Rommel was to become the most respected of all generals in World War Two but no-one outside of a small clique in the German Army had heard of him in 1917. His role at the Battle of Caporetto in 1917 where the Italian Army was humiliated at a catastrophic defeat has received little attention yet it was the springboard for his future success. This makes for a fascinating and important story. The book, by the authors of The British Army in Italy 1917—1918, is based largely on official histories and documents, and on Rommel’s own account, which gives some insight into the qualities that he was later to exhibit in France and in North Africa.
