Infantry Attacks Hardcover – January 1, 2009

This book is what got me interested in reading books that didn't just have pictures. And this was when I was 17 and I hated reading stuff like this with a passion.

I have no words for how AWESOME it is. A most read. Shows how Rommel was able to accomplish gargantuan tasks and not only win but go beyond that. Like a preview for his battles in Africa

This is a real great book. This is my second time reading it. General Patton read the book. Rummel was only greatest field Marshall of our time.

This book is a fascinating look into the mind of one of Germany's greatest military leaders. General Field Marshall Rommel describes his World War I combat experience in exceptional detail. Unfortunately, his writing style is somewhat dry and mechanical. This shortcoming, however, is easily overlooked by the fact that these are the experiences of Rommel in his own words.The first half of the book focuses on Rommel's activities in the Western Front where he fought against the French and Belgians. The second half describes his combat experience against the Rumanians and Italians in the Balkans. This second half provides an outstanding look at the difficulties of mountain warfare.His writing style is straight forward and the book is essentially a collection of stories. Each narrative is a mechanical or "nuts and bolts" type description of that particular action. By describing each battle, Rommel opens a window into his tactical thinking. He frequently emphasized the need for good reconnaissance and intelligence. He always tried to obtain a firm grasp of his situation before launching an attack. He also displayed an aggressive style that frequently brought him victory from what appeared to be hopeless situations.Bottom line: this book provides insight into the mind of one of the world's greatest tacticians. Rommel's aggressive nature and his insistence on solid intelligence were clearly the keys to his numerous victories. Despite the cumbersome writing style, this book is a great tutorial on infantry tactics. Many of these lessons are still applicable today.

Rommel on InfantryErwin Rommel wrote this book originally titled, "Infanterie Greift An" (Infantry Attacks), in which he examined and analyzed the many battles he fought in during First World War. It was published in 1937 and became essential reading for both German and allied commanders during World War II. Recounting his First World War experiences and lessons learned, Rommel does for tactics in "Infantry Attacks" what Manstein did for operations and campaigns in " Lost Victories: The War Memoirs of Hitler's Most Brilliant General ": he takes the reader inside the thought processes of a small-unit leader under fire and describes the considerations that shaped his decisions. The tactics described are maneuver tactics and make the book practical and relevant for us today. The valuable chapter-ending "Observations" synthesize the experiences into practical lessons. It is amply illustrated by diagrams.

This score is for this publication of the book, not the book itself. This particular publication is basically just the raw text. There are no foot- or endnotes for background and context, and there are some clearly questionable and even incomplete-looking translations (Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch).Rommel’s book itself is an excellent read; his WWI experiences are very interesting, and like the other writers of the 1920s and 1930s, he strongly makes a case for the re-mobilization of warfare and shows how he was able to achieve this, at times, during the War.A must read for anyOne with an interest in modern military history. Just find a better, more scholarly publication.