Discovering the Rommel Murder [Hardcover]

Charles F. Marshall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1994

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's heroic opposition to Hitler in 1944 cost him his life. In this intriguing, well-paced tale of a journalistic coup, Marshall, the first to discover the real events behind Rommel's death, tells how he learned the facts from Rommel's widow and delves into the great general's background and death. He arrived at his conclusions based on his intimate knowledge of men on Rommel's staff and his access to Rommel's papers, including letters from the general to his wife. Here, for the first time in paperback, is the exciting story of how the world learned about the way the "Desert Fox" met his death.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The circumstances of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's suicide, forced on him by Adolf Hitler in October 1944 for his complicity in the attempt to assassinate the Fuhrer that previous July, are familiar. Less known are the details of how Marshall, then an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army, discovered and publicized that story after the war's end. His book is partly a conventional, sympathetic biography of Rommel; it is also an interesting and useful memoir of Marshall's techniques in persuading Rommel's family and associates to talk about the Third Reich at a time when most Germans kept silent about the war. Marshall helped to recover information of historical significance that would otherwise have been lost. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Marshall claims to have broken the news to the world in 1945 that Rommel had not died of wounds, as claimed by Nazi propaganda, but had been forced to commit suicide. Marshall was the G-2 intelligence officer who first interviewed Rommel's widow. He originally wrote manuscript in 1945-46, but it was lost until now. While probably significant in 1946, this book suffers from trying to pull together the recollections of a 40-year-old story. Because there are no notes or bibliography, the reader has to take Marshall's word for events and conversations that happened long ago. One unexpected bonus is the final few chapters, which give an interesting account of life in occupied Germany at the conclusion of the war. Libraries with strong World War II collections may wish to purchase this, but most would be better off with David Fraser's Knight's Cross: A Life of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel (HarperCollins, 1993).
Randall L. Schroeder, Augustana Coll. Lib., Rock Island, Ill.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books; 1st edition (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811714802
• ISBN-13: 978-0811714808
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,530,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authorative Account of Rommel's Life and Military Career, May 11, 2000

By 

Andrew J. Signore - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovering the Rommel Murder (Hardcover)

Charles Marshall has done an excellent job in preparing a literary work that is, in my studied opinion, a complete overview of Rommel...as a man and military genius. Marshall's detailed account of Rommel's life is reinforced by information received during interviews with Rommel's widow as well as the letters Rommel sent her during the African campaigns. Further, Marshall, as a former Army Intelligence Officer during WWII, relies heavily on his own detailed diary enteries of interviews with German/Nazi officals in captivity prior to the end of the war. Marshall's work details Rommel's life from pre WWI through his untimely death, forced by Adolf Hitler, before the end of WWII. If there is only one true account of Rommel's life, "Discovering the Rommel Murder" is it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is just superlative!!!, December 6, 2009

By 

feemeister (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Discovering the Rommel Murder: The Life and Death of the Desert Fox (Paperback)

I was trying to find out the ''real'' story on Rommel's death, and this book was perfect. I could NOT put this book down! It's very readable, exciting and informative. I had been wondering about what went on in WW2 from the Germans' perspectives, who had to actually work for Hitler. This book helped immensely with those questions, also! Rommel was an amazing person, though there were a couple times in the book where he said something about the war where I had to retort that THEY were the ones that STARTED the bloody thing! (Unfortunately, though, I don't think he heard me!) Had Hitler listened to him, the war would have ended quite differently. Was wonderful how the author interviewed so many people who were close to Rommel to find out this information.

This book was a very fascinating and exciting read. I also enjoyed the info the author included of his own duties, of processing German prisoners of war. The book made me wonder what the world would be like today, had Hitler never come to power, and had Rommel been the top man in Germany. This book gets 10 stars; HIGHLY recommended!!!!

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rommel Murder The Life and Death of the Desert Fox, January 5, 2012

By 

tedi - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Discovering the Rommel Murder: The Life and Death of the Desert Fox (Paperback)

I ordered a paperback copy of this book from Thorn apple books on the December the 1.2011 it arrived during the month of December over a month earlier than expected, it was in pristine condition, and a truly wonderful read.
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