Rating: 
Summary: Fresh twist with a familiar ending
Review: While the premise of the story is more than believable when it comes to the events in Germany - Hitler's assassination, Himmler's rise to power over the actual coup conspirators, and Rommel being exonerated from participation in the attempted coup and thus not having to commit suicide - the actual possibility of signing a truce between the Soviets and the Reich is much harder to stomach from a geopolitical perspective of the time. The fact is, the Russians were already solidly on the offensive in 1944, and extremely peed off at the Germans for breaking the treaty and invading, but mostly for coming so close to actually winning the war. Ideological disagreements with the Allies aside, even with Hitler gone, the USSR had to perceive the Reich as the largest threat to that point. Another weak point is how quickly Rommel surrenders once the German push during the Battle of the Bulge stalls. With reinforcements still pouring in from the eastern front, the Desert Fox could have pulled back to the old defensive positions to lick his wounds and re-consolidate the defense line and extoll a terrible price on the Allies with his superior armor and artillery. Overall, however, this is an interesting and engaging read, and I would highly recommend it for its recreational value even to a historically scrupulous reader.
Rating: 
Summary: One of, if not the, best!
Review: I've been reading alternative for about 3 years now, and this is the best I have read. The authors state the premise - 'make a minor change' (not a direct quote), and take it to a wonderful climax. If you are a WWII reader (I am) or just an alternative fan who has some history knowledge, the 'actual' characters fit their historical models, the action is non-stop, and it's just a great read...
Rating:
Summary: Good book, but some disapointing parts
Review: This book was great, but several things made it not work. First of all Himmler may have been in charge of the SS but the SS was loyale to Hitler, the most likely scenario would be the SS would start a large civil war and try for a military dicatatorship under the SS. Also, if that didnt happen, if you know alot about the eastern front, you will know hitler in January of 1945 (Just before the TOTAL collapse of the Eastern Front) appointed Himmler commander of Army Group Vistula Army Group Center and so forth. Under himmler the front totaly collapsed bringing a much quicker end of the war in the east, Himmler was a horrible general. Hitler was, before he lost it was an above average general. If hitler had appointed Guderian insted in jan 1945, according to the soviet schedule, they would not have reached Berlin until, mid May 1945. But himmlers stupidity led to the fall of Berlin in late april 1945. There fore if Himmler took power the war would have been over by December 1944 at the very best.
Rating:
Summary: A First Rate Work of Alternate History!
Review: 'Fox on the Rhine,' by Douglas Niles and Micheal Dobson, is a wonderful story of just how differently World War Two could have turned out if the Army Officers plot had succeeded in killing Adolf Hitler. In 'Fox' Hitler is killed at Rastenberg on July 20th, 1944 and Germany is soon thrown into a sea of chaos. Heinrich Himmler and his SS soon move to gain the loyalty of the army and seek a seperate peace with the Soviets. Once that's accomplished, Himmler appoints Erwin Rommel, 'the Desert Fox,' to command an alternate version of the 'Battle of the Bulge.' While at times Dobson and Niles spend a little too much time showing off the fruits of their research, which is impressive, they do manage to tell a riveting story, and while some aspects of 'Fox' do stretch the reader's believabilty, the story is riveting and builds to an explosive climax. But perhaps the most fun is the simple question that the authors ask and attempt to answer: What would have happened had Erwin Rommel commanded the Ardennes Offensive? A great ride that ranks among the best works of alternate history.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling Alternate History
Review: Too many otherwise intelligent people think history is synonymous with destiny. Even some historians think it's their job to explain the inevitable. The result makes for insipid reading and bad history. In fact, the present is contingent on a tangled web of factors and conditions, many only dimly perceived. To fully appreciate history requires a lively awareness of how a seemingly trivial incident at a decisive time and place might have turned the world upside down, for better or worse. On the other side, the overly literal-minded believe alternate history is a waste of time because it deals with ahistorical questions: What if Peter the Great had had access to railroads? What might Napoleon have achieved with tanks? True, a popular strain of anachronism runs through the alternate history genre. Further, as Tony Judt has observed, a counterfactual speculation (i.e., alternate history) must take the broader context into account. To its credit, Fox provides a fascinating take on a world turned almost upside down while avoiding anachronism by means of an exceptionally well-thought out political scenario that might satisfy even Mr. Judt. That scenario is based on two questions: If the July 20 bomb plot had succeeded, what effects might Hitler's death have had on Nazi Germany? And, with Hitler dead might Germany have had a fighting chance of ending the war on favorable terms? Fox works out plausible and highly entertaining answers to those questions mainly through the eyes of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (the Fox of the title) and the top officers of an American armored division in France. The characters, historical and fictional alike, are developed with unusual sensitivity and depth. I really came to care about all of them, even the bad guys. Echoing Herman Wouk's "Winds of War," Fox uses exceprts from an imaginary postwar history to provide perspective and analysis. Although I admired Fox's respect for history and attention to the political background, my main interest was in the action. As one might expect, the action is mainly land warfare. Although a tad brief, I found the battles enjoyable and tactically sound. On the negative side, Fox gives little consideration to the conflict as a world war and not just a duel between the United States and Germany. Also, fewer of the maudlin letters from the B-24 waist gunner to his mother would have made for a better book. But, these are quibbles. All in all, Fox is a first-class work of alternate history. I recommend it without hesitation to anyone with the slightest interest in history, World War II, and what-might-have-been.
Rating:
Summary: Fox on the Rhine
Review: Writing an alternative history book is a challenge for anyone - since we supposedly know the outcome. Yet the authors turned this tale into a believable and spellbounding adventure. After reading the book I gave it my uncle who was an American soldier in the European theater during this event. He marveled at the accuracy of the details and how authentic it sounded. The book is an entertaining read and one any history or military history buff would enjoy. While fiction-it reads like a true account, but with all the suspense that keeps you from putting the book down.
Rating: 
Summary: Clunky Alternate History
Review: While this novel has its interesting points, ones that are shared by all "What If" books, I thought it was not particularly well written and had at least one annoying factual error that was repeated ad nauseum. First, the writing. While one does not expect literature of a high order with these kinds of novels, I found the pacing to be variable and the authors' command of the language often lacking. For example, at the bottom of page 72 (in the hardcover edition), where the authors are describing Himmler's office, the word "huge" is used no less than four times in the same paragraph. As a published author, I find this appalling. There are many synonyms for that overused word they could have used, and the fact that their editor didn't catch this either is surprising, as well. As for that annoying fact that keeps cropping up, the authors are constantly referring to the BLACK uniforms of the SS. Field Gray uniforms were introduced in 1938, and by 1944 had completely replaced the original black. This was done as much for public relations (the German populace had begun to look upon the black-clad SS as less than real soldiers), as well as to give the Waffen SS (the armed SS) a uniform that wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb in battle. The ONLY unit that continued to wear the black uniform was the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, Hitler's bodyguard unit. Even Himmler himself had ceased to wear the black early in the war and numerous pictures of him confirm this. All this does (over and over again) is confirm that the authors did not do their research. Finally, there is the major plot point about Germany making peace with Stalin, allowing them to concentrate on the Western Front. While the authors gamely try to make this plausible, they fail for the simple reason that by 1944 too much blood had been spilled. The Russians would NEVER have agreed to a negotiated peace with the Germans for ANY reason. Certainly not for territory they would have annexed anyway. In all, while this book was mildly interesting, it fails on several fronts.
Rating:
Summary: Tom Clancy on the Rhine
Review: An exciting, suspenseful thriller (everything that Clancy's last book wasn't). An earlier reviewer criticised the writers' literary ability; this criticism is baffling. While Niles and Dobson don't add up to Hemingway, they're more than competant. The events that unfold after Hitler's assassination are improbable, but what good work of alternate history isn't full of improbabilities? Stalin agreeing to an armistice in 1944 in return for huge concessions of German-controlled territory is hardly any more improbable than the Russo-German Nonaggression Pact of 1939. These guys are as good as Harry Turtledove (and that's saying something). More than anything else this book reminded me of Red Storm Rising (the greatest techno-thriller ever written). Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: They're not Turtledove's, but the authors provide a great, terribly possible scenario to WWII. The book is well written, has excellent character development and a wonderful premise. A must read for WWII buffs or alt. history fans. I highly recommend Fox on The Rhine as a book in the vein of Guns of the South or How Few Remain. A keeper...
Rating:
Summary: A fine alternate history
Review: I enjoy this book, it's a real turnpager. A well organized story, it keeps you running to see what happens next. There are some minor flaws, as where has Martin Bormann gone? he was not a small figure and not a word is said on him. The Pilot figure is a little gruesome, the worst thing about nazis, was that they perform the cruelest deeds without being crazy psycopats. More acurate are the SS General and Himmler. The war scenes are great, realistic and full of color details. Rommel, Patton and Bradley are in the right proportion. At last the conclusion of the story is something like abrupt, but not unbelivable. (Sorry if some words are mispelled, English is not my native language)
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