Killing Rommel

Starred review from March 31, 2008
After five novels about conflict in ancient times (Gates of War, etc.), Pressfield effortlessly gives fresh life to wartime romance and the rigors of combat in a superior WWII thriller. Framed as the memoir of a British officer, the book is based on an actual British plot to assassinate the \x93Desert Fox,\x94 German field marshal Erwin Rommel, during late 1942 and early 1943 in North Africa. The author painstakingly sets the stage for later fireworks by charting the prewar career of R. Lawrence \x93Chap\x94 Chapman, especially his relationship with the brilliant but doomed Zachary Stein, Chap's tutor and mentor at Oxford. Chap also falls in love with sexy Rose McCall, whose brains and brass later get her posted to naval intelligence in Egypt. As a young lieutenant, Chap joins the team assembled to go after Rommel. Pressfield expertly juxtaposes the personal with the historical, with authentic battle descriptions. Crisp writing carries readers through success, failure and a final face-to-face encounter with Rommel that's no less exciting for knowing the outcome.

With so much already written about WWII, one wonders why there's a need for historical fiction such as Steven Pressfield's KILLING ROMMEL. After all, it's hard to imagine stories more compelling than the ones we've already heard from this era. Despite this impediment, KILLING ROMMEL is a surprisingly fresh and entertaining story of Britain's efforts to halt German Field Marshall Erwin Rommel's assault into North Africa and the Middle East. Alfred Molina gives a dynamic performance, combining an intense delivery with a flawless sense of timing. In addition, his accents and delivery are realistic and low-key, thus avoiding a formulaic or stereotypical performance that would detract from the story. Fans of Pressfield's earlier stories of ancient history will welcome his latest effort. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine