Killing Rommel: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Steven Pressfield
Publisher: Doubleday
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $14.10
You Save: $10.85 (43%)
New (28) from $14.10
Avg. Customer Rating:  36 reviews
Sales Rank: 4820
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.3
ISBN: 0385519702
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780385519700
ASIN: 0385519702
Publication Date: May 6, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new item. Over 3.5 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: B20080725212931T
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
***
To watch videos featuring the story behind Killing Rommel, visit www.KillingRommel.com
***
Steven Pressfield’s quintet of acclaimed, bestselling novels of ancient warfare— Gates of Fire, Tides of War, Last of the Amazons, The Virtues of Wa,r and The Afghan Campaign— have earned him a reputation as a master chronicler of military history, a supremely literate and engaging storyteller, and an author with acute insight into the minds of men in battle. In Killing Rommel Pressfield extends his talents to the modern world with a WWII tale based on the real-life exploits of the Long Range Desert Group, an elite British special forces unit that took on the German Afrika Korps and its legendary commander, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, "the Desert Fox."
Autumn 1942. Hitler’s legions have swept across Europe; France has fallen; Churchill and the English are isolated on their island. In North Africa, Rommel and his Panzers have routed the British Eighth Army and stand poised to overrun Egypt, Suez, and the oilfields of the Middle East. With the outcome of the war hanging in the balance, the British hatch a desperate plan—send a small, highly mobile, and heavily armed force behind German lines to strike the blow that will stop the Afrika Korps in its tracks. Narrated from the point of view of a young lieutenant, Killing Rommel brings to life the flair, agility, and daring of this extraordinary secret unit, the Long Range Desert Group. Stealthy and lethal as the scorpion that serves as their insignia, they live by their motto: Non Vi Sed Arte—Not by Strength, by Guile as they gather intelligence, set up ambushes, and execute raids. Killing Rommel chronicles the tactics, weaponry, and specialized skills needed for combat, under extreme desert conditions. And it captures the camaraderie of this “band of brothers” as they perform the acts of courage and cunning crucial to the Allies’ victory in North Africa.
As in all of his previous novels, Pressfield powerfully renders the drama and intensity of warfare, the bonds of men in close combat, and the surprising human emotions and frailties that come into play on the battlefield. A vivid and authoritative depiction of the desert war, Killing Rommel brilliantly dramatizes an aspect of World War II that hasn’t been in the limelight since Patton. Combining scrupulous historical detail and accuracy with remarkable narrative momentum, this galvanizing novel heralds Pressfield’s gift for bringing more recent history to life.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 31 more reviews...
WWII desert warfare through the eyes of a British soldier July 26, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Steven Pressfield has mastered the art of telling military history from the point of view of a "common" soldier. Four of his five novels of ancient Greece were told from the perspective of a "grunt" who just happened to fight alongside the giants of history - Leonidas, Alexander, Alcibiades, or Theseus. Pressfield only broke form with "The Virtues of War," as told by Alexander the Great himself.
With "Killing Rommel," Pressfield returns to form as he spins the story of (fictional) Lawrence "Chap" Chapman, a young Brit who is trained as to fight in tanks but gets assigned to the intrepid Long Range Desert Group for a super-secret mission - to assassinate Erwin Rommel during the North Africa campaign. While "KR" may be Pressfield's shortest military history novel, it is also replete with action, despair, and romance.
This is an excellent book.
Pressfield almost always reveals his characters' strengths by putting them into positions of hopeless despair. In "Tides of War," he puts the reader into Sicilian jail-pits with defeated Spartans. In "The Afghan Campaign," he puts the captured narrator at the mercy of murderous Afghan tribes. In "Last of the Amazons," the reader experiences of horror of being completely, totally outmatched by a military foe. In "KR," our heroes experience the tortures of fighting the perils of the North African desert, where a flash flood can be as murderous and shocking as a flight of Messerschmitts. I had thought Bartle Bull's novels of Africa were the high-water mark for describing the harsh life in Africa, but while Bull's novels are much more romantic, he's got nothing on Pressfield when it comes to capturing the harsh realities of surviving the desert.
Why only four stars? I hate to admit it, but Pressfield was too successful in assuming the tone of his narrator. To Pressfield, the hallmark of a British soldier is that he never embellishes the truth and plays down his own achievements. And so the novel adopts a clipped tone that in many respects honors Joe Friday's mantra, "Just the facts, ma'am." Overall, this book is not as riveting a read as Pressfield's Greek history novels, although there are quite a few passages where Pressfield allows Chapman to wax a bit more poetic - and these passages pack a wallop.
For Chapman is a terrific character - he goes to war full of the zeal of a young man who has not seen war. And through fighting against one of the greatest soldiers of all time, he emerges from that war a wiser, more sober man . . . who becomes all the more romantic a figure.
I am a huge fan of Mr. Pressfield's books - he's one of my favorite authors. I strongly recommend this book to anyone - my only criticism (perhaps unfair) is that it's not my favorite of Pressfield's books. I'm grading on a curve here, though - an A-minus book by Pressfield is far better than the best novel of most other writers. While I hope Mr. Pressfield writes another novel about WWII, really I just hope he keeps writing.
 Killing Rommel July 25, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
As the old saying goes you can never tell a book by its cover. It was certainly true in this case. I had minimal expectations since I had never heard of Pressfield and the title wasn't much and the cover was sort of garish, but I had read some reviews which were pretty good and since historical novals are my favorite genre and World War II is of special interest to me I thought I'd give it a try. WOW!!!! This book grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go. I'm usually reading 4 or 5 books at a time but I always know when a book is special because I tend to forget the other books and finish that one. I've read lots and lots of World War II books and this certainly ranks with the very best. It's all in the details. The details makes you think that the author was actually there. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I became strangely emotional as I read the postscript which is really unusual. Anyone that has an interest in World War II absolutely has to read this book. I am now going to get some of Pressfield's other books.
 Snoozefest... July 21, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Big fan of the WWII genre, but this book is just plain boring. Lots of driving around, some good descriptions of life in the desert, but not much else. A friend told me about Pressfield, but I'm assuming this is not one of his stronger titles.
Excellent read July 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Killing Rommel by Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of Gates of Fire (a book now taught at West Point) chronicles the factually-inspired expedition of the Long Range Desert Group, an elite British special forces team founded in 1940, to kill Erwin Rommel.
The novel takes the form of a memoir (or perhaps more appropriately war diary) written by the fictional R. Lawrence Chapman, published after Chapman's death and much prodding by his deceased friend's son. It should be noted before reading the novel that the form which it takes presents a certain criterion for fully enjoying Killing Rommel: it is not a textbook, and the Second World War as a whole is not explained in any degree of detail. For the novel to be fully appreciated, it is necessary to approach Killing Rommel with at least a general knowledge of the war in order to put events, people, and places in their appropriate context. To balance this out, Pressfield ensures that the novel is accessible to readers regardless of their education on the war; technical terms are explained where necessary, and the localized nature of Chapman's memoir make little reference to events outside the scope of the book.
Chapman's account of his time spent with the Long Range Desert Group strikes an interesting balance between realistic descriptions of wartime horror and chivalric notions of lifelong romances blossoming in the midst of large-scale conflict. At times the reader is invited to take part in the `greatest generation' sentiment of the Second World War, with Chapman's sense of invigoration and freedom in the desert and a close friend's declaration that he is having the time of his life. Comrades-in-arms take enemy ambushes in stride and engage in playful banter when Jerry comes a-stalking; mid-day `brew ups' under the desert sun are leisurely breaks in the shade of a lorry. This changes, however, as the story progresses and the nature of war is revealed. Chapman's ever-present remorse after a particularly brutish engagement renders tangible the lifelong guilt felt by many soldiers, especially those in roles of authority. An internal exposition makes it clear that Chapman fully appreciates the oft-perceived senseless of war and the humanity of the Enemy, soldiers just like himself who are simply doing what they see as their patriotic duty or the better of undesirable options. This balance between Indiana Jones-style romance and realistic and unapologetic recollection brings out Pressfield's mastery of his genre. The necessity of the LRDG's duty is proven undeniable, but the reader does not finish the book with any illusions that war does not involve immense physical, emotional, and even spiritual pain.
The most remarkable achievement of Killing Rommel is its conveyance of respect for the Enemy, held for common troopers of the opposition but most importantly for Rommel himself. The `Desert Fox' was feared as an individual by nearly all British soldiers in North Africa; Pressfield's novel does nothing to discredit Rommel's character or paint him with stereotypical Nazi colors (and this is especially significant, as Rommel was never a Party member). Hatred never enters Chapman's mind, and his feelings for Rommel probably border on professional admiration. Clearly, Rommel was a military genius who simply had to be removed from the theatre of operations in order for the British Army to succeed. In another time and another place, Rommel could have been a valuable asset to have fighting at one's side.
There is a reason that Steven Pressfield is read at the United States Military Academy, and Killing Rommel is a good introduction to why that is true. Flowing plot and sparse tangential discussions make the novel excellent light reading with heavier implications and food-for-thought.
Superb military historical fiction July 4, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
One can hope that Steven Pressfield will write more historical novels of World War II, for in "Killing Rommel" he establishes himself as an absolute master of the genre.
"Killing Rommel" is the story of the British Long Range Desert Group that ranged through North Africa in 1942 - 43. R. Lawrence Chapman is a young Lieutenant in the armor corps. We are introduced to Chapman in the late 1930s as he attends college, makes friends and falls in love with Rose. War breaks out and Chapman, along with his friends, joins the British military. He marries Rose before he leaves.
All this shapes the primary characters and is a clever device. We trail Chapman through his training and his arrival in Africa. Again, all this is well done stage-setting for what is to come.
Chapman is place on temporary duty with the Long Range Desert Group. Made famous in many books and movies, the "Desert Rats" ranged behind German and Italian lines in North Africa, destroying supply dumps and airplanes, taking prisoners and reconnaissance. Chapman is assigned an observer to report back on possible routes for British armor when - and if - they push the Germans and Italians back.
This mission begins with a very different assignment: to kill German Field Marshall Rommell, the legendary commander of the Afrika Corps.
It is the very well researched story of the Long Range Desert Group mixed in with the fictional Chapman's stay with the unit that makes this novel so memorable.
Chapman is a university graduate, not a professional soldier. He is intelligent and sensitive, not a born warrior. He is a product of English towns, not a desert dweller. And he is only 22 years old.
Pressfield takes us on the harrowing journeys of several LRDG patrols. You can feel the extremes of the desert: broiling hot in the day - bitter cold at night. Each patrol is essentially self-contained, responsible for keeping its few vehicles running. The Germans and Italians know the LRDG patrols are out there and hunt for them with armored cars, tanks and aircraft. This is war and death is a constant companion.
There is constant tension as the patrol makes its way across the desert. This is not a story of unremitting combat - the LRDG wasn't intended to engage in combat except as a last resort. Rather it is the story of incredibly brave men who went off into the desert, knowing very well they could die or be taken prisoner.
Pressfield depicts the strange chivalry of the Desert War. In fact, that chivalry is central to the story.
Chapman becomes real through Pressfield's words and storytelling skills. Each of the characters comes alive. The story takes Chapman through the war and to an extent, beyond it.
I don't want to get into too many details for fear of spoiling it for readers. "Killing Rommel" is terrific military history fiction and well worth reading.
Jerry
|
|
|
