More than just a new German-to-English translation of Rommel’s memoir,
“Erwin Rommel: First War—A New Look At Infantry Attacks” by military historian/author Zita Steele (pen name for Zita Ballinger Fletcher) provides analysis of Rommel’s transformation from a naïve young soldier into a formidable World War II general. This book is an authoritative work on Rommel’s life, his tactical lessons and military career during World War I. It gives a vibrant look at Rommel as a young soldier with many rare photographs and allows readers to “hear” his voice like never before as they witness his transformation into a famous commander. This new take on
“Infantry Attacks!” is exciting to read and provides a better understanding of Rommel’s tactics, his personality as a writer and experiences as World War I veteran.
Features include:
- Richly illustrated with photos from Rommel’s private albums, including First World War photographs, plus all 83 maps he drew for the book
- Detailed introduction illuminates Rommel’s writing style, experiences as a mountain trooper and situation in life when he first left for war, including details about his early relationships with his wife Lucie and girlfriend Walburga Stemmer
- New, vivid and accurate translation of “Infantry Attacks!” faithful to the original German brings Rommel’s colorful writing style to life for readers to “hear” his unique voice
- Censored passages restored in full and translation errors are corrected
- Lost notes restored from Rommel’s previously overlooked phrases he emphasized in tactical lessons now contained in bold to show his military lesson focus points based on his wartime experiences
- Commentary in each chapter shares details about Rommel’s original German text (slang expressions, songs, cultural references and insights into his unique word choices) to better understand exactly what he said and why
- Analysis of Rommel’s transformation from a young soldier into a famous general
- Conclusion examines the impact of Rommel’s first war on his life and career
This well-researched, fascinating book is a must-have for anyone interested in Erwin Rommel.
Zita Steele is the creative pen name of military historian and author Zita Ballinger Fletcher. Zita has written more than 10 books, including the first published collection of Field Marshal Rommel's war photography. She won awards for two of her books in both fiction and nonfiction categories: a Silver Medal for History for "Bernard Montgomery's Art of War," and a Bronze Medal for Historical Fiction for "The Hidden Sphinx: A Tale of World War II Egypt," from the Military Writers Society of America in 2020. Zita received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Honors College at the University of South Florida and is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Military History. She is the editor of Military History Quarterly (MHQ) and Vietnam magazines published by HistoryNet. She lives in Washington, D.C.
