The Desert Fox: Rise, Wars, and Betrayal of Erwin Rommel

The Desert Fox: The Rise, Wars, and Betrayal of Erwin Rommel October 14, 1944. Two generals arrive at Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's door with a choice: a cyanide capsule and a hero's funeral, or a public trial and a traitor's death. He chooses the poison. Within hours, Germany is told its most beloved general died of his wounds. The truth stays buried for decades. Rommel was the most famous soldier of World War II, a tank commander so respected by his enemies that Churchill praised him in Parliament, even as German propaganda built him into the legendary "Desert Fox." This narrative history follows his full career: the desert campaigns that made his name, the myth-making machine behind it, and the darker record historians have only recently uncovered. It's the story of a brilliant commander and the legend built around him, and the gap between the two. Includes a timeline, key figures, a glossary, and discussion questions for readers and book clubs!