Major General Maurice Rose: World War II's Greatest Forgotten Commander

by Steven L. Ossad, Don R. Marsh, Martin Blumenson (Foreword by)

Major General Maurice Rose (1899-1945), commander of 3rd Amored, First Army's legendary "Spearhead" division, was the highest-ranking American Jewish officer ever killed in battle, and the only individual casualty to spark a War Crimes Investigation. This, the first and only biography of this important World War II figure, tells the dramatic story of Rose's life―-from his childhood as a son of a rabbi, through his experiences in World War I and in the U.S. cavalry, to his meteoric rise as America's answer to Rommel. In 1943, Rose negotiated and accepted the surrender of the German Army in Tunisia, the first large-scale surrender to an American force during World War II. At the Battle of Carentan in June 1944, he saved the 506th Parachute Infantry (of Band of Brothers fame), and might very well have saved the entire Normandy beachhead from a catastrophic German counterattack. His brilliant, daring, and aggressive defensive tactics during the Battle of the Bulge prevented an enemy breakthrough to the Meuse River and beyond, thereby frustrating the German advance.
Based on original archival research and exclusive interviews, this biography shatters old myths and factual distortions, and offers a refreshingly inquisitive and critical perspective. Steven L. Ossad and Don R. Marsh reveal new insights into Rose's controversial death―-was he killed because he was Jewish or because he went for his weapon?―-and about the even more controversial investigations that followed. As compelling and extraordinary as the life that it describes, this biography pays long-overdue tribute to one of America's greatest heroes.

Genres: World War II

432 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

About the author

Steven L. Ossad is an independent historian and retired Wall Street technology analyst focused on leadership, command, and adapting military technology for executive management training.

Reviews

[Tadeusz]

Great Book. The first time I heard the name "Maurice Rose" was 1960 and I was 4 years old. We had a book marked on an inside cover "Maurice Rose" as my Mother explained. 50 years later I am digitizing pictures for family members and I see a picture of a ship marked "The Maurice Rose" The book I had seen was from the store of the Maurice Rose as my father was shipped to Germany in 1950 prior to my existence. That began the journey on who was "Maurice Rose".

The US Government should have created a Silver Coin about Maurice Rose. I was shocked, there has been no acknowledgment about a great war hero and leader. A Leader by example. One our greatest leaders and not a whisper. That is a shame.

Great book. Looking for more. Three points to Steven L. Ossad.

[Tom Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too detailed for me. The Goodreads blurb mistakenly and sensationally suggests that the General may have been shot because he was Jew. There is no basis whatsoever for this speculation. In the midst of an intense battle at night, the General was in the act of surrendering when shot. While it is possible that the German tank commander committed a war crime, it is equally possible that he thought the General was reaching for his pistol when shot.