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Rommel;
Of the greatest names in German military history Rommel stands out as a man apart. His exploits during his years of battle showed a breath-taking audacity and an imaginative approach to lighting consistent with the greatest commanders of all time.
Erwin Rommel came from a typical, military middle-class environment in provincial Germany. He grew up in Bismarck’s Second Reich, saw it collapse in 1918 and witnessed Germany struggle through the 1920’s and emerge again under Hitler’s regime before the final cataclysm of the Second World War.
Like many great commanders Rommel remains an enigma, for although his life spanned a period of his country’s most turbulent politics he seemed insulated from its influences - only awakened by the demands of battle to military achievements so spectacular that they have insured his reputation in the history of war.
In this book Charles Douglas-Home takes a new look at the tactical genius of Rommel and at the legend behind the leader of the famed Afrika Korps. He retells, in depth, the advance of his ‘ghost’ division through France in May and June of 1940, Rommel’s failure to take Tobruk in November 1941, the Gazala Boxes of May and June 1942, the major battles of El Alamein and the Battle of Kasserine in February 1943.
The author explores Rommel’s qualities as a man, as a leader and as a soldier, explaining how this charismatic commander came to capture the imagination of the Allies and the Axis powers alike.
16 page: of colour plates
100 illustrations in black and white
Erwin Rommel came from a typical, military middle-class environment in provincial Germany. He grew up in Bismarck’s Second Reich, saw it collapse in 1918 and witnessed Germany struggle through the 1920’s and emerge again under Hitler’s regime before the final cataclysm of the Second World War.
Like many great commanders Rommel remains an enigma, for although his life spanned a period of his country’s most turbulent politics he seemed insulated from its influences - only awakened by the demands of battle to military achievements so spectacular that they have insured his reputation in the history of war.
In this book Charles Douglas-Home takes a new look at the tactical genius of Rommel and at the legend behind the leader of the famed Afrika Korps. He retells, in depth, the advance of his ‘ghost’ division through France in May and June of 1940, Rommel’s failure to take Tobruk in November 1941, the Gazala Boxes of May and June 1942, the major battles of El Alamein and the Battle of Kasserine in February 1943.
The author explores Rommel’s qualities as a man, as a leader and as a soldier, explaining how this charismatic commander came to capture the imagination of the Allies and the Axis powers alike.
16 page: of colour plates
100 illustrations in black and white
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
17 people want to read
About the author
Charles Douglas-Home
12 booksCharles Cospatrick Douglas-Home was a Scottish journalist who served as editor of The Times from 1982 until his death. Douglas-Home was the younger son of the Honourable Henry Douglas-Home and a nephew of the former British Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 28, 2011
This book is quite an old one. I think it was written in the 1970's. Maybe opinion on Rommel has changed since then. It's a nice short book looking at his military career. I didn't want anything too in depth. Just something to give me the overall idea. There were no fascinating insights into Rommel's character. the only thing I didn't already know was how he could be a little reckless from time to time. The book gives the usual story of him being a 'soldier's soldier'. Not over praising him but a seemingly fair account. It wasn't a rip-roaring read but a book I'm glad to have read. It had been on my 'to read' pile for a very long time.
The strange part was reading about a man who was sending his troops to fight against my Grandad's formation.
The strange part was reading about a man who was sending his troops to fight against my Grandad's formation.
January 25, 2015
Erwin Rommel's stature as one of the great generals in military history is confirmed in this masterful account by Charles Douglas-Home. The author does not gloss over Rommel's faults but reveals how he shares certain characteristics with the other great military leaders. It was Rommel's misfortune, along with certain other German generals,to serve the monstrous Nazi regime and its demented fuhrer.
October 2, 2019
Moves at a brisk pace, which is fitting considering the subject, and covers the entire history of Rommel. Not quite in-depth but not lacking in detail either, which makes the reading easy. It's a real intriguing story, full of triumph and disaster, and of course it ends rather bleakly. One does not quite get a sense of Rommel's brilliance, in fact quite often I got the sense he was rather more reckless than strictly necessary, but these and other shortcomings are thoroughly discussed by the author.
Even the paperback, which I read, has a good amount of photos in it—and maps as well, which are always a welcome addition to books like this.
Even the paperback, which I read, has a good amount of photos in it—and maps as well, which are always a welcome addition to books like this.
August 31, 2021
"Rommel" by Charles Douglas-Home is a straight-forward brief overview of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel. Accompanied by a plethora of photos of Rommel and the every day view of the desert war, Douglas-Home sheds light on the all too human military man Rommel was. An otherwise mundane, stick to the rules army officer, Rommel also happened to be in the right place at the right time to rise in Nazi Germany's army. That is, until the end. "Rommel" is a quick read, but a very good study of the real person behind the larger than life persona and in some eyes, hero on the wrong side of the lines, of World War II.
August 5, 2021
Nothing extraordinary, but still a nice book to have around, especially given the relatively large format (bigger than a normal hardcover but not quite an actual "coffee-table book"). Mr. Douglas-Home tries, fairly successfully, to avoid taking sides in the then still relatively active controversy surrounding the battles at El Alamein, which is a nice demonstration of skillful diplomacy. The author was for a number of years defence correspondent for the Times of London, and like many of similar background seems to have found little or no difficulty in writing history rather than news. A nice touch are the maps, by Richard Natkiel, whose work I have always found to be impressive...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews