As the war progressed Hitler did not need obedient bureaucrats like Keitel, failures like Paulus and was paranoid about having military leaders who were loyal. The three field marshals in this book were amongst the best. Field Marshal Kesselring gained a reputation in Italy as an expert in defence, and his Allied code name was The Emperor. Kesselring was diplomatic, charming, known as Smiling Albert, but convicted as a war criminal which may not have happened had it not been for the bitter partisan war. Field Marshal Rommel is surrounded by myths which need disentangling. He possessed exceptional qualities of command and leadership, with personal courage and determination, but had problems caused by two major reasons. The first was his relentless ambition, which prevented him from self-criticism and self-evaluation. The second was his meteoric rise in command, and like many other commanders driven by ambition. Field Marshal Model when on the battlefield led his men so well it is surprising that little is known of him. He fought defensive battles in a way hardly matched by any other German general. He had the immense capability of keeping his nerve, but his skills as a commander, were not matched by the sort of personality which may have given him a similar status as with Rommel, and not helped by challenging Hitler. Model had a reputation of being so tough even Hitler claimed he would not want to serve under him, he was known as the Frontschwein (front-line pig). AUTHORS: Andrew Sangster has six degrees, in Law, Theology and four in history including his doctorate. An ordained priest, he has trespassed away from the Church to teaching and the study of history. He has taught in grammar schools and at Eton College, was a headmaster for some nine years and has assisted post-graduate students of history. He has more than twenty published history books both in the United Kingdom and overseas with some co-authored with Pier Paolo Battistelli, the well-known Italian historian. When not called for Church duties he studies the lesser-known aspects of modern history and plays chess for relaxation. Dr Pier-Paolo Battistelli gained an MA in the University of Perugia, and he was awarded a PhD from the University of Padua, based on a thesis on the German-Italian military partnership during the Second World War. He is active as translator, a military history consultant, and author of a number of Second World War history related books. Dr Pier-Paolo Battistelli and the Revd. Dr Andrew Sangster have worked together for some 12-14 years in researching lost evidence and trying to find the truth behind historical accounts, have attempted to be objective and make their works as readable and interesting as possible. 10 b/w illustrations
