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Die Wüstenfüchse. Mit Rommel in Afrika.
Here for the first time from the German viewpoint and with a great deal of hitherto unpublished material is the complete story of one of the most bitterly fought, exciting campaigns in modern warfare. Foxes of the Desert is the definitive work on the Afrika Korps and the other German forces who served in the Western Desert and Tunisia during World War II. Dominating the story are the personality and the brilliant strategy and tactics of the wily, fast-thinking and hard-hitting "Desert Fox," Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. In fascinating detail the author tells the full story of the great German master of desert armored warfare and his men and the other German forces in North Africa, during their many months of bitterly contested fighting against the pick of Britain's forces under such commanders as Wavell, Auchinleck, and finally Montgomery, and the Americans under Eisenhower. Here are the famous siege of Tobruk; Rommel's celebrated surprise push in the early spring of 1941 when the Afrika Korps captured Mersa el Brega and Agedabia and rolled on far eastward into Bardia and Sollum; the battle of Halfaya ("Hellfire") Pass; the great tank battle on the Gazala front; the Germans' capture of Tobruk, with 33,000 prisoners and vast booty; the fateful battles of Alam Halfa and El Alamein; and the bloody campaign in Tunisia. Interwoven are fascinating accounts of the work of the German Secret Service; of the British Long Range Desert Group, and of its German counterpart, the Brandenburg Group. Numerous other commando operations and exciting exploits of espionage and sabotage are described in detail for the first time. As a result of personal interviews with over a thousand combatants, tireless reading, and painstaking research, Paul Carell has skillfully blended a mass of new and exciting information into a dramatic and completely authentic narrative. As a story of strategy and battle, Foxes of the Desert is both exhaustive and engrossing, and, as authorative history, it cannot be overlooked by anyone wishing a full understanding of World War II. This edition contains a new preface by Paul Carell who is also the author of Invasion! They're Coming!, Scorched Earth, Hitler Moves East, The Defeat of the German 6th Army, and Operation Barbarossa in Photographs., b/w photographs, maps, 5 3/4" x 8 1/2", index
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1958
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256 people want to read
About the author
Paul Carell
17 books18 followersPaul Carell (born Paul Karl Schmidt) was an Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) in the Allgemeine-SS (General SS) in Nazi Germany. He worked as the chief press spokesman for Joachim von Ribbentrop's Foreign Ministry, where he formulated propaganda for the foreign press. In this capacity during World War II, he maintained close ties with the Wehrmacht (German Army). After the war, he became a successful author, mostly of revisionist books that romanticized and whitewashed the Wehrmacht's role in World War II.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 30, 2018
It took a while for this book to grow on me. Carell’s writing quirks can be distracting – like the sudden departure from a vignette about a particular action straight into the main narrative without a transition, or some of the awkward wording which may be an artifact of the translation from German to English. After I was able to look past what I thought were distractions to the overall story being told I realized how important this work is. Paul Carell’s information derives from multiple first-hand conversations with those that participated in the North African Campaign. The book is full of primary source information ranging from Generals to the enlisted in the trench and everyone in between. I’m assuming Carell’s research notes were extensive and probably more stories that could have been told if publishing cost and sales considerations hadn’t been an issue.
There are some real gems of support operations mixed in with the story of the regular soldier. There are two chapters discussing the Abwehr’s operations in support of Rommel – topics covered are Cairo’s famous Kit Kat Club, the belly dancer German spy Hekmet Fahmy, Operation Salam – the insertion of German operatives into Cairo, and the fascinating story of László Almásy fictionalized in the novel and movie The English Patient. There is an entire chapter on “The Star of the Desert”, Jochen Marseille – Germany’s ace pilot in North Africa.
Ensconced within other chapters Carell discusses the value of German signals intelligence units to Rommel and his staff. Unbeknownst to the Allies the Germans had broken the US diplomatic code used to transmit messages between Cairo and Washington DC. The Germans were able to use the collected information in their offensive operations to some very considerable successes. And not necessarily intelligence types, but in the realm of special operations there are several excellent accounts of the Brandenburgers – the German equivalent to the British Long Range Desert Group – who operated deep behind British lines conducting sabotage operations, raids, etc.
Some detractors of the book – This is not a great book to read if you are looking for an introduction to the North African Campaign. Foxes of the Desert first and foremost is the human story of the Campaign told from a German perspective, not the detailed progress of military operations. It would be easy to become lost in a military operation due to the lack of adequate maps for reference. If I had to guess less than half the place names provided in the narrative are displayed on the maps provided, and highly recommend finding a good map that can be referred to during your read. For full disclosure the author was a member of the Nazi Allegmeine-SS who has written several books about WWII. Carell has been accused of whitewashing the Wehrmacht’s role during WWII in his writings. Although I didn’t find Carell’s account any more biased than Desmond Young’s book Rommel which had a moderate British bias.
Overall a solid piece of work on the German soldier during the North African Campaign – especially when taken into account much of the information presented was from personal interviews and private papers. There is valuable information and stories about supporting troops and intelligence in military operations, which are normally not covered in such books. Descriptions of the fighting around Halfaya Pass and the end game around Tunis are riveting. Although first published 60 years ago, still a good read today.
P.S.
I've received feedback on the author from another site where I posted my review. I thought I would share the comments from a German National as it provided some unique insight for readers of the English version of the book, "Reading him in German can be even more disturbing, since his writing style and vocabulary remain deeply rooted in his propaganda days. Feels like reading Stürmer or völkischer Beobachter at times. Premium Landser-porn, but that is about it." Another comment noted the book is not one to delve deep into military operations, which I do agree with and have mentioned in my review.
There are some real gems of support operations mixed in with the story of the regular soldier. There are two chapters discussing the Abwehr’s operations in support of Rommel – topics covered are Cairo’s famous Kit Kat Club, the belly dancer German spy Hekmet Fahmy, Operation Salam – the insertion of German operatives into Cairo, and the fascinating story of László Almásy fictionalized in the novel and movie The English Patient. There is an entire chapter on “The Star of the Desert”, Jochen Marseille – Germany’s ace pilot in North Africa.
Ensconced within other chapters Carell discusses the value of German signals intelligence units to Rommel and his staff. Unbeknownst to the Allies the Germans had broken the US diplomatic code used to transmit messages between Cairo and Washington DC. The Germans were able to use the collected information in their offensive operations to some very considerable successes. And not necessarily intelligence types, but in the realm of special operations there are several excellent accounts of the Brandenburgers – the German equivalent to the British Long Range Desert Group – who operated deep behind British lines conducting sabotage operations, raids, etc.
Some detractors of the book – This is not a great book to read if you are looking for an introduction to the North African Campaign. Foxes of the Desert first and foremost is the human story of the Campaign told from a German perspective, not the detailed progress of military operations. It would be easy to become lost in a military operation due to the lack of adequate maps for reference. If I had to guess less than half the place names provided in the narrative are displayed on the maps provided, and highly recommend finding a good map that can be referred to during your read. For full disclosure the author was a member of the Nazi Allegmeine-SS who has written several books about WWII. Carell has been accused of whitewashing the Wehrmacht’s role during WWII in his writings. Although I didn’t find Carell’s account any more biased than Desmond Young’s book Rommel which had a moderate British bias.
Overall a solid piece of work on the German soldier during the North African Campaign – especially when taken into account much of the information presented was from personal interviews and private papers. There is valuable information and stories about supporting troops and intelligence in military operations, which are normally not covered in such books. Descriptions of the fighting around Halfaya Pass and the end game around Tunis are riveting. Although first published 60 years ago, still a good read today.
P.S.
I've received feedback on the author from another site where I posted my review. I thought I would share the comments from a German National as it provided some unique insight for readers of the English version of the book, "Reading him in German can be even more disturbing, since his writing style and vocabulary remain deeply rooted in his propaganda days. Feels like reading Stürmer or völkischer Beobachter at times. Premium Landser-porn, but that is about it." Another comment noted the book is not one to delve deep into military operations, which I do agree with and have mentioned in my review.
November 29, 2011
'The Foxes of the Desert', note the plural, is about all
foxes in the desert, not just Rommel, though of course their
fates are forever intertwined.
I've liked Carell's style in his books such as 'Hitler Moves East'
and here he goes a bit further in the number of personal accounts that
show the human side of every moment at war, be it at battle,
behind the lines, or the intrigues of intelligence gathering.
He is always at the side of the soldier remarking on the
difficulties of existing in the desert for all the combatants,
be they German, Tommies, 'EyeTies' and later Americans.
Written in 1958 it can be dated at times, for example there are
stories of the spies of both sides along with the double crossing
and other capers, as being key to events. Of course this was
before the Ultra project regarding the Allies breaking the Axis
codes, was revealed to the public.
The exuberant story telling keeps the pace lively and almost
playful at times as the author will pose his own questions like,
"But what happened below on the coastal plain where No. 1
company was trying to prevent the British reaching Sollum?"
Various side stories also add to the interest, such as the
tale of the song "Lili Marlene";
- Nassar and Anwar Sadat, both future Presidents of Egypt,
make cameo appearances
- Count Laszlo de Almasy's mysterious trips across the
desert. the Count was the basis for the popular book and movie
'The English Patient' some 40 years later.
- Count von Stauffenberg a later key player in project Valkyrie
foxes in the desert, not just Rommel, though of course their
fates are forever intertwined.
I've liked Carell's style in his books such as 'Hitler Moves East'
and here he goes a bit further in the number of personal accounts that
show the human side of every moment at war, be it at battle,
behind the lines, or the intrigues of intelligence gathering.
He is always at the side of the soldier remarking on the
difficulties of existing in the desert for all the combatants,
be they German, Tommies, 'EyeTies' and later Americans.
Written in 1958 it can be dated at times, for example there are
stories of the spies of both sides along with the double crossing
and other capers, as being key to events. Of course this was
before the Ultra project regarding the Allies breaking the Axis
codes, was revealed to the public.
The exuberant story telling keeps the pace lively and almost
playful at times as the author will pose his own questions like,
"But what happened below on the coastal plain where No. 1
company was trying to prevent the British reaching Sollum?"
Various side stories also add to the interest, such as the
tale of the song "Lili Marlene";
- Nassar and Anwar Sadat, both future Presidents of Egypt,
make cameo appearances
- Count Laszlo de Almasy's mysterious trips across the
desert. the Count was the basis for the popular book and movie
'The English Patient' some 40 years later.
- Count von Stauffenberg a later key player in project Valkyrie
June 26, 2018
Accurate and unbiased account of the war in North Africa including strategy, tactics and brutality. It's not just about Rommel. It does not glorify war.
October 9, 2014
Das Wimmelbuch des Afrikafeldzugs
Ehrlich gesagt gebe ich diese vier Sterne eher widerwillig, da mich die Lektüre der Wüstenfüchse mehr als einmal unangenehm berührt hat, aber die Qualitäten der Darstellung lassen mir keine andere Wahl.
Ich hatte das Buch eher als Korrektiv zur Generalstabsperspektive in Liddll-Harts Darstellung des zweiten Weltkriegs gewählt. Carells in jeder Hinsicht unvergleichliche Bodennähe ging natürlich mit sehr viel Zeitgeist einher, der aus seiner Praxis als Kriegsberichterstatter wie aus den Erfahrungsberichten von Überlebenden herrührte, die stolz von ihren leidenschaftlich und absolut treffsicher ballernden Pfarrern berichteten, die zugleich auch noch vorbildliche Vorgesetzte gewesen sein sollen.
Mit der Schilderung der Wüstenschauplätze auf denen der Listenreiche Wüstenfuchs mehr als einmal die Engländer austrickste, ergaben sich auch so allerlei Assoziationen zur Karl-May-Lektüre. Insofern konnte ich mit 37 Jahren Abstand ganz gut nachvollziehen, dass ich nicht nur wegen Modellbau auf die nach demselben Rezept gestrickten Landser-Hefte kam. Aber natürlich steckt auch ziemlich viel Manstein in Carells Analysen, der mir seinerzeit vollkommen entging. Enigma war damals zwar noch Staatsgeheimnis, insofern wittert er bei jedem vom Gegner vorhergesehenen Deutschen Vorstoß Verrat.
Doch bei allem anfangs versprühten wohlfeilen Spott über die Engländer, gelingt es ihm sehr gut die Ursachen des Scheiterns von Rommel aufzuzeigen, der nicht warten will, bis Malta erobert ist, damit der Nachschub fließen kann, sondern weiter vorstößt, bis er er in der Sackgasse El Alamein landet und inzwischen nachrichtendienstlich blind auf eine Finte des Gegners herein fällt.
Auch wenn der Wüstenfuchs natürlich in erster Linie an mangelndem Nachschub und Hitlers Unterschätzung des afrikanischen Kriegsschauplatzes gescheitert ist, so hat er sich in seiner Maßlosigkeit öfter selbst ein Bein gestellt, das ihn jenen Informationsvorsprung gekostet hat, der zum Erfolg in Unterzahl erforderlich gewesen wäre. Nimmt Rommel doch glatt die einzigen Verbindungsleute zu seinen Kairoer Agenten mit in eine schwierige Schlacht, wo die beiden Funker dann prompt in englische Gefangenschaft geraten. Als Konsequenz nimmt man die Meldungen der beiden in einer komplizierten Geheimaktion eingeschleusten Agenten nicht mehr an.
Ihre Reise durch die Wüste mit dem „englischen Patienten“ Almassy gehört klar zu den Höhepunkten des Buches wie die Totensonntagsschlacht.
Um bei seinen detailreichen und an zahlreichen Einzelschauplätzen verweilenden Darstellungen den Überblick zu behalten, sollte man allerdings vorher tatsächlich Liddell-Hart gelesen haben. Und der führende britische Stratege spart seinerseits auch nicht an Tadel für zahlreiche strategische Böcke seiner Landsleute. Carells Schilderungen bringen immerhin Licht in so manche bei LH kaum nachvollziehbare Fehlleistung, die zahlreichen eingestreuten Heldenlieder auf einzelne Charaktere, die man Siegen und Sterben sieht, machen aus den Wüstenfüchsen alles in allem ein Wimmelbuch des Afrikafeldzugs.
Ehrlich gesagt gebe ich diese vier Sterne eher widerwillig, da mich die Lektüre der Wüstenfüchse mehr als einmal unangenehm berührt hat, aber die Qualitäten der Darstellung lassen mir keine andere Wahl.
Ich hatte das Buch eher als Korrektiv zur Generalstabsperspektive in Liddll-Harts Darstellung des zweiten Weltkriegs gewählt. Carells in jeder Hinsicht unvergleichliche Bodennähe ging natürlich mit sehr viel Zeitgeist einher, der aus seiner Praxis als Kriegsberichterstatter wie aus den Erfahrungsberichten von Überlebenden herrührte, die stolz von ihren leidenschaftlich und absolut treffsicher ballernden Pfarrern berichteten, die zugleich auch noch vorbildliche Vorgesetzte gewesen sein sollen.
Mit der Schilderung der Wüstenschauplätze auf denen der Listenreiche Wüstenfuchs mehr als einmal die Engländer austrickste, ergaben sich auch so allerlei Assoziationen zur Karl-May-Lektüre. Insofern konnte ich mit 37 Jahren Abstand ganz gut nachvollziehen, dass ich nicht nur wegen Modellbau auf die nach demselben Rezept gestrickten Landser-Hefte kam. Aber natürlich steckt auch ziemlich viel Manstein in Carells Analysen, der mir seinerzeit vollkommen entging. Enigma war damals zwar noch Staatsgeheimnis, insofern wittert er bei jedem vom Gegner vorhergesehenen Deutschen Vorstoß Verrat.
Doch bei allem anfangs versprühten wohlfeilen Spott über die Engländer, gelingt es ihm sehr gut die Ursachen des Scheiterns von Rommel aufzuzeigen, der nicht warten will, bis Malta erobert ist, damit der Nachschub fließen kann, sondern weiter vorstößt, bis er er in der Sackgasse El Alamein landet und inzwischen nachrichtendienstlich blind auf eine Finte des Gegners herein fällt.
Auch wenn der Wüstenfuchs natürlich in erster Linie an mangelndem Nachschub und Hitlers Unterschätzung des afrikanischen Kriegsschauplatzes gescheitert ist, so hat er sich in seiner Maßlosigkeit öfter selbst ein Bein gestellt, das ihn jenen Informationsvorsprung gekostet hat, der zum Erfolg in Unterzahl erforderlich gewesen wäre. Nimmt Rommel doch glatt die einzigen Verbindungsleute zu seinen Kairoer Agenten mit in eine schwierige Schlacht, wo die beiden Funker dann prompt in englische Gefangenschaft geraten. Als Konsequenz nimmt man die Meldungen der beiden in einer komplizierten Geheimaktion eingeschleusten Agenten nicht mehr an.
Ihre Reise durch die Wüste mit dem „englischen Patienten“ Almassy gehört klar zu den Höhepunkten des Buches wie die Totensonntagsschlacht.
Um bei seinen detailreichen und an zahlreichen Einzelschauplätzen verweilenden Darstellungen den Überblick zu behalten, sollte man allerdings vorher tatsächlich Liddell-Hart gelesen haben. Und der führende britische Stratege spart seinerseits auch nicht an Tadel für zahlreiche strategische Böcke seiner Landsleute. Carells Schilderungen bringen immerhin Licht in so manche bei LH kaum nachvollziehbare Fehlleistung, die zahlreichen eingestreuten Heldenlieder auf einzelne Charaktere, die man Siegen und Sterben sieht, machen aus den Wüstenfüchsen alles in allem ein Wimmelbuch des Afrikafeldzugs.
February 28, 2010
Excellent book with a wonderful perspective from the German side of the N. Africa battles. Carell brings in the small human-interest vignettes much in the same way that Atkinson later does in his books, such as An Army at Dawn.
November 28, 2012
I read this in High School in the late sixties. It was one of the first books to tell the story of the war in the desert from the German point of you. I was captivated by it and fascinated by the exploits of the DAK. I recently found it in my attic and had to add it to my Goodreads.
September 5, 2025
Lisioł Pustyni
.
W Lisiole ponownie obudził się wojowniczy nastrój. Złapał więc okulary przeciwsłoneczne i wyruszył śladami słynnego Lisa Pustyni, czyli Wustenfuchsa, znanego również jako Erwin Rommel! I tak Lisioł znalazł się w Afryce Północnej w latach 1941-1943. Pełen entuzjazmu futrzak szybko dogonił kolumnę żołnierzy Afrika (Paprika?) Korps. Tak zdobył swój własny pustynny mundur, a nawet czapeczkę.
.
Entuzjazm opuścił Lisioła po 5 kilometrach ciągłego marszu po piasku. Nic tylko słońce i słońce. Woda racjonowana, jedzenie też wydzielane, więc szybko w lisim brzuszku odezwało się burczenie, a do tego na tej przeklętej pustyni łatwo się zgubić. Jednak o dziwo, chociaż wokół trud, znój, choroby i brak wychodka, to sami żołnierze zachowali w sobie sporo radości z życia. Chcąc się zarazić tym bakcylem, Lisioł zaczął z nimi biegać na udawanie archeologa w czasie wolnym do okolicznych ruin. W urodziny jednego z dowódców pomógł zrobić tort – tort na środku pustyni! Takich chwil się nie zapomina!
.
Lisioł szybko przekonał się, że wojna na pustyni była jedną z ostatnich konfliktów fair play, gdzie ściśle przestrzegano zasad uczciwego traktowania zarówno wroga, jak i jeńców. Zero ludobójstw, czy innych wybryków. Za to mnóstwo kradziejstwa, o tak! Obie strony kradły sobie nawzajem, co się tylko dało, a w tym Lisioł był mistrzem.
.
Do tego trzeba dodać, że Afrika Korps było niesamowitym zbiorowiskiem ludzi o mocnych, nietuzinkowych charakterach. Tak, Lisioła dzisiaj minął jeden z niemieckich dowódców pancernych ubrany w szkocki kilt i z pałaszem w dłoni. Tak odziany oficer wspiął się na czołg i pojechał. Dzień jak co dzień w Afrika Korps!
.
„Lisy Pustyni” pióra Paula Carella to książka napisana niezwykle lekko na podstawie zebranych wspomnień uczestników konfliktu w Afryce. Lisiołowi od razu przypadła do serca stając się jedną z ulubionych lisich książek. Dlaczego? Ponieważ autor skupił się przede wszystkim na ludziach, ich smutkach, radościach, przeżyciach oraz wygłupach. Ta książka po prostu żyje, a pierwszoosobowa narracja jest dużym plusem. Jeśli macie ochotę poznać nieco bliżej uczestników II wojny światowej bez góry dat oraz statystyk, to ta książka jest właśnie dla Was!
.
W Lisiole ponownie obudził się wojowniczy nastrój. Złapał więc okulary przeciwsłoneczne i wyruszył śladami słynnego Lisa Pustyni, czyli Wustenfuchsa, znanego również jako Erwin Rommel! I tak Lisioł znalazł się w Afryce Północnej w latach 1941-1943. Pełen entuzjazmu futrzak szybko dogonił kolumnę żołnierzy Afrika (Paprika?) Korps. Tak zdobył swój własny pustynny mundur, a nawet czapeczkę.
.
Entuzjazm opuścił Lisioła po 5 kilometrach ciągłego marszu po piasku. Nic tylko słońce i słońce. Woda racjonowana, jedzenie też wydzielane, więc szybko w lisim brzuszku odezwało się burczenie, a do tego na tej przeklętej pustyni łatwo się zgubić. Jednak o dziwo, chociaż wokół trud, znój, choroby i brak wychodka, to sami żołnierze zachowali w sobie sporo radości z życia. Chcąc się zarazić tym bakcylem, Lisioł zaczął z nimi biegać na udawanie archeologa w czasie wolnym do okolicznych ruin. W urodziny jednego z dowódców pomógł zrobić tort – tort na środku pustyni! Takich chwil się nie zapomina!
.
Lisioł szybko przekonał się, że wojna na pustyni była jedną z ostatnich konfliktów fair play, gdzie ściśle przestrzegano zasad uczciwego traktowania zarówno wroga, jak i jeńców. Zero ludobójstw, czy innych wybryków. Za to mnóstwo kradziejstwa, o tak! Obie strony kradły sobie nawzajem, co się tylko dało, a w tym Lisioł był mistrzem.
.
Do tego trzeba dodać, że Afrika Korps było niesamowitym zbiorowiskiem ludzi o mocnych, nietuzinkowych charakterach. Tak, Lisioła dzisiaj minął jeden z niemieckich dowódców pancernych ubrany w szkocki kilt i z pałaszem w dłoni. Tak odziany oficer wspiął się na czołg i pojechał. Dzień jak co dzień w Afrika Korps!
.
„Lisy Pustyni” pióra Paula Carella to książka napisana niezwykle lekko na podstawie zebranych wspomnień uczestników konfliktu w Afryce. Lisiołowi od razu przypadła do serca stając się jedną z ulubionych lisich książek. Dlaczego? Ponieważ autor skupił się przede wszystkim na ludziach, ich smutkach, radościach, przeżyciach oraz wygłupach. Ta książka po prostu żyje, a pierwszoosobowa narracja jest dużym plusem. Jeśli macie ochotę poznać nieco bliżej uczestników II wojny światowej bez góry dat oraz statystyk, to ta książka jest właśnie dla Was!
May 31, 2021
An entertaining and fast-paced work, Carell looks at the Desert War mainly from the perspective of the German troops, though with excerpts into the actions of their commanders and sometimes of their British and Commonwealth opponents. This is not an in-dpeth analysis of the operational aspects of the campaign, or a biography of Rommel. Rather, it is an attempt to bring to life the experience of the front-line troops.
Given Carell's previous experience as a senior media relations officer in the German state during the war, it is not surprising that the work is well-written and takes a sympathetic perspective to the German forces. The lack of deep analysis or criticism, however, does not take away from what is an engaging picture of this important campaign.
Given Carell's previous experience as a senior media relations officer in the German state during the war, it is not surprising that the work is well-written and takes a sympathetic perspective to the German forces. The lack of deep analysis or criticism, however, does not take away from what is an engaging picture of this important campaign.
April 11, 2024
Interesting read, from the German perspective. Similar to Cornelius Ryan's collections of first hand accounts, from the Allied side.
I read this book maybe 30 years ago, along with the author's other works, and enjoyed enough to keep and reread. Glad I did.
Well worth reading for the juxtaposition of perspective to the Axis side. Nice insights about what made the desert war so different from basically every other operational area of WW2.
Not sure if it is the author's original style or how the German-to-English translation worked, but the writing style is a little awkward. Takes a little getting used to. Still, a good read.
I read this book maybe 30 years ago, along with the author's other works, and enjoyed enough to keep and reread. Glad I did.
Well worth reading for the juxtaposition of perspective to the Axis side. Nice insights about what made the desert war so different from basically every other operational area of WW2.
Not sure if it is the author's original style or how the German-to-English translation worked, but the writing style is a little awkward. Takes a little getting used to. Still, a good read.
November 12, 2017
واضح الاسلوب والترجمة وينقلك لاجواء المعارك والبطولات والمغامرات والنكسات والمصاعب والخيانات والتضحيات على مسارح عمليات الشمال الافريقى من العلمين لتونس فى الفترة من 1941 : 1943 اثناء الحرب العالمية الثانية من منظور المانى محايد الى حد كبير يلقى بتبعات النكسات التى منيت بها القوات الالمانية بعد نجاحاتهم المبهرة على القيادة السياسية التى لم تدرك الاهمية الاستراتيجية لوصول البانزر لضفاف النيل وبالتالى لم تبذل فى سبيل تحقيق الهدف ما يتطلبه الامر بعكس القيادة البريطانية الاكثر وعيا باهمية السيطرة على الموقع المصرى للخروج من الحرب منتصرة .
January 24, 2022
Eski baski olmasindan kaynakli pek cok imla hatasi olsa da kitap anlatis sekli itibariyle basarili. Hep Muttefiklerden duymaya alisik oldugumuz II. Dunya Savasi`ni Almanya acisindan hem de once kazanan sonra da asama asama kaybeden bir ordu acisindan okumak farkli bakis acisi kazanmak adina faydali.
August 18, 2020
Propaganda of the Rommel lobby
May 25, 2021
Tief recherchierter Feldzugsbericht der Strategie, Taktik und Kampfhandlungen der Deutschen Wehrmacht in Nordafrika im 2. Weltkrieg.
June 24, 2018
Here for the first time from the German viewpoint and with a great deal of hitherto unpublished material is the complete story of one of the most bitterly fought, exciting campaigns in modern warfare. Foxes of the Desert is the definitive work on the Afrika Korps and the other German forces who served in the Western Desert and Tunisia during World War II. Dominating the story are the personality and the brilliant strategy and tactics of the wily, fast-thinking and hard-hitting “Desert Fox,” Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. In fascinating detail the author tells the full story of the great German master of desert armored warfare and his men and the other German forces in North Africa, during their many months of bitterly contested fighting against the pick of Britain’s forces under such commanders as Wavell, Auchinleck, and finally Montgomery, and the Americans under Eisenhower. Here are the famous siege of Tobruk; Rommel’s celebrated surprise push in the early spring of 1941 when the Afrika Korps captured Mersa el Brega and Agedabia and rolled on far eastward into Bardia and Sollum; the battle of Halfaya (“Hellfire”) Pass; the great tank battle on the Gazala front; the Germans’ capture of Tobruk, with 33,000 prisoners and vast booty; the fateful battles of Alam Halfa and El Alamein; and the bloody campaign in Tunisia. Interwoven are fascinating accounts of the work of the German Secret Service; of the British Long Range Desert Group, and of its German counterpart, the Brandenburg Group. Numerous other commando operations and exciting exploits of espionage and sabotage are described in detail for the first time. As a result of personal interviews with over a thousand combatants, tireless reading, and painstaking research, Paul Carell has skillfully blended a mass of new and exciting information into a dramatic and completely authentic narrative. As a story of strategy and battle, Foxes of the Desert is both exhaustive and engrossing, and, as authorative history, it cannot be overlooked by anyone wishing a full understanding of World War II.This edition contains a new preface by Paul Carell who is also the author of Invasion! They’re Coming!, Scorched Earth, Hitler Moves East, Stalingrad: The Defeat of the German 6th Army, and Operation Barbarossa in Photographs.
November 18, 2015
When Erwin Rommel was dispatched to Africa to rescue his nation's ailing ally against the small-but-feisty English Eighth Army, he earned the lasting respect and dread of those commanders tasked with defeating him. The Desert Foxes delivers the story of the Second World War in Africa from the German perspective, with Rommel's Africa Korps as its stars. Like the English who humbled an Italian army tasked with rebuilding the Roman empire, Rommel would box out of his weight for two years until he was finally cornered in Tunisia, but the months between victory and defeat created for 'the Fox' a lasting reputation; he is admired even today, hailed for his chivalry and fighting spirit.
Although the tanks of the Afrika Korps take center stage, Carell enjoys sharing the wartime version of human interest stories, and occasionally pauses from his storytelling -- which indeed it is, being no less fact-laden for its dramatization -- to deliver accounts of commandos or extraordinary aviation heroics.The action here is frantic, pitting hundreds of tanks against one another in single battles. Momentum shifts from side to side, and several times both forces hang on the verge of utter defeat, both experiencing victory and desperation in their turn. Time is ultimately against Rommel, as British forces in the air choke him off from what few supplies drift his way, but sheer audacity takes him all the way to Egypt where at last he breaks on the battle-worn English defense. The arrival of green American troops fresh off the boat allows for a few more brazen victories, but ultimately the two allied armies corner the Africa Korps in Tunisia, where -- denied the possibility of retreat by Hitler's declaration that they fight to the last bullet -- the remnant surrenders. The fast pace and fascinating little stories (like that of a general, separated from his legs by an explosion, using his last moments of life to pen a page-and-a-half letter to his wife) make for engaging history, and Carell's German perspective adds additional interest. His book is not simply about the Germans; here, they are the protagonists, fighting the good fight against the 'Tommies'. While upholding the Afrika Korps as admirable soldiers and men, Carells' opinion about Germany's political leadership is far less friendly. (The word used for Hitler is "maniac".) How genuine that contempt is I am not sure, but the book stays well away from Europe and allows the reader to enjoy the narrative of strategy and combat removed from the horror of Nazi-controlled Europe.
Although the tanks of the Afrika Korps take center stage, Carell enjoys sharing the wartime version of human interest stories, and occasionally pauses from his storytelling -- which indeed it is, being no less fact-laden for its dramatization -- to deliver accounts of commandos or extraordinary aviation heroics.The action here is frantic, pitting hundreds of tanks against one another in single battles. Momentum shifts from side to side, and several times both forces hang on the verge of utter defeat, both experiencing victory and desperation in their turn. Time is ultimately against Rommel, as British forces in the air choke him off from what few supplies drift his way, but sheer audacity takes him all the way to Egypt where at last he breaks on the battle-worn English defense. The arrival of green American troops fresh off the boat allows for a few more brazen victories, but ultimately the two allied armies corner the Africa Korps in Tunisia, where -- denied the possibility of retreat by Hitler's declaration that they fight to the last bullet -- the remnant surrenders. The fast pace and fascinating little stories (like that of a general, separated from his legs by an explosion, using his last moments of life to pen a page-and-a-half letter to his wife) make for engaging history, and Carell's German perspective adds additional interest. His book is not simply about the Germans; here, they are the protagonists, fighting the good fight against the 'Tommies'. While upholding the Afrika Korps as admirable soldiers and men, Carells' opinion about Germany's political leadership is far less friendly. (The word used for Hitler is "maniac".) How genuine that contempt is I am not sure, but the book stays well away from Europe and allows the reader to enjoy the narrative of strategy and combat removed from the horror of Nazi-controlled Europe.
June 20, 2012
This is the first of Paul Carell's books I have read. I liked the information and stories contained therein, however, I only give this four stars because Herr Carell's writing style, especially in the first third of the book, I found very distracting. He has a tendency of re-emphasizing things multiple times in multiple subsequent paragraphs, which takes up room, but adds no real content to the chapter(s). He will repeatedly illustrate a point about a person, or subject, over and over, in a sentence, in a paragraph, in a follow-up sentence (yes, I got it the first time, thanks; no, really, I did :-/ ). He also on occassion goes off on tangents about things, discussing at length these topics as they applied elsewhere in the war, or earlier in history (e.g., traitors and betrayal) before obliquely coming to the point as to how it might be a concern of/to the DAK or British. He might have saved a bit of room here and there by being more focused on these points.
Now, these aspects aside, there are a lot of good stories contained within the books. I don't have access to the materials Herr Carrell does, so I can't say how much is literary license exaggeration and how much is actual events clothed in a story-telling narrative (Paul Carrell's real name is Karl Schmidt, a well-known German propaganda writer during WWII, so take the stories to what level you will). However, I still enjoyed the stories within the book (Rommel's passing visit of a New Zealand field hospital, Lieutenant-General Bayerlein's account of his and General Cruwell being surrounded by British tanks while in a captured British armoured car, and being mistaken for being Brits not Germans), and appreciate the information given as it helped me flesh out details that I had not known about from other books on the subject of the war in North Africa (i.e., the tonnage of shipping Germany lost to the RAF trying to resupply Rommel) or learn something entirely new (i.e., the Oasis Companies).
In addition, he does have a few pages of photos from the war in North Africa that I had not yet seen elsewhere (not that I have every North Africa WWII book, mind you!). Some of them were quite cool.
If you can get past or through Carell's writing style, and not be distracted by his tangents and repeat emphasis items, you should be able to at the very least enjoy the stories contained within. And maybe learn a tidbit or two about something from that part of the war you didn't know before.
Now, these aspects aside, there are a lot of good stories contained within the books. I don't have access to the materials Herr Carrell does, so I can't say how much is literary license exaggeration and how much is actual events clothed in a story-telling narrative (Paul Carrell's real name is Karl Schmidt, a well-known German propaganda writer during WWII, so take the stories to what level you will). However, I still enjoyed the stories within the book (Rommel's passing visit of a New Zealand field hospital, Lieutenant-General Bayerlein's account of his and General Cruwell being surrounded by British tanks while in a captured British armoured car, and being mistaken for being Brits not Germans), and appreciate the information given as it helped me flesh out details that I had not known about from other books on the subject of the war in North Africa (i.e., the tonnage of shipping Germany lost to the RAF trying to resupply Rommel) or learn something entirely new (i.e., the Oasis Companies).
In addition, he does have a few pages of photos from the war in North Africa that I had not yet seen elsewhere (not that I have every North Africa WWII book, mind you!). Some of them were quite cool.
If you can get past or through Carell's writing style, and not be distracted by his tangents and repeat emphasis items, you should be able to at the very least enjoy the stories contained within. And maybe learn a tidbit or two about something from that part of the war you didn't know before.
February 19, 2020
Tahle knizka mi lezela na stole dlouhou dobu nikoliv ovsem protoze by nebyla dobra, ale protoze jsem ji cetl po druhe. Puvodne jsem cetl vydani z nakladatelstvi Jota. Paul Carrel pise ctive, pokud vam teda nevadi, ze dost glorifikuje vykony Wehrmachtu, byt byly bezpochyby skvele a to obzvlaste v Africe. Nejvetsi vyhoda jeho knih je v tom, ze to neni suchoparny prehled mist, jednotek a udalosti. V Africe to ilustruje na pribezich, ktere se vyslechl primo od ucastniku boju. Pokud jste o bojich v Africe necetli a zajima vas to, tahle kniha je myslim vyborny otvirak. K Rommelovi bych doporucil knihu Mytus Rommel.
April 30, 2013
This book has had a treasured place on my book shelf for years,and I enjoy reading it again when I get the chance.Iwas introduced to the genius of Erwin Rommel many years ago with this book,a respect that hasn't dimmed with the passage of time.I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about the War in North Africa,especially from the German point of view.
May 1, 2010
Best book I've ever read on the Africa campaign.
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