Author: Samuel Mitcham
Publisher:
Published: 2017-07-17
Total Pages: 217
ISBN-13: 9781520585932
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"From the moment he first came under fire," Brigadier Desmond Young wrote later, "he stood out as the perfect fighting animal: cold, cunning, ruthless, untiring, quick of decision, [and] incredibly brave." A fellow officer commented later, "He was the body and soul of war."Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel, the man who was to become to known as the Desert Fox, was born in Swabia, a former W�rttemberg district, on 15 November 1891. In 1910 he enlisted as a soldier in the German army, joining the 124th (6th Wurttemberg) Infantry Regiment at Stuttgart.This news was received badly by his father; head of a working-class family with no military tradition, who was acutely aware that ranks were mostly dominated by Prussian aristocrats. Previous trends suggested that the most Rommel could hope for were a modest pension and a low rank. Yet by 1911 Rommel was becoming an officer and was noticed for his conscientiousness and commitment to rank. He had also met and fallen in love with Lucie Maria, a woman who he would remain loyal to for the rest of his life. His military life was, however, unremarkable at this point and whilst it was apparent he took his position seriously, his private life appeared boring. He was an old-fashioned soldier. Yet when fighting in Belgium and France a relentless and astonishing streak emerged in Rommel. He was an exceptional leader who would go on to become as a notorious and highly decorated officer in World War I, rising to the rank of senior German Army officer in World War II, and receiving the Pour la M�rite award following fighting on the Italian front. Still celebrated in Germany today, Rommel's life ended abruptly when he was forced to commit suicide by Nazi emissaries in exchange for his family's immunity -- after being accused of formulating a plot to kill Hitler, a man he had initially admired but later turned against.Samuel Mitcham Jr. tells the fascinating story of one of Germany's most popular Generals and his capture of Tobruk, revealing a tactical and extraordinary military career marked by dedication, hardship, glory, betrayal and vicious Nazi politics. Praise for Rommel's Greatest Victory "This is an extremely well-written, readable book ... Mitcham ably describes events leading to the Tobruk garrison's capitulation on the morning of 22 June 1942 ... Mitcham's balanced treatment of both combatants describes a closely run battle for each side." -- Military Review"This well-researched and well-written volume will delight World War II and Desert War enthusiasts, but readers not well-versed in the North African conflict will find it an excellent introduction to that campaign and to the man who has come to symbolize it." -- Newport News Daily Press "Rommel's Greatest Victory sheds new light on the Battle of Tobruk and combines this with new scholarship on the way Rommel conducted the campaign. Mitcham has given readers an excellent and well-balanced account of one of the most pivotal battles of World War II." -- Stars and StripesDr. Samuel W. Mitcham Jr. was born in 1949 is Louisiana. He is a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot and noted historian of World War II who has written extensively on the 'Wehrmacht' and Nazi Germany. He gained a doctorate from the University of Tennessee and is the author of over 30 military volumes including Retreat to the Reich, Why Hitler?, Rommel's Desert War, Rommel's Last Battle, Hitler's Field Marshals and Their Battles, Eagles of the Third Reich and German Defeat in the East.
