Das Afrika Korps by Franz Kurowski
This is a fascinating book that looks at perhaps one of the most interesting personalities of World War, that of Erwin Rommel, aka the Desert Fox. Rommel made a name for himself as the most successful generals in the German Army, for nearly three years .
Rommel was one of the few German commanders' that everyone from the Prime Minister Winston Churchill to General George Patton knew, respected and hated.
What was fascinating was that this book explored how Rommel failed to win, the enemy was the fact that he never had air superiority, never was he equipped with sufficient air craft to gain control of the air and even when Germany was in a position to occupy and control Malta, a British island that was a main air and naval base, there was no follow through.
The fact that the British controlled the air and sea, crippled Rommel, he was never able to get the necessary supplies to keep his forces mobile and engaged by the end, and he never had the support of Hitler, who felt that Russia was the main area where forces needed to be deployed,.
Das Afrika Korps explores the politics, the battles and the human cost of a campaign that has to some degree been not explored or investigated as deeply as other campaigns,such as D-Day and Midway.
The book is written first hand, for Kurowsky had been a journalist during the war and interviewed several of survivors after the war and gained their insight and even some moments of humor.
The end is brief and abrupt and happens with less detail and depth than the build up, yet with Rommel removed it becomes a rapid descent into defeat and perhaps that is the irony of the book, for with Rommel in command the worst still seemed to be possible victories, and in many cases were,
Overall Das Afrika Korps is a well written and fascinating book, if you have ever wondered what Rommel was like as a commanding officer, or how he managed to defeat some of Brittani's Generals, this will will tell you that and more.
This is a fascinating book that looks at perhaps one of the most interesting personalities of World War, that of Erwin Rommel, aka the Desert Fox. Rommel made a name for himself as the most successful generals in the German Army, for nearly three years .
Rommel was one of the few German commanders' that everyone from the Prime Minister Winston Churchill to General George Patton knew, respected and hated.
What was fascinating was that this book explored how Rommel failed to win, the enemy was the fact that he never had air superiority, never was he equipped with sufficient air craft to gain control of the air and even when Germany was in a position to occupy and control Malta, a British island that was a main air and naval base, there was no follow through.
The fact that the British controlled the air and sea, crippled Rommel, he was never able to get the necessary supplies to keep his forces mobile and engaged by the end, and he never had the support of Hitler, who felt that Russia was the main area where forces needed to be deployed,.
Das Afrika Korps explores the politics, the battles and the human cost of a campaign that has to some degree been not explored or investigated as deeply as other campaigns,such as D-Day and Midway.
The book is written first hand, for Kurowsky had been a journalist during the war and interviewed several of survivors after the war and gained their insight and even some moments of humor.
The end is brief and abrupt and happens with less detail and depth than the build up, yet with Rommel removed it becomes a rapid descent into defeat and perhaps that is the irony of the book, for with Rommel in command the worst still seemed to be possible victories, and in many cases were,
Overall Das Afrika Korps is a well written and fascinating book, if you have ever wondered what Rommel was like as a commanding officer, or how he managed to defeat some of Brittani's Generals, this will will tell you that and more.
