Description
Book SynopsisMajor General Maurice Rose (1899-1945), commander of 3rd Amored, First Army's legendary "Spearhead" division, was the highest-ranking American Jewish officer ever killed in battle, and the only individual casualty to spark a War Crimes Investigation. This, the first and only biography of this important World War II figure, tells the dramatic story of Rose's life—-from his childhood as a son of a rabbi, through his experiences in World War I and in the U.S. cavalry, to his meteoric rise as America's answer to Rommel. In 1943, Rose negotiated and accepted the surrender of the German Army in Tunisia, the first large-scale surrender to an American force during World War II. At the Battle of Carentan in June 1944, he saved the 506th Parachute Infantry (of Band of Brothers fame), and might very well have saved the entire Normandy beachhead from a catastrophic German counterattack. His brilliant, daring, and aggressive defensive tactics during the Battle of the Bulge prevented an enemy breakthrough to the Meuse River and beyond, thereby frustrating the German advance. Based on original archival research and exclusive interviews, this biography shatters old myths and factual distortions, and offers a refreshingly inquisitive and critical perspective. Steven L. Ossad and Don R. Marsh reveal new insights into Rose's controversial death—-was he killed because he was Jewish or because he went for his weapon?—-and about the even more controversial investigations that followed. As compelling and extraordinary as the life that it describes, this biography pays long-overdue tribute to one of America's greatest heroes.
Trade ReviewIn this outstanding, first-rate biography, Ossad and Marsh have chronicled the life of an authentic American hero. Their thorough investigation reveals, for the first time, a full account of Rose's untimely death in 1945. Highly recommended. -- Carlo D'Este, best-selling author of
Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life and Patton: A Genius for War
A complete and compelling narrative that covers the brilliant career of Major General Maurice Rose, from his roots in Colorado, through his service on the Mexican border and during World War I, and culminating in his leadership of one of World War II's finest fighting outfits, the 3rd Armored Division. -- Gerald Astor, author of The Greatest War: Americans in Combat, 1941-1945 and The Right to Fight: A History of African Americans in th
One thing that cannot be disputed is that Rose was an outstanding U.S. Army division commander and a kindred spirit to Lt. Gen George S. Patton Jr. and Major General J. Lawton "Lightning Joe" Collins. Major General Maurice Rose pays overdue homage to what he and his troops achieved—and the research that made it possible stands as an equally impressive achievement. * World War II *
