Rommel: Battles And Campaigns

by Kenneth John Macksey

Although—like Hannibal, Napoleon, and Robert E. Lee—German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (1891–1944) met ultimately with defeat, his daring, tactical skill, charismatic leadership, and brilliant string of victories succeeded in placing him in the pantheon of great commanders. By 1942 Rommel and his Afrika Korps had converted a "side show" of World War II into a major offensive for the Axis powers. The British had been thrown back across the frontiers of Egypt until, at E1 Alamein, Rommel's army threatened Cairo, Alexandria, and the rich oil fields of the Middle East. Rommel: Battles and Campaigns provides a perceptive and incisive analysis of his entire military career, from his fighting in Rumania, Italy, and France during World War I, through his North African campaigns, to his command in Normandy and his fatal (though false) implication in the July 20 bomb plot against Hitler. Written by an expert in tank warfare, and illustrated with nearly two hundred photos and maps, this book presents a revealing, critical portrait of one of the most celebrated soldiers of World War II.

Genres: History

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1979

About the author

British author and historian who specialized in military history and military biography, particularly of the Second World War. Macksey was commissioned in the Royal Armoured Corps and served during the Second World War (earning the Military Cross under the command of Percy Hobart). Macksey later wrote the (authoritative) biography of Hobart.Macksey gained a permanent commission in 1946, was transferred to the Royal Tank Regiment in 1947, reached the rank of major in 1957 and retired from the Army in 1968.

Amongst many other books, Macksey wrote two volumes of alternate history, one, entitled Invasion, dealt with a successful invasion of England by Germany in 1940 and the other describing a NATO–Warsaw Pact clash in the late 1980s. The latter book was done under contract to the Canadian Forces and focuses on the Canadian role in such a conflict. He was an editor and contributor to Greenhill's Alternate Decisions series since 1995.

In Macksey's Guderian – Panzer General, he refuted the view of historian Sir Basil Liddell-Hart regarding Hart's influence on the development of German Tank Theory in the years leading up to 1939.

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early on in his Career as a young Infantry Officer in the Kaiser's WWI Army, Erwin Rommel learned how to lead Men in combat. He learned how to stay close to the fighting front, how to maintain fairly tight control at the point of contention, and how to sense when his enemy's resolve was crumbling. He could turn such situations into a rout, if he played his cards right. He was also blessed to be able to practice his craft on the Rumanian and Italian fronts, where the opponents were not as resolute as the French and British, and then the Americans. He could destroy a larger host- if it had weaker doctrine, leadership and morale. Kenneth Macksey, the noted British military Historian, takes us step by step through Rommel's career, explaining the limits of Elan, Boldness, Charisma, and Tactical Acumen- how it worked often, but eventually failed due to shortcomings he had in Politics, Peer Communications, Logistics, and Strategy. It's a riveting read.

From 1939-1942- Rommel strode the Blitzkrieg stage like a Star. His tactical acumen and drive, against the fumbling of the Early War French and British armies , along with some technical advantages the Germans had(Radio Nets), made him seem like a Genius. But as the British built up the 8th Army to fight his Afrika Korps, they began to show their burgeoning professionalism. First Auchinleck and then Montgomery arrived with better command and control, whilst American gear, trucks, tanks, guns and most of all better radios began to tip the scales. Macksey shows how Rommel's desire and skill in fighting the Allies waned dramatically as the war wore on. By 1944, terrified/properly respectful of Allied Air power, he's basically a Trench General -advocating massive prepared positions, static warfare, and being tempted by the July 20th Plotters to remove Hitler. I really enjoyed the book.

With some adult themes, but no real gore, this is a good book for the Junior reader over about 12 to handle. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, a good counter point to some of the Rommel Hagiographies that have come out. It's tough but fair, and the reader will be the better for it. Lots of Maps and B/W pics of German and Italian forces in the desert(Rommel's Army was always more Italian than German- and he was hard on his allies). Lots of ideas for Campaigns, Scenarios, or Dioramas to explore. This is certainly a single book on this famous General you can give to a Club mate who may be new to Historical games. Certainly a worthy addition to the Rommel, Wehrmacht, Blitzkrieg, Afrika Korps or D-Day shelves of your WWII library.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rommel : Battles and Campaigns is a 1979 work about this charismatic WW2 military leader. Not as long or as detailed as many of the biographies that have appeared by other writers, but well illustrated throughout with exceptional period photographs. Inevitably, the book concentrates on Rommel's time in North Africa, but other time periods are covered albeit briefly. The excellent choice of photos do include some old favourites, and quite a few caption errors, but they are a magnificent selection. Enjoyable.