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Field Marshal Rommel has been described as one of the ten greatest military commanders of all time. This is the first biography of this charismatic leader to rely almost entirely on the original records of the period. David Irving's exhaustive research led him to a dusty personnel file on the young Rommel - applying and being turned down - for army commissions; the long lost Rommel Diaries, dictated day by day to an army corporal and covering the two momentous years of his triumphs and defeats in North Africa, and numerous other private papers. From them emerges the picture of both the outstanding soldier and the military commander, who tactical genius, brilliance on the battlefield, and extraordinary exploits captured the world, and of the private man - Rommel as a husband and father.
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About the Author:
A professional historian of noted distinction, David Irving has researched and written about the Third Reich with passionate insight for many years. His first book, 'The Destruction of Dresden', was just one of several startling international bestsellers, which include 'Churchill's War' and 'Hitler's War'. The son of a Royal Navy commander, he was Educated at Imperial College of Science & Technology and at University College London. He spent a year in Germany working in a steel mill, perfecting his fluency in the language. Among his thirty books, the best known include 'Hitler's War'; 'The Trail of the Fox: The Life of Field-Marshal Rommel'; 'Accident, the Death of General Sikorski'; 'The Rise and Fall of the Luftwaffe', Goebbels: Mastermind of the Third Reich'; 'Nuremberg: The Last Battle'; and 'Goering: a Biography'. He has also translated several works by other authors. He lives in London and is the father of five daughters. He maintains an extensive website, updated daily, dealing with both historical and current events, commenting in his uniquely British way on all matters of import.
Review:
The most thrilling war book I have ever read. It yanks Rommel out of the hazy aureole of legend and flings him down before his Hungering for medals, escaping unscathed while a shell blows his comrade's back off, restaging whole battles for propagandists. I culd no more stop reading this book than the French could stop Rommel's panzers. --David Kahn, Author of THE CODEBREAKERS
A fascinating study of the brilliant Rommel. It enables the reader to experience the emortions of a warrior in battle. --General Mark W. Clark
Suberb narrative history, rendered with an intimacy that transcends print. The central character is drawn with a skill no novelist would disdain... Mr. Irving has pictured Rommel in a harsh light, but he has combined his qualities, strengths, weaknesses, and vanities in such a way that he breathes life on every page. --Thomas Lask, The NEW YORK TIMES
Irving's "Trail of the Fox" is not your typical biography. It is a fast-paced, almost novelistic read that moves swiftly through the career of this legendary soldier, trying to give the reader a taste of the man rather than an exhaustive list of his doings and accomplishments. Using his close relationships with ex-Afrika Korps officers as well as Manfred and Luci Rommel and their papers and photographs, Irving achieves what he sets out to do in a fast-paced, if somewhat terse read. The image we get of Rommel as a youth is a blurry watercolor sketch that periodically comes into sharp focus: a puny and somewhat sickly lad from an uninspired civil-service family who literally willed himself into an excellent officer cadet and later during the First World War, into a superb tactician. He showed his form early as a young lieutenant of mountain troops, driving his men forward without regard for fear or fatigue, but always with concern for their well-being, and always from the front. His accomplishments -- Iron Crosses first and second class, wound badges and the famous "Blue Max" -- were matched only by his ambition. In the quest for Prussia's highest award for valor Rommel showed a frightening self-obsession that he was often to show as an older man: a hunger for award, praise, and recognition. He also showed his capacity to alienate other officers, a habit he kept up his entire career and which may have cost him his life, and some personal pettiness, using every opportunity to exact vengeance on his rivals. The interwar years saw Rommel serve as an instructor at a military school and pen "Infantry Attacks" a best-selling and seminal book on small-unit tactics that not only brought him to the attention of Adolf Hitler, but remains in the library at West Point to this day. As CO of Hitler's Poland HQ, Rommel again captured Hitler's attention with his fearless treatment of Nazi bigwigs, and landed command of the 7th Panzer Division for the attack on France. It was here that the Rommel legend was born again, as the "Spook Division" blazed a reckless path across to the English Channel. Rommel's conduct here typified his adult personality: he was utterly fearless, physically inexhaustable, indifferent to logistical problems, and unwilling to subordinate himself to higher authority or to recognize that he was part of a greater strategic situation. He was also keenly aware of propaganda, and reveled in theatrics -- two traits which cemented his later fame. An avowed Hitler-worshipper, he was Hitler's first choice to command the small German expeditionary force to Africa. It is this part of Irving's book which brings Rommel into the sharpest clarity, for it was in "Afrika" that the "Desert Fox" legend was born. Rallying demoralized Italian troops, and throwing his meager German forces around as if they were much larger, Rommel quickly issued a series of humiliating beatings on the hitherto triumphant British, and begun the two years of see-saw, give-and-take warfare that marked the North African campaign. Rommel's strengths -- courage, charisma, the ability to inspire others and a matchless tactical genius -- were tested by his weaknesses -- wilfull blindness to inconvenient facts, lack of strategic vision, inability to politick, and a tendency to run out into battle and saddle his staff with the important decisions. --M. G Watson TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE
Irving cut right to the bone with his book on Rommel. While some people would have you think that Rommel was the best military genius/strategist in history, Irving paints the man for who he really was. Being in no way disrespectful to Rommel's memory, Irving show's the mans strengths and weaknesses in a way that most military leaders of today would do well to learn about from reading this book. Rommel was loved by his troops (but not his officers) and the German public, but ego-mania and micro-management were two of his most glaring flaws. Irving shows these flaws and how the affected Rommel's fighting force and his command climate though the observations of the DAK and Pz Armee Afrika staff officers and troop unit commanders, as well as Rommels own recorded actions from both military and personal accounts. Rommel's love of attention is shown clearly thoughout the book, but again, Irving uses it to show that Rommel was human and had downfalls like everyone else on the planet. Particular attention is paid to Rommel's early military career, and most importantly to his WW1 exploits, and his rivalry with fellow Field Marshal, Ferdinand Schoerner, both of whom were infantry platoon leaders during Germany's campaign in Italy, and both of whom were awarded the Pour le Merite for two consecutive battles. This rivalry directly influenced his actions after WW1, and during WW2, and cannot be overlooked when looking at Rommel as a military leader. This book needs to be read by all who desire to gain an insight on this charasmatic leader. I've read most of the books printed on Rommel (Desmond Young; "Rommel: In his Own Words"; Liddell Hart "The Rommel Papers"; Hans von Luck's book "Panzer Commander"; von Mellenthin's "Panzer Battles"; "Knight's Cross"; Ruge's "W/ Rommel in Normandy"; etc...) and have found this one to be the most informative and in-depth of them all. It also has provided me with enormous insight as to why the first battle of Tobruk failed and the real reasons behind the DAK's lack of supplies, which wasn't the Italian High Command failing to follow through, but Tripoli's inability to cope with large amounts of inbound shipping. If you have a very narrow minded view of Rommel and the DAK, then DON'T READ THIS BOOK. It WILL disappoint you since it doesn't conform to the "Rommel is a God of War" theme that most authors have put forth, and attacks him mildly, from time to time, for his percieved inability to cope with situations that didn't follow his plans. As a military officer myself, I've found wonderful tidbits of knowledge that transcend all levels of leadership. It's really made me think about the military and my career, as well has history on many differnet levels. If you can deal with someone else's view on a subject, even when it's different from your own, then by all means READ THIS BOOK! IT'S EXCELLENT!!! --J. Bender
A fascinating study of the brilliant Rommel. It enables the reader to experience the emortions of a warrior in battle. --General Mark W. Clark
Suberb narrative history, rendered with an intimacy that transcends print. The central character is drawn with a skill no novelist would disdain... Mr. Irving has pictured Rommel in a harsh light, but he has combined his qualities, strengths, weaknesses, and vanities in such a way that he breathes life on every page. --Thomas Lask, The NEW YORK TIMES
Irving's "Trail of the Fox" is not your typical biography. It is a fast-paced, almost novelistic read that moves swiftly through the career of this legendary soldier, trying to give the reader a taste of the man rather than an exhaustive list of his doings and accomplishments. Using his close relationships with ex-Afrika Korps officers as well as Manfred and Luci Rommel and their papers and photographs, Irving achieves what he sets out to do in a fast-paced, if somewhat terse read. The image we get of Rommel as a youth is a blurry watercolor sketch that periodically comes into sharp focus: a puny and somewhat sickly lad from an uninspired civil-service family who literally willed himself into an excellent officer cadet and later during the First World War, into a superb tactician. He showed his form early as a young lieutenant of mountain troops, driving his men forward without regard for fear or fatigue, but always with concern for their well-being, and always from the front. His accomplishments -- Iron Crosses first and second class, wound badges and the famous "Blue Max" -- were matched only by his ambition. In the quest for Prussia's highest award for valor Rommel showed a frightening self-obsession that he was often to show as an older man: a hunger for award, praise, and recognition. He also showed his capacity to alienate other officers, a habit he kept up his entire career and which may have cost him his life, and some personal pettiness, using every opportunity to exact vengeance on his rivals. The interwar years saw Rommel serve as an instructor at a military school and pen "Infantry Attacks" a best-selling and seminal book on small-unit tactics that not only brought him to the attention of Adolf Hitler, but remains in the library at West Point to this day. As CO of Hitler's Poland HQ, Rommel again captured Hitler's attention with his fearless treatment of Nazi bigwigs, and landed command of the 7th Panzer Division for the attack on France. It was here that the Rommel legend was born again, as the "Spook Division" blazed a reckless path across to the English Channel. Rommel's conduct here typified his adult personality: he was utterly fearless, physically inexhaustable, indifferent to logistical problems, and unwilling to subordinate himself to higher authority or to recognize that he was part of a greater strategic situation. He was also keenly aware of propaganda, and reveled in theatrics -- two traits which cemented his later fame. An avowed Hitler-worshipper, he was Hitler's first choice to command the small German expeditionary force to Africa. It is this part of Irving's book which brings Rommel into the sharpest clarity, for it was in "Afrika" that the "Desert Fox" legend was born. Rallying demoralized Italian troops, and throwing his meager German forces around as if they were much larger, Rommel quickly issued a series of humiliating beatings on the hitherto triumphant British, and begun the two years of see-saw, give-and-take warfare that marked the North African campaign. Rommel's strengths -- courage, charisma, the ability to inspire others and a matchless tactical genius -- were tested by his weaknesses -- wilfull blindness to inconvenient facts, lack of strategic vision, inability to politick, and a tendency to run out into battle and saddle his staff with the important decisions. --M. G Watson TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE
Irving cut right to the bone with his book on Rommel. While some people would have you think that Rommel was the best military genius/strategist in history, Irving paints the man for who he really was. Being in no way disrespectful to Rommel's memory, Irving show's the mans strengths and weaknesses in a way that most military leaders of today would do well to learn about from reading this book. Rommel was loved by his troops (but not his officers) and the German public, but ego-mania and micro-management were two of his most glaring flaws. Irving shows these flaws and how the affected Rommel's fighting force and his command climate though the observations of the DAK and Pz Armee Afrika staff officers and troop unit commanders, as well as Rommels own recorded actions from both military and personal accounts. Rommel's love of attention is shown clearly thoughout the book, but again, Irving uses it to show that Rommel was human and had downfalls like everyone else on the planet. Particular attention is paid to Rommel's early military career, and most importantly to his WW1 exploits, and his rivalry with fellow Field Marshal, Ferdinand Schoerner, both of whom were infantry platoon leaders during Germany's campaign in Italy, and both of whom were awarded the Pour le Merite for two consecutive battles. This rivalry directly influenced his actions after WW1, and during WW2, and cannot be overlooked when looking at Rommel as a military leader. This book needs to be read by all who desire to gain an insight on this charasmatic leader. I've read most of the books printed on Rommel (Desmond Young; "Rommel: In his Own Words"; Liddell Hart "The Rommel Papers"; Hans von Luck's book "Panzer Commander"; von Mellenthin's "Panzer Battles"; "Knight's Cross"; Ruge's "W/ Rommel in Normandy"; etc...) and have found this one to be the most informative and in-depth of them all. It also has provided me with enormous insight as to why the first battle of Tobruk failed and the real reasons behind the DAK's lack of supplies, which wasn't the Italian High Command failing to follow through, but Tripoli's inability to cope with large amounts of inbound shipping. If you have a very narrow minded view of Rommel and the DAK, then DON'T READ THIS BOOK. It WILL disappoint you since it doesn't conform to the "Rommel is a God of War" theme that most authors have put forth, and attacks him mildly, from time to time, for his percieved inability to cope with situations that didn't follow his plans. As a military officer myself, I've found wonderful tidbits of knowledge that transcend all levels of leadership. It's really made me think about the military and my career, as well has history on many differnet levels. If you can deal with someone else's view on a subject, even when it's different from your own, then by all means READ THIS BOOK! IT'S EXCELLENT!!! --J. Bender
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- PublisherFocal Point Publications
- Publication date2009
- ISBN 10 1872197299
- ISBN 13 9781872197296
- BindingPaperback
- Edition number4
- Number of pages494
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The Trail of the Fox: The Search for the True Field Marshal Rommel
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Focal Point Publications
(2009)
ISBN 10: 1872197299
ISBN 13: 9781872197296
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