A hero to the German people of the Third Reich and widely respected by his opponents, Rommel proved himself highly adept at Blitzkrieg warfare. Both in France and North Africa he consistently outwitted his opponents through his ability to sense the weak spot in his enemy's deployment and the pace at which he conducted his operations. Rommel was a master of the cut and thrust of desert warfare, especially in his talent to quickly seize the initiative. Rommel's serious wounding in France came just three days before the aborted attempt on Hitler's life. In the witch hunt that followed Rommel came under suspicion of being involved on the plot. In the end he was given the difficult choice of committing suicide or of being put on trial and thus endangering the lives of his beloved wife and son. He took the honourable way out and, with a cynicism that characterized the Nazi regime, was given a state funeral.
Format: Illustrated
Pages: 224
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 16 Jul 2009
ISBN 10: 0230609082
ISBN 13: 9780230609082
Charles Messenger tells the story of Germany's most famous Field Marshal with a verve and brio reminiscent of his subject. Anyone seeking a concise account of Rommel's remarkable life and career need look no further. Roger Moorhouse, author of Killing Hitler
WWII newsreels showed General Erwin Rommel as a dashing commander whose successes in North Africa made him a hero to Germans and earned him the moniker 'Desert Fox' among the Allies. Sixty years later, in a style as briskly-paced as an armored attack, former Royal tank regiment officer Charles Messenger strips away the mythology to deliver the accurate portrait of an ambitious soldier who became Hitler's favorite general and nemesis of George Patton, explaining why Rommel's battlefield strategy and tactics should be studied by today's leaders. H. Paul Jeffers, bestselling author of Freemasons and of Command of Honor
Charles Messenger tells the story of Germany's most famous Field Marshal with a verve and brio reminiscent of his subject. Anyone seeking a concise account of Rommel's remarkable life and career need look no further. --Roger Moorhouse, author of Killing Hitler
WWII newsreels showed General Erwin Rommel as a dashing commander whose successes in North Africa made him a hero to Germans and earned him the moniker 'Desert Fox' among the Allies. Sixty years later, in a style as briskly-paced as an armored attack, former Royal tank regiment officer Charles Messenger strips away the mythology to deliver the accurate portrait of an ambitious soldier who became Hitler's favorite general and nemesis of George Patton, explaining why Rommel's battlefield strategy and tactics should be studied by today's leaders. --H. Paul Jeffers, bestselling author of Freemasons and of Command of Honor