Rommel in North Africa [Paperback]

D. A. Lande (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999

When Hitler agreed to bolster Mussolini's ailing North African adventure in 1941, he chose battlewise Field Marshal Erwin Rommel to lead the newly-formed Afrika Korps. A cunning tactician, Rommel had already led the Nazi invasion of France. In his new theater, he quickly earned the adoration of his men and a flattering nickname from his foes -- The Desert Fox.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks Intl; illustrated edition edition (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760305919
• ISBN-13: 978-0760305911
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.2 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,199,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Basic Introduction to Rommel's Life, not just of Rommel "In North Africa", November 17, 2007

By 

Mr. Truthteller (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rommel in North Africa (Paperback)

This is a good, basic introduction to Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

Contrary to the title of the book, its contents cover Rommel's entire life, with an introductory chapter on his early history prior to his exploits with the Afrikakorps and a closing chapter on the last year and a half of his life. The bulk of the book covers Rommel's time in Africa, from February 1941 to March 1943.

The book does not appear to be based on any original research, drawing heavily on excerpts from previously published works. The writing is well done, although there are several misstatements and typos. (In this regard, there is one major gaffe, that of the supposed statement by the driver of the car that carried Rommel to his death. This driver claimed in a book by David Irving that Rommel was sobbing as he died. This statement is simply untrue. Rommel, a Field Marshal, did not die in the vicinity of the driver (a lowly SS sergeant with his own axe to grind against Rommel as a perceived traitor to the cause), who left the vehicle and was not allowed to return for ten minutes, long after Rommel was dead. The only person present when Rommel died was General Wilhelm Burgdorf, who stayed in the car with Rommel and stated Rommel died quickly. [Ironically, Burgdorf was so impressed by the quick death achieved by Rommel that when Burgdorf took his own life in the Fuehrer bunker in April 1945 he used the same dose of poison.] Interestingly, Rommel took his Field Marshal's baton with him when he died and it was not willingly returned after his death. Instead, his aide, Captain Aldinger, had to make repeated requests that it be returned to the family, along with the Field Marshal's cap taken off of him after the died and delivered by Burgdorf with the baton to the Fuehrer's headquarters.)

Despite these few errors, overall the text is generally laudatory of Rommel and his story is presented in a fairly balanced way, pointing out his weaknesses as well as his many strengths.

There are a wide variety of well-selected photos included. In fact, more space is devoted to photos (about 60%) than to text.

Several of the photos are, however, misidentified. For example, a photo shown on the back cover and included in the book implies that it was taken after Hitler relieved Rommel of command of the troops in North Africa in March 1943. It is, however, actually a photo taken two years earlier in March 1941 after Hitler presented Rommel with the Oakleaves to his Knights Cross. In addition, another photo suggests that it is of Rommel and Hitler inspecting the Atlantic defenses in 1943-1944 but Rommel is not even wearing the Knights Cross (awarded to him in May 1941) and I do not recall Hitler ever inspecting the so-called Atlantic Wall. And, in fact, this is a photo of Hitler and Rommel outside of Warsaw in 1939. (In addition, there is a photo of Rommel's headstone that has either been doctored or the original headstone altered or replaced. My recollection is that Rommel's original headstone had on the top a large reproduction of the new Iron Cross commissioned for the Second World War, with the year 1939 on the bottom and the Nazi swastika emblazoned in the center, both of these markings are missing from headstone pictured in this book and no explanation is provided.)

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great picture bock, February 9, 2000

By 

Kjetil Hope (Oslo, Norway) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rommel in North Africa (Paperback)

This book gives has many pictures, pictures of Rommel talking with his men, pictures of Rommel in Tobruk, pictures of his men, and some of the enemy. Some photos are even taken by the Fox himself. But where this book have lots of pics, it lacs words. I mean, you won't get so much written information from this book, that you would get from some other books about Rommel. No new information is given here. However, the photos, all in good quality, makes this book a must-have for Rommel-fans.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rommel was an officer with honor, March 31, 2001

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Rommel in North Africa (Paperback)

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel of the German Wehrmacht is truly a unique figure from world war II. Described among the allies as a brave and skilled commander, he is really the only one in the Axis countries to be admired by their opponents. While some of this is the natural hype of war, most of it was earned. Although he made many mistakes by being stubborn, there were many good sides to his leadership. Virtually alone among the leaders of all sides, he took great personal risks on the battlefield. The stories about his visiting German patients in an English hospital are hard to believe but are most likely true. His reputation for chivalrous conduct is impeccable, where even Jewish prisoners were considered as captured soldiers, who were treated very well by his troops. Rommel also grew to oppose Hitler both directly and indirectly, a strategy that led to his death at his own hand. Unlike others who chose to spare themselves at all cost, he knew of the forthcoming attempt on Hitler's life and yet he did not betray his comrades.
As the title suggests, this book is almost totally devoted to his actions in North Africa. Containing many pictures, some of which he personally took, this book captures the essence of what that war was like. Fought on land that was otherwise worthless, there were no civilians or other infrastructure to get in the way. Men and machines fought it out in a giant war of movement, all undergoing enormous deprivation as finally the Axis side was ground into the acrid dust.
While Lande is clearly an admirer of Rommel, his flaws are also clearly described. Often ignoring the need for supplies and attacking when he could not succeed, Rommel proved to be all too human in possessing too much confidence in his ability to win a battle with inferior resources.
Over a half-century has elapsed since Rommel was forced to commit suicide over his opposition to Hitler and his suicidal war. As the historical record continues to open up, his standing has not diminished, but continues to increase. In my mind, if he had been given the resources, he would have conquered all of Egypt, Palestine and the rest of the middle East. Had the bomb been a little more effective, he would have probably been the head of the German state after Hitler, a scenario that begs for someone to write an alternate history.