The Trail of the Fox

More about the book

Over 25 years have passed since I wrote my well-known Rommel biography, initially published by Wm Morrow Inc. and later by George Weidenfeld in London. My editor, Tom Congdon, had previously worked on Peter Benchley's "Jaws" and became a good friend as he edited my other works. Writing this biography involved experimental literary techniques, such as using the present tense in italics for the hunt for Rommel's story, while the past tense narrated the events. The book stemmed from my research for a Hitler biography, revealing a lack of thorough investigation by other scholars, like Professor Eberhard Jäckel, who relied on dubious memoirs instead of original Army files. Lucie Rommel allowed me access to her husband's letters, which I found invaluable, and I also discovered unpublished sections of Rommel's diary. After much effort, I located shorthand diaries in the National Archives, which my secretary could read. Luck played a significant role in my research, and I donated the original materials to the German military archives, though I have been banned from them since July 1993. The letters and diaries revealed that Rommel was innocent of plotting against Hitler, with a conspiratorial web spun around him by his chief of staff, Hans Speidel. The book faced backlash from Speidel and the family of traitor Alexander von Roenne, leading to minor changes for the sake of good taste.