Fox at the Front [Anglais] [Poche]

In "Fox at the Front" , we are treated to the reasons for Rommel's prompt capitulation. We then see Rommel as a true German patriot , wanting to save his homeland from further devestation and subjugation by the Soviet Union. The other really central and essental character is US general George S. Patton , old "blood and guts" himself. Initially , Rommel's surrender order is obeyed by the elements of the Wehrmacht under his immediate control , but the agressive Obersturmbahnfuhrer Jochen Peiper of the SS prevents the forces under general Heinz Guderian from complying with the order. The SS divisions wind up attacking the remaining Wehrmacht forces , causing the emergency formation of an Allied-German alliance with the surrendered forces under Rommel's command.

Basically , the war continues : "German Republic" forces , allong with Patton's 3rd Army continue to pursue Peiper's SS forces through the Rheinpfaltz , and force the crossing of the Rhine itself in an effort to terminate the conflict. Enter the Russians ; Stalin sees an opportunity for an easy victory in the east , and hence breaks the "truce" earlier negotiated with Heinrich Himmler.

Many subplots and new characters keep the reader well entertained. Many of the characters from the first novel , such as Rommel's devoted driver , Kark-Heinz Claussen , find expanded roles in this sequel. Through many exciting twists and turns , we are brought to a rousing finish at the siege of Berlin -- a standoff between the Grman-American-British forces facing the Soviet juggernaut of Marshall's Zukhov and Konev.

My general "take" on this AH novel : MUCH better than the first effort ; the authors cleaned up their usage of the German military ranks , including the somewhat arcane SS ranks. The characters are not as "cartoon-like" as in the "Fox on the Rhine" , and are much more three dimensional. There are actually exceptional descriptive writing passages later in the book. The writing styles have improved alot , and the action tends to flow more seamlessly than before. Overall a strong 4 star effort , and definitely "must read".

The overarching historical events-from Rommel's defection to the Allies (with a large chunk of the German armies), to the establishment of a German Republic separate from Nazi Germany, to the discovery of the concentration camps, to the fallout of the secret treaty between Himmler and Stalin, to the bitter-end fighting of the SS, to the inexorable advance of the Soviet legions-challenge the characters both big and small. Insights into the global vision of Roosevelt and Stalin and the regional concerns of Rommel, Patton, Himmler, and Eisenhower are balanced by sympathetic depictions of extraordinary "joe averages"-Rommel's mechanically skilled and devoted driver, an ex-Hitler Youth American intelligence officer, a battle scarred spearheading tank commander, a too-young zealous SS trooper, an up-and-coming Soviet commissar, a long-in-the-tooth AP editor turned field reporter, and many more. The actions and words of the historical characters offer interesting glimpses of their personalities while the three-dimensional portrayal of the "lesser" actors puts a human face on world-shattering events.

As a casual WWII fan, I learned many interesting things from this book. The vast resources in both men and machines of the Soviet Union emphasized just how outmatched the Germans were on the Eastern Front. So numerous were those forces that combining the Allied and German forces together still left them vastly outnumbered. This brings home the absurdity of the idea of crushing Communism after defeating the Nazis. The Western world was fortunate that Stalin decided not to press his advantage and take more of Europe in those closing days. In view of this overwhelming mismatch, Roosevelt's willingness to "give" Stalin Eastern Europe in an effort to build a lasting peace is presented as not only reasonable but perhaps the only acceptable choice available. At one point, Roosevelt expresses his faith that history would validate Western representative democracy over Soviet-style Communism. This forms a neat rationale justifying the least atrocious of otherwise nightmarish choices.

Best of all, the fascinating historical interplay is packaged in a heck of a page-turning story. It's one of the those books that a guilty glance at the lateness of the hour is excused by a little voice saying "just one more chapter."

The book left me with one major question for Niles and Dobson-What the heck is going on in the Pacific?