Rommel & Patton

by Richard Rohmer

0772516235 Irwin Publishing, published 1986, hardcover, First Edition, Very good condition. A fictionalised theory of how World War II might have ended. Foreword by Sir William Stephenson [The Man Called Intrepid]. 318pp, photo illustrated. Nice clean copy. Tight binding. Unclipped dustjacket.

318 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1986

About the author

Major-General (Ret'd) Richard Heath Rohmer, OC, CMM, DFC, O.Ont, KStJ, CD, OL, QC, JD, LLD (born in 1924). Canada's most decorated citizen, an aviator, a senior lawyer (aviation law), adviser to business leaders and the Government of Ontario and is a prolific writer. Rohmer was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and spent some of his early youth in Pasadena, California as well as in western Ontario at Windsor and Fort Erie.

The Peterborough Examiner's lead editorial of 14 January 2009 says this: "Rohmer, one of Canada's most colourful figures of the past half-century, was a World War II fighter pilot, later a major-general in the armed forces reserve, a high-profile lawyer and a successful novelist and biographer."

Reviews

[Reading Rohmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Desert Fox dominates the first half of this novel, only to be taken out of action by the author. Again (see: Epilogue). Feldmarschall Günther von Kluge takes his place, attempting to negotiate an armistice on the Western Front with uniform fetishist General George S. Patton, Jr. Rommel, Kluge… it makes no difference. Rommel and Patton lays the Great Man theory to rest, unless one considers Stalin a great man.

The most self-serving work of fiction in Canadian literature, the novel offers another opportunity for Rohmer to explore his pet theory that General Bernard Law Montgomery was to blame for the Falaise Gap. “It was Montgomery! History will prove I’m right someday”, cries the fictional Patton. In the author’s imagination Old Blood and Guts is proven right by none other than Richard Rohmer (see: Patton's Gap).

More: Rommel and Patton discussed at the Reading Richard Rohmer blog.

[Skuzzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

If faced with suicide or having to read a Richard Rohmer book, I'd choose suicide. I find more enjoyment in reading encyclopedias than this travesty of fiction. Every moment of it was tedious and painful.

[Les Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book that takes the framework of facts and fleshes out the story in novel form. The book was very popular when it was released. It was written by an RAF Mustang pilot who later became General Richard Rohmer. This man served in the same Canadian unit as my first cousin, one generation removed, Homer Lynn Wolf. Homer was killed in the air during the Battle of Normandy.

[The Villan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting alternative version of historical events based on actual WW2 documents.