Pressfield, Steven. Killing Rommel

Kliatt, Sept, 2008 by John E. Boyd

PRESSFIELD, Steven. Killing Rommel. Read by Alfred Molina. 9 cds. 10.5 hrs. Recorded Books. 2008. 978-1-4281-8080-2. $102.75. Vinyl; plot notes. SA*

This rip-roaring WW II adventure blends history and fiction superlatively. It is the fictional journal that Patrol Commander R.L. Chapman keeps during the Desert War of 1942. Chapman is a member of a British combat unit whose mission is to go behind German lines and locate and kill Field Marshall Erwin Rommel. Chapman and his crew roam the desert seeking their objective. They overcome breakdowns, flat tires, severe temperature changes, and other problems and dangers. The unit give it their all but do not succeed. Rommel was one of the most highly regarded military leaders of WW II. He was respected by friend and foe alike and earned the sobriquet "Desert Fox" for his daring exploits in the North Africa Campaign. Rommel led the vaunted German Afrika Korps that drove across the Sahara and threatened to capture the Suez Canal, Egypt and the Middle East oil fields. If he succeeded, it could mean the end of the war. Initially, he appeared invincible as his tanks tore across the desert routing the British at every turn. How he was stopped is interesting.

This story has heroism, chivalry, camaraderie, narrow escapes, and all sorts of derring-do. Excitement runs high and profanity and graphic violence are low. Molina's excellent reading enhances the well-written narrative. His fully voiced, multi-English-accented performance adds to the drama and realism. He covers all levels of the class-conscious British army from the streetwise non-com to the cultured officer and gives each character his own personality. A perfect combination of author and reader. Prof. John E. Boyd, Jenkintown, PA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.