Customer Reviews

Rommel's Greatest Victory: The Desert Fox and the Fall of Tobruk, Spring 1942

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

Samuel Mitchum has done an excellent job of leading the reader through the events that have become known as Rommel's crowning acheivement during the North African campaign. In a fairly detailed manner, the author shows how long the odds were, and just how unlikely victory in this battle should have been. In order to forestall the British, Rommel launches his much reinforced Panzer Armee into the attack to rest the fortress of Tobruk from the allies and drive the Eighth Army back across the frontier. With faulty intelligence, and an almost as faulty a plan he should have been defeated, but wasn't. Why? Mitcham shows us clearly the flow of the battles that lead up to the fall of Tobruk. Luck, both good and bad, on one side then the other, constantly influences the outcome of the many engagements. Differing styles of command, failures of intelligence, or failing to respond in a timely manner to good intelligence all played a role during the Gazala battles. Rommel is shown at his most daring, out fighting and constantly outmaneuvering his British counterparts. The British, on the otherhand, are still learning their trade in this new style of warfare. The British commands failures are as much a reason for Rommel's success as Rommel's own tactics and aggressive handling of his numerically inferior armour. This book is a 'must read' for any student of the war in North Africa.

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!

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.

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.