Rommel as Military Commander
Author | : Ronald Lewin |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 306 |
Release | : 1998 |
ISBN-10 | : 0760708614 |
ISBN-13 | : 9780760708613 |
Rating | : 4/5 (613 Downloads) |
Download or read book Rommel as Military Commander written by Ronald Lewin and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the Germans wreaked havoc in Europe in the early 1940s, the war in Northern Africa seemed relatively insignificant. Yet a series of surprising victories by the Afrika Korpsforced Winston Churchill to refocus his attention. In the desert, one of the war's most brilliant commanders was blooming - Commander Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel. In this provocative study, Ronald Lewin, prizewinning author of Slim: The Standardbearer and Ultra Goes to War charts the course of Rommel's military career. The Desert Fox, was a tactical genius - his personal leadership and ability to improvise on the battlefield with minimal resources were exemplary. Yet lapses in Rommel's judgment, combined with Churchill's heightened defences and Hitler's neglect, led to a crushing defeat for the Afrika Korps at Alamein in 1942. As Rommel's success waned, so did his relations with Hitler. Rommel was an exceptional commander - not only for his skills, but for the integrity with which he carried himself. This integrity, admired even by his adversaries, proved fatal. Unafraid to voice his objections to Hitler's military decisions, Rommel was associated with the 1944 plot to kill the dictator. In the wake of the plot's failure, Rommel was forced to take his own life.