the interwar period. Despite his association with the panzer force and his reputation for military genius, Rommel was an infantryman by training and was passed over for membership in Germany's elite General Staff system, a snub he never quite got over. His first hands-on experience with armored units only came, unbelievably enough, as a divisional commander during the invasion of France in 1940. He managed to pull off such an unlikely feat, Fraser suggests, thanks to the personal intervention of Hitler himself.
Rommel's relationship with Hitler (and Goebbels) was close, although Fraser is adamant that Rommel was never a Nazi. The field marshal clearly supported most of the regime's policies, felt the war was just and attributed Nazi excesses to the Furher's leading acolytes, such as Bormann and Himmler. To Hitler, Rommel exemplified everything a German soldier ought to be: aggressive, courageous, indefatigable, and unpretentious. In return, Rommel was genuinely impressed with Hitler's accomplishments and abilities. It was a relationship based on mutual admiration that, strangely enough, ended with one being implicated in a plot to kill the other. Fraser does an admirable job in reviewing and assessing the evidence tying Rommel to the failed 20 July attendat and comes to the conclusion that he likely knew that something was afoot, but wasn't an active conspirator. Moreover, Fraser argues that by the summer of 1944 Rommel felt that a negotiated peace with the western allies was essential to save Germany from utter destruction, but that he also felt that the murder of Hitler was wrong and, if successfully carried out, was unlikely to be supported by the German army and people and thus unlikely to achieve its ultimate objective of negotiated peace.
In closing, if you're looking for a fun and informative military history on one of the all-time greatest commanders, you'll likely enjoy "Knight's Cross." If, however, you're looking for a serious biography on a great commander in the mold of D'Este's biography of George Patton, for instance, you'll likely come away disappointed.
Book Description
Rommel had a great deal of help in France-and much more than his published papers suggest. His staff officers and company, battalion and regimental commanders were an extremely capable collection of military leaders, which included 12 future generals (two of them SS), and two colonels who briefly commanded panzer divisions but never reached general rank. They also included Colonel Erich von Unger, who would no doubt have become a general had he not been killed in action while commanding a motorized rifle brigade on the Eastern Front in 1941, as well as Kark Hanke, a Nazi gauleiter who later succeeded Heinrich Himmler as the last Reichsfuehrer-SS. No historian has ever recognized the talented cast of characters who supported the Desert Fox in 1940. No one has ever attempted to tell their stories. This book remedies this deficiency. In the weeks prior to D-Day, Rommel analyzed Allied bombing patterns and concluded that they were trying to make Normandy a strategic island in order to isolate the battlefield. Rommel also noticed that the Allies had mined the entire Channel coast, while the naval approaches to Normandy were clear. Realizing that Normandy would be the likely site of the invasion, he replaced the poorly-equipped 716th Infantry Division with the battle-hardened 352nd Infantry Division on the coastal sector. But his request for additional troops was denied by Hitler. Mitcham offers a remarkable theory of why Allied intelligence failed to learn of this critical troop movement, and why they were not prepared for the heavier resistance they met on Omaha Beach. He uses a number of little-known primary sources which contradict previously published accounts of Rommel, his officers, and the last days of the Third Reich. These sources provide amazing insight into the invasion of Normandy from the German point of view. They include German personnel records, unpublished papers, and the manuscripts of top German officers like general of Panzer Troops Baron Leo Geys von Schweppenburg, the commander of Panzer Group West. This book also contains a thorough examination of the virtually ignored battles of the Luftwaffe in France in 1944.
Customer Reviews:
A Rare Perspective on the Desert Fox.......2002-08-21
Mitcham has touched upon an issue of slight controversy here. He talks about Rommel's role from an admirer's point of view. Wasn't an editor from a popular magazine fired last year because he thought that Rommel and other Nazis had good tastes in fashion?
Anyway, Mitcham doesn't worship Rommel like a deity. He was probably right in describing Rommel as the German commander best-suited to preside over the defense of France in 1944. If not for Hitler's stranglehold over the Wehrmacht and Rommel's rivalry with senior commanders/Nazis, he likely would have conducted a better defense, if not driven the Allies back into the sea. Mitcham's description of Rommel as the potential leader of Germany wasn't so far-fetched either. Stephen Ambrose once commented briefly on this prospect.
Mitcham's tendency to make his endnotes miniature stories in themselves is his forte. The damper to this book is his preface, in which he goes off on a tangent by ranting against liberal historians and affirmative action, as if these things bore a direct relation to the subject of his book. Readers may wonder if Mitcham wanted to rant against civil rights, but stopped short of doing so lest it stir up controversy. Please stick to the subject, Dr. Mitcham! If it weren't for your preface, your book would have rated 3.5 stars.
admire Rommel? this book won't dampen your spirits.......1998-07-17
Mitcham's thoughtfully researched analysis of Rommel's final months reads a bit like hero worship, but the thorough documentation of sources (and quality thereof) makes this a definitive third-party analysis of this period of Rommel's career. Mitcham casts Rommel as strategic seer, chronicling the Field Marshal's workmanlike foretelling of so many Allied tactics that you really do wonder if the U.S. would've been pushed back into the sea at Omaha had Rommel been able to a) properly fortify the coastline and b) bring up the 15th Panzer Division, which stood idle during so much of the crucial fighting in the bocage and on the Cotentin Peninsula. In explaining Rommel's role in the Hitler assassination attempt, Mitcham distances Rommel from direct involvement, painting him as politically naive and motivated to prevent a Russian overrun of Germany by "arresting" Hitler and seeing to a political restructuring of the Reich through a negotiated, Allied truce. Whether ! ! or not this was the case is uncertain to me, but it does make me speculate about what a post-Hitler Germany would have been like had the plan worked. Rommel as its president? Mitcham thinks this could have been the case.
Book Description
This book presents the battles of the Afrika Korps as seen through the eyes of a trained general staff officer, and provides key insight into a formidable fighting force at the height of its power. Kriebel's account highlights the German response to the Crusader offensive and analyzes the unparalleled genius and fatal flaws of Erwin Rommel's generalship. Exposes the secrets of Rommel's exemplary fighting force's success as well as the dangers inherent in victory.
Customer Reviews:
A unique "insder" look, with a bonus desert combat primer.......2003-03-28
Inside the Afrika Korps is a rare operational account of some of the battles in North Africa from the German perspective. The material covers the campaign in the fall of 1941 (the British "Crusader" offensive), the retreat of Axis forces out of Cyrenaica, and the counterattack in early 1942 back to the Gazala positions. During these battles, Kriebel was the senior staff officer of the 15th Panzer Division, one of the units in Rommel's Afrika Korps. As a key member of the forces under Rommel, Kriebel is in an excellent position to analyze both the decision making of Axis commanders as well as the combat performance of the fighting units. This is in contrast to the typical accounts of the desert theater, which rely heavily (indeed exclusively for many) on Allied reports. So, at the very least, Kriebel provides a unique account of some familiar engagements.
The book is divided into two sections. The first is Kriebel's coverage of combat operations from fall 1941 through January 1942. These operations include the opening Crusader battles (the British offensive to relieve Tobruk), Rommel's "dash to the wire", the subsequent retreat of the Axis forces out of Cyrenaica, and Rommel's counterattack through Cyrenaica back to the Gazala positions. Kriebel's description of combat is quite good, and he has a very interesting technical and tactical story to tell. He is conscious of the various effects of different types of weapons and units, and is clear in his explanations of use and usefulness. He is also very clear about what he thinks were the key events that shaped each engagement. For example, one battle went poorly for the Germans due to a failed recon mission. This is very "nuts and bolts" stuff...the very sort of stuff that cannot be gotten from any other source. As a result, the "inside view" of the battles of the Afrika Korps is fascinating.
In this section, Kriebel also takes the opportunity to assess Rommel's leadership. In short, he does not deify him. Instead, a frank analysis of Rommel's abilities and shortcomings is presented. For example, Kriebel directly faults Rommel for micromanaging Afrika Korps units, typically to the detriment of those units. By ignoring the chain of command, Rommel created confusion, issued conflicting orders, and made tactical mistakes that a commander more familiar with the particular tactical situation would not have. He also identifies key moments where Rommel misinterpreted or ignored intelligence reports about the location and intentions of Allied forces. This got him into trouble several times, particularly in his failed "dash to the wire". On the other hand, Kriebel credits Rommel for occasionally perosonally leading critical units and commanding loyalty, so although the assessment of Rommel shows his flaws, the final conclusion is that his leadership was a decisive factor in the successes (even in retreat) of the Axis forces in North Africa. In any event, Kriebel's picture of Rommel is undoubtedly more accurate than some of the traditional Western assessments that portray Rommel as an infallible god of war.
Throughout this section, Kriebel offers assessments of the situation on the ground (disposition and state of units), the supply situation, and the air situation. Thus, the book offers a rare view of how logistics, air power, and land power came together to dictate how operations went. The supply situation is particularly interesting, as both sides relied heavily on captured booty, and the vagaries of Axis supply shipments made consistent operations difficult (Kriebel seems very frustrated at times, recounting how pursuits had to be called off due to a complete lack of fuel). Editor Bruce Gudmundsson clarifies a few points here and there (particularly unit information) but for the most part his touch is not visible.
The second section is written by the U.S. Army Intelligence Service, and is titled "Artillery in the Desert". It is an analysis of Axis and British combat tactics and weaponry. Much of this is very straightforward, and is presented as sort of a manual on "how to conduct desert warfare". This includes everything from how to set up defensive strongpoints, how to employ FOOs, at what ranges to begin firing different types of weapons, and how to conduct (or defend against) an armored attack. Much of this is interesting, particularly to game designers, as it presents good detail on how to prepare for and carry out battle. However, some of it is quite fanciful, and is obviously the result of faulty intelligence that has not been revised. One strikingly absurd example is the claim that the short 75mm gun of the Pz IV had a maximum range of 9000 yards and that these AFVs were employed as "sniper tanks" at this extremely long range. While Gudmundsson apparently has edited the material, he obviously missed this mistake. Although the other information provided regarding tactics and practices of combat seem accurate, this problem should make the reader at least somewhat skeptical.
I enjoyed this book, mostly because of its "inside view" of the Axis forces. Although it can not be the "final word" on the winter 1941/1942 battles in North Africa, nor should it be the first book you read on the topic, it certainly should be the second one you read. The battles covered are familiar, but the perspective is unique, and so I recommend this book.
An Indispensible Source.......2000-05-11
I first became aware of the Kriebel manuscript when reading "Sidi Rezegh Battles, 1941" (OUP, 1957), the official South African account of Operation "Crusader". The text provides some vital insights into how and when the Afrika Korps made its transition to the Plains March style of formation, armored cars, tanks, armored personnnel carriers, towed howitzers, anti-tank guns, flak 88s, etc. during the interval between "Battleaxe" and "Crusader". This has not been widely reported in English, not even in Correli Barnett's provocative study of British generalship in the desert, "The Desert Generals".
The full manuscript has not been available to me before; the National Archives wanted $80 for a typescript copy a few years ago, and I could not afford that, unless I could secure viable commercial publication, which Stackpole beat me to. What the reader should understand is that German victory in the desert in winter of 1941 was not certain, and the eventual recovery was not certain either.
Kriebel gives the perspective of a detached staff officer analyzing a situation; he was the Ia (or first general staff officer)of the 15th Panzer Division, one of the principal units of the Afrika Korps, with operational planning authority, so he knows of what he speaks. The book takes the reader through a full narrative of the series of winter battles after giving one pertinent background, and then it analyzes significant factors contributing to success or failure, and provides rare portraits of Rommel and his three divisional commanders.
What more could you ask for in such a book?
As for my background: I have been researching the desert war, since 1961, trying to untangle the mosaic of information, misinformation, and missing information. I pointed out a few small technical errors and suggested a need for further interpretive analysis in the celebrated Barnett classic, which resulted in corrections and some further analysis in the second edition of The Desert Generals, which caused almost as much controversy as the first. The person who enjoys looking at the "how to's" of battle will enjoy this book.
Average customer rating:
- Rommel did also mistakes
- Rommel- Overrated
- Military history at it's worst
- The worst book ever written about Rommel
- An Interesting Perspective
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Rommel: Battles and Campaigns
Kenneth Macksey
Manufacturer: Da Capo
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Rommel's Greatest Victory: The Desert Fox and the Fall of Tobruk, Spring 1942
ASIN: 0306807866 |
Customer Reviews:
Rommel did also mistakes.......2006-03-16
Kenneth Macksey is not the kind of writer who will produce a repetition of existing arguments and bore the reader. It is true that he looks at Rommel with a very critical view but that is what I expect from an expert on World War II who is very accurate and does extensive research for his books. Don't let bad critics to keep you away from this book, because it's a terrific factual short account of Rommel's meteoric carreer and not an hagiography of the man. The photo captions are very informative and the maps are numerous and very good.
Rommel- Overrated.......2005-11-13
Anglo accounts of World War Two frequently sing the praises of Rommel and his victories. Reality? Rommel was second rate for the Germans, and got his job, and promotions largely due to propaganda reasons and friendship with Hitler.
While a tactical genius, and excellent at operations, his stratgic level decision making was poor at best... ignoring logistical realities and the larger strategic picture.
Rommel's job in the sand was to hold off the British- not conquor the Middle East. He failed, largely due to ignore logistics.
Macksey does an excellent job reviewing Rommel's life and accurately pointing out his strenghs and weaknesses.
If you are looking for a honest appraisal of Rommel, buy this book. If you a Rommel fan-boy, don't.
Military history at it's worst.......2003-01-02
In Rommel: Battles and Campaigns, Macksey (a British officer in WWII) continues his efforts to atone for British defeats in France and North Africa by painting the German military leadership as incompetent. This book is less of an objective review of Rommel's campaigns, but rather a poorly masked attempt to completly discredit any and all actions taken by Rommel in WWII. The strong bias in this account is evident within the books first few pages and continues throughout the volume. I have tried to read this book twice without success. The unbalanced nature of the account is so annoying that after my second attempt the book found it's rightful place in my circular file. Hence this review.
Avoid this one like the plague! There are too many numerous and well written accounts of Rommel's war record to waste time on this one.
The worst book ever written about Rommel.......2002-02-02
The reader should don a pair of waders before opening this book because of the amount of mud that it slings. This book has little to do with examining battles or campaigns, rather it is an exercise in character assassination. It is another entery in the author's ham-fisted attempts to convince the reader that Rommel was a sham, and a mendacious simpleton.
An Interesting Perspective.......2000-04-26
Kenneth Macksey, in his biography Rommel: Battles and Campaigns, is highly critical or Rommel. Macksey sees Rommel as a leader who changed little about his tactics from the First World War, despite massive technological changes. Macksey believed Rommel had a huge amount of luck in his battles. This differs from most historians' views, with David Frazer (Knight's Cross; HarperCollins) pointing out that war relies to a large extent on luck. There is also the cliché that `you make your own luck'. Macksey views Rommel's advance through France in 1940 critically, and is quick to move acclaim from Rommel to his superiors, fellow generals, and troops. Although Macksey does have examples to support this view, they are highly specific, and are lost in a general evaluation of Rommel's successes. Macksey sees Rommel's success in North Africa as due to the poor leadership of the Allied forces, not the skill of the `Desert Fox'. Frazer again has a different view, and states that in almost every single battle of his African campaign, Rommel was hugely outnumbered, but won some marvelous victories against vastly superior opposition. This was an interesting account, obviously from an anti-Rommel perspective, but giving excellent details on all of Rommel's battles, great maps and visuals as well.
Average customer rating:
- The Inmates Were Running the Asylum
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Invasion 1944: Rommel and the Normandy Campaign
Hans Speidel
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press Reprint
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0837159881 |
Customer Reviews:
The Inmates Were Running the Asylum.......2006-02-21
In this short, but very informative work, German General, Hans Speidel provides insight into the absolute chaos that permeated the Nazi high command. If ever there was a case of the inmates running the asylum, this was it! Still, dedicated, professional officers, such as the author and his mentor, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, persevered despite material shortages, and insane directives bearing the Fuehrer's signature. This is their view of the Invasion of Normandy.
Speidel was Rommel's Chief of Staff. He outlines the political and military situations present in 1944 as the Germans braced for the Allied invasion. In short, supplies were low, time was limited and air cover was non-existent. He tells how Rommel did his best to make Hitler see reality. "The Bohemian Corporal," (a.k.a., Hitler) responded by brushing away the Field Marshall's objections. He then attempted to micro-manage the battle from the safety of his bunker in Berlin with predictable results. Alone, frustrated and despairing of watching his troops die needlessly from insane directives, Rommel finally joined the conspirators who sought to overthrow the Nazi regime. Fate intervened to save Hitler's life and incapacitate Rommel before he could put his plan into effect. At last, Rommel, the one man who could have saved Germany from destruction, was himself a victim of Nazi intrigues. He was murdered on Hitler's orders.
This work is a first person account of one of the most significant battles in history. It shows the Nazi hierarchy was an egotistical rabble of military amateurs incapable of leading except through terror. It is also a testament to the ability and moral fiber of the German fighting men and their officers. A great read; 5 stars!!
Harold Y. Grooms
Book Description
Ride with the Desert Fox as he leads the Afrika Korps to victory.
Customer Reviews:
Great Detail.......2007-02-27
This book covers Rommel's start in Africa until the takeing of Tobruk in 1942.It's a shame it does'nt go further.It provides vivid detail at the tactical level.Indepth research & written in an exciting manner,it is almost impossible to put down.I read almost all of it in one night.The maps are drawn out well to follow the text.One of the best I have read on the Africa battles by far. Excelent,A great buy!
Accurate, concise and well written story.......2006-06-05
I must say that I'm a fan of Mr Mitcham's books and I have read almost all of them, because they have some important strong points: the are detailed but not to the point of being boring, they adopt the correct military terminology avoiding mistakes common to other books, they have excellent narrative which keeps my interest throughout and the are products of long and scholarly research. All these virtues are evident in this book also which is the only one available dealing with the important battles of Gazala - Tobruk in 1942. Mitcham tells the story in a simple but exciting way. He gives a short introduction to the North African campaign and then proceeds with the plans of the two armies and the role of the personalities involved. The battle narrative is very good and it oftens go down to the battalion level, without losing the big picture. The book has enough maps but their quality could be better. There is also a section of black and white photographs and some useful tables of orders of battle.
I was VERY Impressed by this book.......2004-01-14
I was really unsure about buying this book based on a review I saw here but decided to take the plunge and am I glad I did! I am a Wargamer and Scenario Designer and I was concerned by the remarks about the map. If it hadn't been mention I wouldn't have noticed the problem. But what I found very important to me was the level of detail about EACH unit available, down to the Battalion level, German tanks available at various stages of the battle by type and Division, and a well organized Index that allowed me to look up direct references to units I wanted to place or locate at various points in time. This book is helping me make a great computer Wargame that other people will enjoy and learn about history through.
I was not impressed by this book.......1999-10-22
For a professor of history, this is an average book that is rather non-scholary. Apart from the appalling photo captioning and poor maps, the text is little more than a rehash of existing literature, adding little to the body of knowledge on the fall of Tobruk in 1942. I would have though that such an esteemed author would have had his work peer reviewed, but obviously not. For those already familiar with Tobruk and seeking a mediorce account- this is your book.
A well crafted story.......1999-02-05
Not much can be added to the previous review from Amazon.com. I found this book easy and enjoyable to read. The author offers a well presented and researched account of Rommel's capture of Tobruk in 1942. It shows Rommel at his best although he was hepled at times by the Allies lack of understanding of all-arms combat. It shows Rommel was also extremely lucky on occassion but he was a commander who led from the front and took advantage of these lucky breaks.
The only faults I could find with this book were the maps and some incorrect captions to some of the photos. I felt that the maps could have provided more detail. I hate reading about a location in the narrative but not being able to find it on the relevant map. The author provided numerous maps throughout the narrative but they could have been on a higher standard. I noticed two incorrect captions to the photos, one showing a Panzer MkIV with a 75cm main gun but labled as a Panzer MkIII and another photo listed as a British Valentine tank but which is a Cruiser MkII or MkIII.
Regardless of these minor faults this is still a very good book covering this battle (and only one of few that does!) and was a delight to read. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys military history.
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Lost Victories: The War Memoirs of Hitler's Most Brilliant General
Panzer Leader
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Infantry Attacks
