Knight's Cross: A Life of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

by David Fraser

Dust jacket has some wear and is in a protective sleeve, a few marks to the page edges. Shipped from the UK in recyclable card packaging.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Military History, World War II, War, Military Fiction

601 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1993

About the author

General Sir David William Fraser was educated at Eton and Christ Church college in the University of Oxford. He left school to enlist at earliest opportunity after the Second World War begun, and joined the Grenadier Guards in 1940, serving for much of the Second World War with the Guards Armoured Division, later in North West Europe, ending the war in the rank of Major. He was intimately involved afterwards in the crises in Suez, and Cyprus, and saw service in the Malaya emergency.

He was also a prolific author, publishing over 20 books mostly focused on the history of the Second World War.

There is more than one David Fraser on Goodreads

Reviews

[Brett C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible story. Erwin Rommel was a soldier's soldier; he was an officer and a gentleman
on and off the battlefield. Rommel's start began with his gallantry and valor during World War I. He distinguished himself as a young and courageous lieutenant who served in combat in the French Western Front in Argonne, the eastern front in the mountains of Romania (Mount Cosna), and the Italian-Slovenian front at Matajur.

Rommel's reputation as a superb tactician and decisive leader earned him promotions, special duties in between wars, and eventually commanding the Deutsche Afrika Korps of the joint German-Italian combatant command of North Africa during World War II. "Rommel was a tough professional, and he played to win; but he played fair." pg. 310. He also was a loyal and loving husband, a devote father, and decent human being.

Though Rommel was never a member of the Nazi Party (pg.119), he "had a profound and sincere gratitude to Hitler for what he saw as a swift and extraordinary restoration of national morale" pg. 115

With the start of World War II, Rommel's military reputation exceeded him and reflected as he and his Ghost Division pushed into Poland and back east to the French coast. Towards the end of World War II his opinion of Hitler had changed from admiration to doubts. He viewed Hitler as a mad man (pg. 528) and an individual "surrounded by sycophants and mediocrities who dared not tell him of the truth." pg. 535

Rommel was a master of maneuver and a leader of the purest quality (pg. 560) who put his country before his own welfare, led by example fo others to emulate, and regarded fighting for the fatherland the supreme privilege, pg. 558. "His trim figure, rapid movements, penetrating look, ready smile when amused, sharp decisive voice with its Swabian accent - all these had printed an unforgettable image on the mind of every soldier in his command." pg. 209

This was an excellent biography of one of the great military commanders of the modern era. I highly recommend this to anyone. The writing is well-balanced and very readable. Thanks!

[Manray9 · Rating 3 out of 5]

With Knight's Cross the late General Sir David Fraser, GCB, OBE produced a solid military biography of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Fraser was certainly no master with the pen, but his research was thorough and his style straightforward and precise. He relied on Rommel's own writings, those of other German officers and officials, as well as extensive cooperation with Rommel's son, Manfred.

Fraser depicts Rommel fairly – neither exaggerating his military prowess nor whitewashing his admiration of Hitler. Throughout the book, he develops the trope of Rommel's “instinct for battle” as the key contributing factor to his grasp of the essence of leadership. This grasp set him apart from his peers and established his position among history's great battlefield commanders. Fraser wrote: “...Rommel was ultimately beaten...War may be considered a business, open to audit, but its conduct is also an art. Ultimately, Napoleon was beaten...So was Lee. Few could deny their genius. With all his imperfections, as a leader of men in battle Erwin Rommel stands in their company.”

Fraser devoted considerable space to Rommel's relationship with Adolf Hitler. Much of this discussion reads as an apologia for his prolonged devotion. Rommel thought he knew Hitler well. They lived and worked closely for extended periods of time. According to Fraser, Rommel was “a fervent and personal admirer of Hitler” and was subject to “Hitler's magic.”

(This) magic was indeed strong – strong enough to bewitch for a considerable time a large part of the German people. It could do so because it was rooted in actual past achievement as well as in promises and prejudice; in a memory of deliverance from guilt and poverty as well as in the imposition of present tyranny and pervasive fear.

Rommel did not ask unsettling questions about Hitler or Nazism. In fact, he readily accepted Nazi antisemitism. He was a man of strong common sense who simply would not see that Hitler, not his sycophants, was the source of Nazi evil. While the Wehrmacht was rolling through Poland, Norway, the Low Countries, and France, Rommel remained enamored of Hitler's perspicacity and initiative. When the tide turned, Rommel suddenly recognized “the total unreality with which Hitler was surrounding himself.” According to an interview with Colonel Warning, Hitler's foolish orders for El Alamein on 3 November 1942 suddenly convinced Rommel that Hitler was “a lunatic...determined on a course which would lead to the loss of the last German soldier and, one day, to the total destruction of Germany.” By late 1941, the war crimes of Hitler's regime, especially in the east, were widely known within the army high command. Fraser mentioned the Army Group B report of late 1941 which stated: “Everyone now knows what is going on.” To me Rommel's attitude suggested a willful blindness. His reputation should not be rehabilitated by his association with the anti-Hitler conspirators of July 1944. Rommel, though outspoken about Germany's disastrous prospects in the war, had only an arms-length connection with the plotters. His forced suicide was based on false testimony and evidence obtained by torture. He did not support the attempted elimination of Adolf Hitler.

Knight's Cross deserves a solid Three Stars. Fraser's understandably prolonged exposition on the North African campaign bordered on tedious at times. The sections of the book on the Battle of France in 1940 and the defense of Normandy in 1944 moved at a better pace. I had two quibbles with Knight's Cross: First, it contained good hand-drawn maps, but they were too few and not well placed within the text. Also, the maps did not reflect troop positions or movements. Second, Fraser too frequently used German vocabulary and phrases without translation – while my French is passable and my Russian very good, my German is virtually nonexistent. I grew tired of looking up translations.

['Aussie Rick' · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is not much one can add to the other reviews of this very interesting book. The author, David Fraser, offers the reader a well researched and honest account on the life of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in 562 pages (hardback version). This has been one of the better biographies on Rommel I have read in some time and one of the best military biographies I have read in the last couple of years. I don't think that too many people would not enjoy this account, the author certianly portrays Rommel with his faults as well as his great points and I believe he has tried to present his subject as honestly as possible. A very enjoyable book to read and well researched and presented.

[John Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Field Marshal Rommel is one of the more interesting figures of World War II, and certainly one of the most admirable, at least on the Axis side. This biography gives only cursory attention to his youth, but covers the rest of his life in detail: service in the German Army during WWI, the inter-war period, and finally his great triumphs and eventual losses (against overwhelmingly superior forces) in WWII. Despite its length, though, the book does not delve far beneath the surface, and does not leave the reader feeling that he (or she) truly understands Rommel. Rommel's preference for offensive tactics - in the belief that the disorganization an attack would cause for the enemy generally more than offset the risks involved - is made clear. But the author never really identifies what made Rommel "tick." Indeed, this book does not even take a definitive position on how much Rommel knew of the plot against Hitler's life - for which he was executed near the end of the war - and how deeply he was involved in the plot, much less delve very far into the conflicting but very strong thoughts and emotions this subject must have stirred in a professional soldier of the highest honor and integrity, but also one who found himself serving an evil and senselessly destructive regime.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Fraser's biography is one of the better books I've read on Field Marshall Rommel. It definitely does not suffer from the apologetics some biographies have that were written within the first decade of the end of the war. This biography seems to be fairly even handed in the treatment of Rommel and his adversaries. As one would expect Rommel's full military career is covered with in depth coverage of the African Campaign and his key involvement building the Atlantic Wall in preparation of an Allied invasion of Europe. This biography's focus is on how Rommel operated as a commanding general, how his actions influenced the course of the war to include his interaction and influence on Adolph Hitler.

There were a number of interesting topics examined and points made by Mr. Fraser. The author theorizes how Rommel's WWI experiences shaped and influenced his approach to mobile warfare that included his lead from the front leadership style so evident as Commanding General of the Afrika Corps.

Other areas of biographical interest are the examination of several commonly repeated criticisms of Rommel and the in depth exploration throughout the book. Specifically David Fraser looked at Rommel's understanding of logistics and strategy, both areas Rommel has been heavily criticized as not paying attention to or not having adequate knowledge and experience as a Commanding General. The author makes good cases for Rommel being very aware of how logistics impacted his planning and how his tactical battles played into a global strategic vision. He provides specific examples demonstrating how Rommel was aware of both issues in context of military operational planning and how the criticisms of Rommel are probably not accurate.

The last part of the book studies Rommel's involvement in Operation Valkyrie - the assassination plot of Hitler. Mr. Fraser steps through the plot itself identifying the key players, the plotters' organization and communications methods and looks at who knew what regarding the plans post removal of Hitler. It's still hard to tell from the evidence presented exactly how much Rommel knew about Operation Valkyrie. It is evident from the facts that Rommel did agree there was no way for Germany to surrender without the removal of Hitler from leadership.

[Daniel Ligon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating biography of a complicated, brilliant man. As a voracious reader of WW2 books, I have long been intrigued by the character of Erwin Rommel, and this book gave me a chance to explore his life in depth.

Fraser, a retired British general who served in WW2 himself, was clearly extremely knowledgeable regarding Rommel's tactics and the ebbs and flows of his military career. Fraser was a capable, though not exceptional, writer. His writing style may not have added much to the story, but it didn't detract either. The book was well researched, and Fraser offers his own evaluations of Rommel while acknowledging other perspectives.

Fraser clearly admired Rommel as a man and as a general, and writes from a generally positive perspective. Obviously, there is also much to criticize given the side for which Rommel fought. Fraser makes a compelling case that Rommel was unaware of most of the atrocities of the Third Reich, while also feeling strongly that as a soldier, it was his job to obey orders, not change policy. While this is of course does not excuse Rommel's allegiances, it at least makes them understandable. Rommel does seem to have been a man of high moral character in many ways, who was duped and blinded by Hitler's charisma. And certainly in the latter part of his life, Rommel endeavored to end the war and bring peace, against Hitler's wishes. These actions on Rommel's part eventually cost him his life.

The war was certainly a crisis of conscience for many on the German side. This quote in the book from a German officer named Helmuth Von Moltke was incredible: “How can one bear one's share of guilt? In one part of Serbia two villages have been reduced to ashes, 1700 men and 240 women of the inhabitants have been executed. That is the punishment for an attack on three German soldiers... more than a thousand men are being murdered for a certainty every day and thousands more are being habituated to murder. And all that is child's play compared to what is happening in Poland and Russia. How can I bear this ... don't I make myself into an accomplice? What shall I say when someone asks me and what did you do during this time?...If only I could be rid of the awful feeling that I have let myself be corrupted, that I no longer react keenly enough to such things, that they torment me without producing spontaneous reaction.” Von Moltke was later executed by the Nazis for treason against the Third Reich.

This book gives an excellent account of Rommel's military service, in both of the World Wars. There is also a lengthy, detailed discussion of the plot to assassinate Hitler, and an assessment of Rommel's involvement in the conspiracy. Less fleshed out is Rommel the man, Rommel the husband, and Rommel the father. Rommel the soldier always dominates the page. However, this depiction is probably faithful to the way Rommel envisioned himself.

Altogether, this book was a great read, and helped me learn a lot by considering the war from a different camera angle, so to speak. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in World War 2 history and biography.

[Carol Storm · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels unfair to say I was disappointed in this book. It's fast moving, easy to read, epic in scope, and full of action. Legendary German commander Erwin Rommel emerges as a compelling figure, made up of diverse elements. He's a man of integrity, honest and decent rather than cruel and ambitious. Yet he willingly obeyed an evil madman for years. He's a rigid military commander who enforced strict discipline yet to his own troops he was a beloved father figure and role model. Even his worst enemies cheered his victories. He had rock star charisma, and he was ultimately executed for treason under shady circumstances, yet he was the least devious, least rebellious person who ever lived.

The problem is, David Fraser is too much like his subject to explore the ambiguities. David Fraser is a military man with a very conventional mind, and all he can do is say over and over again that Rommel is a decent fellow, a splendid chap, and that nothing was ever really his fault. It's almost comical to hear the way Fraser balances things, like he's trying not to show what a crush he has on his hero. "Did Rommel lead to often from the front? Was he he too busy inspiring the troops with his amazing courage to realize that his own life was at risk? Did he get so caught up in leading from the front that he neglected strategic considerations? Well, yes. But his presence at the front of the action often changed the course of the battle and therefore may have been more proof of his overall strategic genius."

There are so many serious questions David Fraser doesn't ask about Rommel's life outside of combat. Whole eras of his life aren't really explored. For example, Germany surrendered in 1918. Adolph Hitler came to power in 1933. What was Erwin Rommel doing all those years? Fraser tells you the facts, he was serving in the shadow German army, patiently rebuilding morale, studying new methods and equipment. But there's no exploration of what he wasn't doing. I mean, a German soldier like Erich Maria Remarque comes home in 1918 and he writes All Quiet on the Western Front. Rommel didn't write that book. But did he read it? Did he talk to anyone who did? Morally and emotionally it's like he went to sleep in 1918 and woke up in 1933 ready to obey Hitler with no questions asked. Other guys, after 1918, might have traveled the world, studied history and philosophy, gone to Paris. Hemingway once wrote a novel where his hero brags about skiing with Rommel between the wars. At the time I thought that was just Hemingway being childish and dropping names. But now I see it the other way around. I sure wish Rommel had read some of Hemingway. I wish he had read A Farewell To Arms! Did Erwin Rommel read any fiction at all? From the way Fraser writes his life it's like he had no inner life at all. And if this is the kind of man that a typical British officer tends to idolize, what does that say about England's ruling class?

Reading how easily Fraser excuses Rommel's complicity in Hitler's crimes against the Jews, I found myself wondering whether Fraser's attitude and Rommel's were really very different. I mean, were there any Jews in the British army when Fraser was a general? Were there any Jewish officers? Who was the first Jew admitted to Sandhurst? How old was Fraser the first time he ever saw a Jew on the street? I kept getting a really disturbing feeling that Rommel's attitude, like I have nothing against Jews, but they have no business being in my part of town, is pretty much Fraser's attitude about Jews in England. This book really disturbed me, but by the end it wasn't Rommel I didn't like.

[Dergrossest · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring book about everyone's favorite Nazi. It's hard to make ice war in the Alps in WWI, Blitzkrieg in France in WWII and the brilliance which was his two stints in North Africa seem pedestrian, but Fraser pulls it off. You will learn lots about Rommel, but unless this is the only book you can get yours hands on, read anything else, although in fairness to Fraser, most every other author has a disturbing amount of man-love for Rommel. I will also credit him for pointing out many of Rommel's flaws.

[Olethros · Rating 4 out of 5]

-Aproximación desde el respeto y la suficiente objetividad.-

Género. Biografía.

Lo que nos cuenta. Relato de la vida del protagonista y de los eventos que construyeron su imagen para la posteridad, desde su nacimiento en Suabia, pasando por su participación en las dos guerras mundiales, con protagonismo de los sucesos de la Segunda, por razones obvias, hasta los sucesos que rodearon su muerte.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Loyalhistorian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in college. I was taking a Nazi Germany history class from the amazing Dr. Wooster. He gave out an extensive reading list to choose from. This was one of the books that I had chosen to read for the course.

A very interesting and detailed account of Erwin Rommel's military exploits, and about his character as a person and a soldier. Rommel seems to have been a soldier's soldier, doing what he felt was right for the German population and its army up until the end of his life. He was certainly a mystery in his personality, having two very opposing sides with the evilness of Nazism versus his reputation as an upright person. You get the sense that he was first and foremost a soldier. In the end, he was given the choice of killing himself or being killed for treason against Hitler (because he was found to have been tied to the July 1944 attempt on Hitler's life, or at least to have known about it and not said anything of warning). He chose suicide, partly, to protect his family from being harmed. There's hardly a single person involved in the Nazi high command that you could say was a good person, but Rommel seems to have been a fairly decent human being.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erwin Rommel is a popular subject of biography, not least because he is such a likeable figure. Many milhist buffs who spend most of their time reading about "heroic" American generals also probably have an interest in Rommel, even if their understanding of his past is more troubling. Rommel is the sort of "honorable enemy" which most arm-chair generals like to believe is worth fighting. He is "clean" of the worst crimes of the regime he served, chose an honorable suicide over the dishonor of trial by that regime for resistance, he fought well, was liked by his men, and was true to his oath as a soldier.

As such, it is rare to find a historically satisfying book about him. Books on Rommel rarely probe his views on democracy and fascism, much less antisemitism, because it is understood that he was a "good man" and not a Nazi. Books on military history are already flawed in their interest in strategy and battle-effectiveness over the historical meaning of events, and Rommel bios are often lost in a morass of tactical data rather than human story. This book, at the very least, avoids that flaw, and Fraser works hard to create a portrait of a human being. However, his use of sources must be seen as flawed, particularly his over-dependence on interviews with Manfred Rommel, the Field Marshal's son whose successful political career relies on his re-crafting of his family's Nazi heritage and the books of David Irving, including his _Hitler's War_, in which he first advanced his "revisions" of the Holocaust.

Fraser fails to give context that would justify his claim that "Rommel had no personal anti-Jewish feelings" despite quoted speeches in which he spoke of the "Jewish problem" in Germany. He avoids probing deeply into the contradictions that could lead a man with a strong sense of honor into supporting a criminal regime, writing it off as mere "idealism" and "naivete." Probing more deeply into the fundamental issues would, no doubt, tarnish the shine on Rommel's armor (and, by extension, the many Germans of his generation who took moral shelter in the fact that even so powerful a figure as Rommel was innocent of murder), but would also make for far more informative and interesting reading.

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, the bad news--General Fraser's wandering syntax makes the reader think that he might need a GPS device to navigate a sentence. On the good side, this is a thorough, fair and thoughtful study of Rommel's life. Fraser doesn't delve deep into tactics, but prefers to illuminate Rommel's character and guiding principles. The author gives plenty of attention to Rommel's early life and military record rather than advancing quickly to World War II. Fraser also delves into matters that shaped Rommel's fortunes and fate. The author's accounts of the German-Russian alliance between the wars, the controversy over where to station German armored units leading up to the Normandy invasion, and the details of the plots to assassinate Hitler are all first rate and enlightening. If you can get past the peripatetic syntax, this is a substantial work in understanding Erwin Rommel.

[Jonathan Alling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll put a more lengthy review below this, so in case you are not interested in the ins and outs of this book, here are some good things and not so good things I found about the book:

Good:
Very well researched with an absolute wealth of information collected from a huge variety of resources
Fairly even-handed in judging Rommel (even though there is a bias present)
Provided a lot of insight into the rise of Hitler and how he was able to keep an entire nation spellbound while committing the atrocities he did.

Bad:
Man, it was hard to read. His sentence structure was often very clunky and at many times, it was hard to follow his train of thought from one paragraph to the next.
It felt very clearly a defense of Rommel as a general and a person, which led to a lot of (in my opinion) unnecessary breaks in the book where Fraser points out a specific action Rommel performed as evidence that he was not this or that type of person that he was accused of being.

Now to the main review
I found this to be a very well researched book. Fraser used so many excerpts from communication between officers on both sides, newspaper articles, other books, it just boggles the mind. Unfortunately, this deluge of information simply overwhelmed me and made this book truly laborious to read, switching between the breakneck action of the chaotic campaigns Rommel led in both world wars and the slow crawl of wartime (and peacetime) politics. On the one hand, he presents both his own interpretation of the events in Rommel's life and includes other people's commentary on Rommel, as a person and a general, which provides a very balanced view of Rommel and his unique position in history as one of the rare generals of a losing army whom most people on both sides admire. On the other hand, it is painfully obvious that Fraser is on some sort of mission to vindicate both Rommel's personal character and his battlefield genius. Fraser is very critical of other sources that claim that Rommel was not a strategist or that he was simply blindly dashing into battle and hoping for the best. Which is fine, but the pages of this book were littered with that type of writing, making it read more like a legal defense of Rommel than a book about his life. Speaking of Rommel's life, there is surprisingly very little of it in the book itself outside of the 2 world wars. Now of course, that could be because there is not much to say, I am not sure, but of the non-war years, Fraser moves away from Rommel to discuss at length the various power moves that led to the Nazi regime, with some small tidbits about Rommel. All in all, I liked the book, even through the difficult to read passages and times where the focus seemed to shift and wander aimlessly until zooming back in on Rommel. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a hardcore fan of WWI and WWII, but not for anyone who just happens to know the name Rommel and came across this book while browsing around.

[Jens Hieber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. I'd been meaning to learn more about Rommel, especially after reading Shirer's 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich'. I found Fraser's book to be thorough, even-handed, though a big claggy in the writing department. This felt like it could be the Robert Jordanesque prologue to the infamously long 'Campaign for North Africa' board game.

Rommel was a fascinating man in unique times. This book is at its strongest when it stays closest to his movements, his letters to his wife Lucy, and the conversations he had. The actual battle maneuvers can be hard to follow, even with the aid of maps. He was a devoted husband, a clear thinker, a brilliant tactician, and a genuine, honest man who inspired loyalty. His reputation has been drawn back and forth, whether in use of Nazi propaganda, later rehabilitation both from German and Allied directions, or by his own streak of vanity. He certainly had flair. To what degree he was involved with/aware of the attempt on Hitler's life in July '44 is unclear, and I appreciated Fraser's even handling of what evidence there is.

Worth the read for anyone interested in military history and the lives of military figures.

[Warren Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very dry book being in the non-fiction genre and to my opinion covered more of a political view and the causes of the two world wars in which Rommel participated. It could also have done with more maps of the dispositions of both armies in crucial battles.

In saying that, when David Fraser did analyze Rommel’s character he did it in a balanced way, showing both his assets and deficiencies. The admiration both Germany’s allies and the enemy bestowed Rommel, showed he was an honorable warrior in two world conflicts. Although he tried valiantly to avoid politics and concern himself solely with military life, I believe it was the politics of the Nazi Party which ultimately was his destruction.

A valuable addition to any library for people interested in modern military history.

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brillante obra que nos relata la biografía de una de las figuras militares más importantes de la historia, a la par que nos muestra detalles de su personalidad y comportamiento, lo que nos hace ver que Erwin Rommel no sólo fue un excelente militar, sino que también, a pesar de sus errores, una persona ejemplar que respetaba incluso a sus enemigos, que se preocupaba por sus hombres, que rechazaba los crímenes del régimen nazi (aunque él nunca creyó que fuesen orden directa de Hitler) y que quiso salvar a Alemania del desastre aunque ello le pusiera en una posición mucho más que desfavorable ante el régimen. En definitiva, Rommel fue un militar admirable tanto por su ingenio como por su corazón.

[Chanover55 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at the light of Erwin Rommel. I would have given this 5 stars EXCEPT I don't read German and he has an awful lot of German with no explanation of what it means. About half way through he started to out interpretations as footnotes at the bottom of the page.
Romney have more sympathy for Romney than I thought I would have before reading; he was a bit naieve in thinking he could reason with Hitler but he was also blunt and knew as early as 1942 that Germany would lose the war. A bit too into troop movements for my taste, which bogged me down, but glad I finished.

[Rodolfo Hernández · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esperaba mucho más del libro, en concreto que superara la biografía escrita por Desmond Young (Rommel, el Zorro del desierto). Como biografía deja mucho que desear sin embargo muy buen libro donde se hace hace un recorrido histórico donde participó Rommel como oficial del ejército; pero sí esperaba mucho más sobre él. Sigo considerando como la mejor biografía la de Desmond Young.

[carl theaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read. There are a couple areas that were
covered particularly well, one is the feelings and
perspective of German Officer Corps of the 1920s and
how they became accepting of any political events to
get Germany and its military on its feet again.

Additionally, since the Ultra secrets have mostly
been revealed, the bio can take advantage of explaining
how those affected Rommel's efforts, particularly against
Montgomery. To paraphrase, it was like a poker game
in which Monty could see all Rommel's cards.'

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that Knight's Cross was a very good book. It tells the life of Erwin Rommel who became famous for his role commanding his afrika corps in northern Africa. This book however goes so much deeper than that especially how he was a decorated WWI soldier. Overall anyone who has an interest in military or German history/WWII should read this book.

[Dimitri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Without question a good biography, but the writing leaves something to be desired: I find myself reading by alinea for dozens of pages on end. (Especially on Africa)

[Neal fleming · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book was ok but way to much time spend on almost every battle he was involved in. With better editing book could be almost half the size

[Allen Drummond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found myself just immersed in this book. I am not quite sure why I found it so fascinating, but I did.

[David Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent book written by a British General, more or less on the life and times of Erwin Rommel. It is well researched using interviews, letters from Rommel, war dairies and other personal papers. While the focus of the book is on Rommel, very little is mentioned about his childhood. The author pretty much glosses over the early years giving just a few basic tidbits. He really doesn't start delving into Rommel's history until the future Field Marshall joins a Wurttemberg infantry regiment as a cadet in 1910 before he was 19. What follows is half biography of Rommel and half a history lesson of Germany from prior to WW I to 1944. There is a great deal of background given as to the whys and whens of the decisions of the German government that lead them into the First World War, the debacle of the Weimar government and the rise of the National Socialist Party. I believe all of this was done to explain Rommel's reasons for his actions throughout this period. In all, the book made it clear that while Rommel was headstrong and a bit self-centered, he was also a brilliant tactician in the field in both Word Wars, as well as an honorable and fair man. He was fallible. He made mistakes that cost him battles. Though he was enamored by Hitler, he was never a National Socialist. Hitler had a way with words that made those around him love and support him as their leader. Rommel was removed from much of the atrocities that were occurring throughout the eastern areas and only heard rumors about them from other men who had fought on the Eastern Front. Still Rommel believed the leader of the Third Reich could not be part of it and laid the blame on ambitious underlings.

Rommel's bravery on the field of battle was renown. He wasn't like other commanding generals, leading from the rear. He was out front with the spearhead of his operations. He personally directed every aspect of his battles, many times overwhelming his opponents even though they might be numerically superior to his forces. Though he is primarily known for his African campaigns, his feats during WW I earned him many accolades, including capturing thousands of Italian troops in the north of Italy with virtually a small band of troops, cracking and capturing keep mountain strong points. Even after the tide of battle turn in Africa for the German and Italian forces, Rommel was moved back to Germany to plan and lead the German forces into northern Italy again as either ally or foe, depending on what the Italian government did following Allied landings in Sicily and then the Italian mainland. His plans work flawlessly and his troops were able to disarm their once ally and prevent thousands of Italian soldiers to turn on them in battle. His plans kept the Allies from easily taking Italy, but his nagging thoughts of how cold Germany win this war that had begun in Africa, now strengthened.

Rommel was once again called back to Germany for a new assignment. He was to inspect the western defenses and do whatever it took to prevent landings in France. He through himself into his work, directing the massive reinforcement of the coastline, with his commanders grumbling it was more than they could accomplish. Yet, with the perseverance of his strong will and determination, a great deal was done. Even with all this preparation and promised troops and tanks, Rommel knew in his heart that unless they were able to deny the Allies a foothold in France, Germany would surely lose in the end because of the enormous amount of manpower and supplies the Allies could pour into France while his own supplies and manpower were limited with no real hope of getting better.

Rommel felt it was his duty to make it clear to Hitler that unless something drastic was done, as in suing for peace, Germany would fall. He had developed a reputation as a pessimist and defeatist despite his accomplishments. This soured relations with the High Command and Hitler. While Rommel's name is used in the failed conspiracy and assassination attempt on Hitler, he was never proved to be a part of it. He knew many officers in the Wehrmacht felt Hitler had to go, but Rommel believed it must be done through the legal process and not through tyrannicide. Rommel's guilt lay with his open opinion that if Hitler did not do something, he would open the way for the Allies to march into Germany. That was more than enough to convict him of treason.

Even so, Hitler knew that Rommel was a Hero to his people and what it would do to the national morale if he was shot as a traitor. Rommel was given the choice of the People's Court or the "officer's way out". With assurances his family would be left alone, he chose poison and went on to Hero's funeral, mourned by almost all in Germany.

All in all the author does a decent job of bringing Rommel to life and giving understanding as to who he really was as a human being. History has branded Rommel as a bad guy, but in reality he was nothing more than a simple soldier, blinded by a charismatic leader. He did his duty for his country as best he knew how and in the process built a legend that still surrounds his name to this day.

[Jeremy Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't get any new insight into Rommel after reading this biography. There's no doubt that Fraser did his research, but I never got an idea of what Rommel was like.

[Dierregi · Rating 3 out of 5]

General Fraser clearly knew and admired Rommel. His biography offers a detailed, operatic account of the general’s career, filled with vivid descriptions of battlefield tactics and strategic highs and lows. Rommel’s talents and flaws are both on proud display, though Fraser’s lens is often tinged with affection - one could say a tad too much, at times.

Personally, I wasn’t particularly drawn to the tactical minutiae (though they are well rendered); my interest was piqued by Rommel’s ideological journey, especially his disillusionment with Hitler. Was he a Nazi? Did he like Hitler? The answer, unfortunately, is yes. Like many Germans of the time, Rommel admired Hitler and not from a distance, but personally and fervently, for quite a while.

The turning point comes post-Alamein: Hitler’s refusal to face reality, the unraveling Eastern Front, the creeping sense of inevitable defeat. Rommel begins to see the cracks in the idol... but how deeply did the disillusionment run?

This brings us to the July 20 plot - Operation Valkyrie - the failed assassination attempt that might have changed the course of the war, had it succeeded. Fraser devotes attention to this chapter, but hedges his bets when it comes to Rommel’s involvement. We are left with speculation: did he know? Probably. Was he involved? Possibly not. The damning transcripts from the tortured conspirators were conveniently "lost."

Based on Fraser’s narrative, I doubt Rommel was ever an active conspirator. More likely, he knew something was in the air and silently hoped it would work. What we see, ultimately, is a disillusioned man - still too bound to his former idol to lift a hand against him, yet too intelligent not to see the ruin ahead. He chose the so-called “honorable” way out, but the question of whether he ever truly broke with Hitler remains, like so much else in Fraser’s telling, frustratingly unresolved.

[Pabgo · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Rick Atkinson's "An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 (World War II Liberation Trilogy, #1)", I wanted to find out more about this military officer. Some of what I found was enlightening, some disappointing. But all of it was interesting. The first quarter of the book was a bit of a slog to get through, but the rest of it was, for me, a page turner.
Rommel was an interesting character. Having been an officer in the military myself, I admired his leadership, his intelligence, creativity, and loyalty. Above all, I admired his ability to detach himself, compartmentalize, and totally devote himself to whatever mission was at hand. I mostly admired his realistic outlook on the world, and especially his assessments of the larger scale of the war, and his ability to realize when the war had been lost, (this happened earlier than one might think).
Which leads to the burning question of his involvement, (or not) in the plan to assassinate Hitler that took place, (and failed miserably) in July of 1944, (which was only one of many, I was surprised to learn). Did he? Or didn't he? You will have to read the book, (no spoilers here).

[Brian Miracle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written biography of Erwin Rommel, commander of the “Ghost Division” that rampaged across France in 1940 and the Desert Fox of the North African campaign from 1941-1943. Although the author praises Rommel’s exploits, he does criticize him when merited. The author examines Rommel’s close relationship with Hitler, in which Rommel began as an admirer, but ended with Rommel realizing that Hitler must be removed (although he didn’t favor assassination). What surprised me was the early date (1942) at which Rommel realized that peace must be made, after the German reverses at Alamein and Stalingrad. Although he still fought hard and skillfully, Rommel’s efforts after that point were focused on getting Germany into an effective position to negotiate peace with the West.

This is an excellent bio of one of Nazi Germany’s most admired generals.

[Adelaide Mcginnity · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellently written and thoroughly researched biography of the famous Desert Fox, Fraser's Knight's Cross is both informative and accessible to the lay reader. If I have one critique, it is that Fraser seems to have, in the course of his research, developed too much of an affection to his subject, which makes some of the passage - in which Fraser breaks objectivity to mount defenses of his subject against certain criticisms he deems unfair from other historians - difficult to read, particularly to a lay reader without knowledge of the critics and criticisms Fraser is responding to. Still, as a work of popular history, it is hard not to recommend a book like this, particularly with so fascinating a subject as Rommel.

[Donato Colangelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minuzioso reportage delle battaglie che hanno affermato e consolidato la fama del soldato e del genio che fu. Mai piegato al nazionalsocialismo, ma piuttosto avverso al regime, Rommel emerge grazie ad un ritratto ricco di dettagli e mai superficiale. Fraser ha dedicato una grandissima attenzione a tutti -e dico tutti - i teatri di guerra in cui Erwin Rommel si trovò. Una ventina di mappe rendono la lettura ancora più istruttiva. Il rischio, notevole a mio avviso, era quello di soffocare la figura di Rommel tra le tante battaglie a cui vi prese parte. Al contrario, è l'uomo al centro della narrazione ed è con ottima abilità che Fraser mostra come Rommel fu capace di piegare gli eventi, quando ci riuscì, al suo volere e quando, invece, per sfortuna o errori di calcolo, commise errori più o meno gravi. Molto interessante anche la coppia di capitoli finali, che approfondiscono il supposto coinvolgimento di Rommel nell'attentato del 20 luglio 1944, ragione per la quale fu poi, in seguito, condannato a morte da quel Führer che lui aveva tanto ammirato e che negli ultimi tempi, si era reso conto, era totalmente staccato dalla realtà.
In conclusione, è una biografia ben scritta che mi sento di consigliare a tutti gli appassionati di storia.