The Rommel Papers - Easton Press Leather Bound Collector's Edition | WWII Military History Book | Perfect for History Buffs & Book Collectors

AWESOME book! The German General (known as the Desert Fox) kept diaries and this book contains those diaries along with letters Rommel wrote to his wife from the front. These entries provide a live, in the moment insight into battles. They place the reader in the midst of a tank army moving through campaigns. Unlike memoirs which are written after time and reflection, the diary format is raw and unfiltered. The reader sees and feels the heat of battle up close as Rommel details the campaign against France during the Blitzkrieg early phase of World War II, then on to Africa as Rommel details desert warfare and the siege of Tobruk, the drive to El Alamein and the subsequent loss to the British forces and retreat from El Alamein. The description of the battle of El Alamein is intense as Rommel details the vastly oversupplied British force pounding the Germans from the air and on the ground. The description is so live and intense that the reader can almost hear and feel the aerial carpet bombing of the RAF and pounding of the artillery and tank fire.There is also some description of the preparation and parts of the German defense after the Allied landing in Normandy and again, some of the descriptions of the now vastly oversupplied Allied force pounding the German troops is very raw. The book ends with Rommel's son describing Rommel's participation in the plot to kill Hitler and the day the Nazi security services paid a visit to Rommel's house and gave him 15 minutes to decide if he will commit suicide and be buried with honor and have his family left in peace or if he wants to go to a Nazi trial. Rommel chose suicide.The book has some interesting detail on Rommel's views of and discussions with Hitler and Mussolini. It seems he held both in lower regard as the war went on. He also describes a German High command which was detached from reality on the ground, once quoting Goering as saying "...the Americans only know how to build razor blades" as Rommel was describing the impact of increasing American supplies to the Allies.There are also some amusing descriptions of the Italian troops under Rommel's command in Africa and some interesting insights on Rommel's leadership philosophy. One quote I found especially useful was: "There is one cardinal principle which must always be remembered: One must never make a show of false emotions to one's men. The ordinary soldier has a surprisingly good nose for what is true and what false"Well put...