During World War II, North Africa was the battleground to one “Desert Fox” — or, as most people would know him, Erwin Rommel, a German tank commander who was respected by all who faced him. Steven Pressfield’s new novel KILLING ROMMEL portrays itself as a lost manuscript of a longtime friend who fought in the North African campaign.
We are told that a now-deceased editor by the name of Chapman never thought there would be any interest in his diary-like manuscript about his wartime experience. It starts out with Chapman going through his upbringing and his schooling, introducing readers to friends and family who will play major parts in his decision making. Then we find him in the Long Range Desert Group, a real-life fighting force on which most of this book is based (even if Chapman is fictitious).
The story deals with Chapman’s group being used as a scouting party to find the positions of the German armies. His group has its run-Ins with the enemy throughout the book, right down to running low on petrol and making their way across treacherous terrain. Even when Chapman is stricken with disease and given an out by one of his friends, he only wants to get back to his unit to continue the good fight, and his manuscript shows the honor and chivalry that some officers still displayed in this brutal war.
Pressfield’s novel is steeped in historical accuracy of how these men fought in desert conditions. He really did his homework to get this all sounding correct, right down to using only initials for people whose identities he wanted to keep secret. It all leads to a true act of honor among enemies, with Chapman making a decision that earns respect from others.
KILLING ROMMEL is great historical fiction that makes you believe that this whole account is real, right down to the opening and closing where the narrator details his relationship with Chapman. Pressfield paints such a clear and vivid picture that gives you a “you are there” atmosphere so few others can pull off. —Bruce Grossman
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- A Killing in Comics
- B.P.R.D.: Killing Ground
- Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story
- Psi-Man: Deathscape
- The Traveler
